Some perspective

[DSM5]

SER8 is correct. They weren't much, but we were less. I wouldn't write Toovs off yet Ryan. We won the first two matches which were, on paper, much more difficult to win. The lack of intensity, which others have talked about, is a worry. Ahead with 20 to go, we just seemed to clock off. We didn't do this in the first two games and yet have fallen into having 'moments' in the last three. We need Glenn back on the park which might spark Brett into some form. He was good last night but we need him to be incredible. One positive is that we weren't playing the Storm. That would have been embarrassing.

 

[StuBoot]

I agree MK and to all the doom and gloom merchants out there things to consider are
Last year we used 25 players ALL year
This year we've used 22 already ( with two debutants) I think.
We've been in the fight 'til the end of each match - including the WCC
Both Cronulla & Parra were playing for their lives and credibility and I doubt they'll play much better all year.
We always struggle with Saints until semis time.
Then there's Buhrer having to start and adapt to different role & responsibility,
Foran apparently playing injured and without Gift on the otherside can't be underestimated, Wolfies coming back from a broken neck.
Whare & Oldfield are still rookies & Taufua was a debutant.
Same with Robinson, Harrison, Skinner etc
It's not like we're just missing one player here and there for a week or two, it's being compounded and add in the fact opposition sides can smell blood in the water they've only got to complete their sets to get us under the pump.
I could go on, but I think you get my drift...

 

[Chip and Chase]

We basically got beaten by missed conversions. Two of their tries came from laziness at marker. We had three internationals on the sideline, two of which are the starch that holds the RH edge together. Whare out of position and they cleverly targetted DCE, Roberts played well. Our kicking game was ordinary by recent standards.

Hate losing, but let's keep it in perspective. Blaming Toovey is reactionary.

 

[Top End Eagle]

Seriously - people on this site were panicking with our draw months ago - they were saying that we would be lucky to win two of our first five with the programme we had.

We played last years grand finalists with an almost full strength side and won.

We played the team the 'experts' installed as favourites, and won comfortably.

We lost to a vastly improved Sharks team in terrible conditions and had no calls go our way.

We lost to last years premiers and premiership favourites with some poor execution and missing fire power.

We walked into an ambush last night without our captain and best player in a game that was only ever Parra's to win.

NOT ONE of these games have been at HOME.

Young players are getting the taste of first grade in small stints with no long term injury - forcing them into first grade for a long spell indefinitely - that could lead to them burning out or cracking under week in week out pressure.

Players like Tafua, Whare and Skinner will work that much harder when they get back to NSW Cup and when we call on them again they will be better for it.

2 from five is about par for the start to the season in the Hasler era (except when we blitzed then faded in 05). We will be killing it in August once players futures are settled and we have a solid home game stretch.

B2B with 2V

PS if you play with the aspect control on your TV when the Eagles are playing you can make Darcy Lussick into Vic Muro by setting widescreen on/off.

 

[mickqld]

PS if you play with the aspect control on your TV when the Eagles are playing you can make Darcy Lussick into Vic Muro by setting widescreen on/off.

LOL what the hell would it do to big George then. You wouldn't fit him on the screen.

 

[The Who]

Like most seasons, injuries largely influence the plight of teams. Does anyone think that Melbourne would be leading the comp without their best three players?
I'll only start to worry if we are still struggling in the last quarter of the season. We can win numerous games on the trot, and just need to be near full strength, and close enough, when the finals are in sight.
In our losses to Cronulla and Parramatta we scored the same number of tries, and the Illawarra game was also close.
No panic. We'll go into the Penrith match way under strength so we need to be realistic. We'll struggle for the next couple of months - and then unleash fury! By then the Storm will be fading fast and Brisbane with have Friday Night Fever.

 

[mickqld]

Here's a perspective. If this form continues and we end up running outside of the 8 what will people think of the Manly board, Penn,Perry and the Hasler debacle then???I can guarantee that the media are sharpening their knives right now for the board,Penn and Perry.

 

[The Who]

Here's a perspective. If this form continues and we end up running outside of the 8 what will people think of the Manly board, Penn,Perry and the Hasler debacle then???I can guarantee that the media are sharpening their knives right now for the board,Penn and Perry.

We shouldn't worry what the media say. They are never correct.
Didn't we just sign up another sponsor? Off-field seems to be going well.

 

[Top End Eagle]

Here's a perspective. If this form continues and we end up running outside of the 8 what will people think of the Manly board, Penn,Perry and the Hasler debacle then???I can guarantee that the media are sharpening their knives right now for the board,Penn and Perry.

We shouldn't worry what the media say. They are never correct.
Didn't we just sign up another sponsor? Off-field seems to be going well.

Hasler debacle?

Des was a great coach and a major factor in our success. But his manager shopped him around early last year and the dogs bit.

From what I can glean from the media Des was a done deal halfway through last year and there wasn't much the board could do about it.

The media knives have been worn down to the hilt from repeated plungings over the past six months - there will be nothing left to sharpen.

Guess what we can take it - one of the easiest ways you can sell a paper is to criticise a great and successful club so that the jealous herd can take pleasure in speculation about it's demise. I'm sure we all read with pleasure about the Dragon's poor on field performances and how Bennet was already meeting in Newcastle when coaching still preparing St George for the finals.

 

[susan]

To that point Bennet is 2 from 5 with a fully fit roster and you dont hear a peep about them.It always a rebuilding phase when he loses and genius when he wins.
Toovey is an easy whipping boy for the Manly haters in the press and the next couple of weeks will be tough for him but no one has ever doubted his toughness.

 

[Jerry1]

Tooves ain't no Hasler. Give him a couple of years. I had high hopes for this season but when I look at who we lost to then I get a sinking feeling. Players out- understood but very rarely will a team have it's full line up.
I haven't given up on the boys but they need a bit more leadership especially when lion is off the field.

 

[OneEyedEagle]

Defence has been our issue this year compared to years gone past, we are leaking to many points early and then having to always play catch up

I had my doubts on Tooves last year being able to step up and would have preferred if he had another year or two under Dessie. Let’s see how things go once we return to the fortress.

I just hope none of our supporters start acting like the bogan pork chop slime fsupporters and start calling for his head. Tooves deserves better and our unconditional support. I just hope he is never made the scapegoat of our current or future performance.

Remember we have a number of our regulars out and it is a big ask of these younger untested players to step up to the week in / week out standard of the NRL.

 

[Andrew..]

Like most here, I try to stay away from criticising individual players in the team, but our starting props have been owned in the last 3 weeks. Our lack of quality depth as been exposed and as a result, blah...blah....blah you know the rest!

Maybe Lussick, Skinner, and Harrison, are the way of the future, but for me I'd consider looking in the warriors backyard, they have a great nursery and they can't all fit into 25 graded positions. It's probably a bit of a simplistic way to look at improving our depth, but what I wouldn't give for some forwards who can take it up to the opposition in both attack and defence.

 

[Daddycool]

We got to celebrate a grand final win last year and another one about 3 & a half years ago. In the last 3 weeks we've been beaten by the Sharks, Dragon and Eels.

For the Sharks and Eels fans these wins were a huge deal. The Dragons fans would probably trade a decade of wins against us for another premiership.

The point is, a recent premiership win or 2 means more than a 2 & 3 start. If we hadn't won last year, this early season form may have bothered me more but as it stands... there are bigger things to worry about.

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

The difference between winning and losing is small - even when we win.

 

[StuBoot]

Tooves ain't no Hasler. Give him a couple of years. I had high hopes for this season but when I look at who we lost to then I get a sinking feeling. Players out- understood but very rarely will a team have it's full line up.
I haven't given up on the boys but they need a bit more leadership especially when lion is off the field.

Jerry, it's true that "rarely will a team have it's full line up" but it's also true that rarely will a team have three current internationals out at once - a gun centre, damaging 2nd rower and the best ball playing 2nd rower in the comp.
Blooding youngsters all at once is not something this team is accustomed to.

 

[DSM5]

I love to win every game, every week. I hate it when we lose, BUT, realistically, we can't win every week. That's the perspective needed.