That "Empty" feeling

[Bringbackcliffy]

Yes your 100% correct mate, but you and I both know come game time we will be switched into the game and living in hope
And again so accurate, the Sharks players (many underrated - Hazelton, Wilton ect) just roll up the sleeves and go to war, making those effort plays and keep turning up for each other....no excuses, no waiting for the Stars to "make that big play"....all dig in.
It's strange to say as the good old days it was Manly who led that pack in effort, attitude and desire, but now it's a bunch of 17 blokes looking for the easiest way to "outscore" the opposition without getting any dirt on the jerseys.....

Exactly we are 100% attack and nothing else. No grit no graft. The fact they were even contemplating playing schuster in the second row gives you an idea of the mentality.

 

[eagleron]

??Manly Bears???

We tried that once, lol

 

[manly al]

Really get that forlorn feeling when a game is on the line [ and as was the case against the Phins ] , pressing the opposition 's line , plenty of opportunities to put on some worthwhile plays and yet just generally clueless attempts to get a result or some wasted general plays .
So much experience with D C E and now Brooksy but not much improvement for quite some time now
Foz had or seemed to have a more purposeful role .
Not as if D C E and Brooksy are not capable of putting on some decent plays or organizing effectively and have shown it on some occasions but lacking on so many other instances as well
.Probably a really good all round and capable 9 would assist but will just have to make do with the present incumbents for whatever time

 

[Eagle 1]

And the week after that

forget about the Broncs game, we should be playing some reserve players in this game anyways. More inclined to think ahead to the must win game of the season at home against our eternal enemy the purple slime.

 

[Ryan]

Yes your 100% correct mate, but you and I both know come game time we will be switched into the game and living in hope
And again so accurate, the Sharks players (many underrated - Hazelton, Wilton ect) just roll up the sleeves and go to war, making those effort plays and keep turning up for each other....no excuses, no waiting for the Stars to "make that big play"....all dig in.
It's strange to say as the good old days it was Manly who led that pack in effort, attitude and desire, but now it's a bunch of 17 blokes looking for the easiest way to "outscore" the opposition without getting any dirt on the jerseys.....

Mate, I remember being at Brooky Oval with Dan I think back in the day, and Nathan Hollingsworth played on with a broken leg he was that desperate to fight for the team. Okay, maybe not the most talented bloke in the world, but showed the character needed. Des had such buy in, and "the team" ALWAYS came first.

We'd go back to the club, and players like Nick Bradley-Qallilawa (sorry about the spelling) would mingle and proactively come up to nubs like me and talk about water skiing and things. Could you imagine Turbo doing that ? He'd treat people like adoring fans, not actual people.

I remember players like Ben Kennedy. Authrotive leaders, who could walk the walk, not just talk the talk. That's the type of backrower (lock) we need. Travis Burns whingeing in the dunnies at the leagues club, only for BK to say "stfu Burnsie" hahah.

Players like Ox. I'm sorry, but DCE isn't a shadow of Ox. One of my all time favourites. We became a heavyweight again, when he chose Manly.over Storm. When Storm wanted him (as well as other clubs). Remember that? Us being a destination of choice rather than a retirement village for the washed up? Him convincing Steven Bell over.

I find It strange not ONE solitary player in the entire league (and Siebold coached at The Bunnies, Storm and Broncos) have chased Siebold....not ONE. Doesn't he have ANY contact?

People say big name players aren't available or moving. B.S. AFB, JFH, Lomax, Fifita etc etc etc, good clubs make things happen, regardless of their cap situation.

We'll end up 13th-15th, and having to release players to retain the (I won't be nasty), "players" we have now. Anyways. I'm still here, so me talking about apathy is probably more disappointment than not caring tbh, so I'm probably just talking waffle.

 

[maxta]

Mate, I remember being at Brooky Oval with Dan I think back in the day, and Nathan Hollingsworth played on with a broken leg he was that desperate to fight for the team. Okay, maybe not the most talented bloke in the world, but showed the character needed. Des had such buy in, and "the team" ALWAYS came first.

We'd go back to the club, and players like Nick Bradley-Qallilawa (sorry about the spelling) would mingle and proactively come up to nubs like me and talk about water skiing and things. Could you imagine Turbo doing that ? He'd treat people like adoring fans, not actual people.

I remember players like Ben Kennedy. Authrotive leaders, who could walk the walk, not just talk the talk. That's the type of backrower (lock) we need. Travis Burns whingeing in the dunnies at the leagues club, only for BK to say "stfu Burnsie" hahah.

Players like Ox. I'm sorry, but DCE isn't a shadow of Ox. One of my all time favourites. We became a heavyweight again, when he chose Manly.over Storm. When Storm wanted him (as well as other clubs). Remember that? Us being a destination of choice rather than a retirement village for the washed up? Him convincing Steven Bell over.

I find It strange not ONE solitary player in the entire league (and Siebold coached at The Bunnies, Storm and Broncos) have chased Siebold....not ONE. Doesn't he have ANY contact?

People say big name players aren't available or moving. B.S. AFB, JFH, Lomax, Fifita etc etc etc, good clubs make things happen, regardless of their cap situation.

We'll end up 13th-15th, and having to release players to retain the (I won't be nasty), "players" we have now. Anyways. I'm still here, so me talking about apathy is probably more disappointment than not caring tbh, so I'm probably just talking waffle.

Unfortunately you make sense
Sounds like some good times there too Ryan and the players were far more grounded.
Personally no time for big heads, I mean regardless of status, a true reflection of character is the way we treat everyone.
I'm going out on a limb here, but I have a feeling will have a red hot go vs Brisbane and will cop a deserved hiding for that call, but please let me live in hope for a week

 

[Ryan]

Unfortunately you make sense
Sounds like some good times there too Ryan and the players were far more grounded.
Personally no time for big heads, I mean regardless of status, a true reflection of character is the way we treat everyone.
I'm going out on a limb here, but I have a feeling will have a red hot go vs Brisbane and will cop a deserved hiding for that call, but please let me live in hope for a week

Mate, there would be no better feeling than beating those wankers in their own backyard.

Apart from beating Eels. Always beating Eels.

 

[davohan123]

Unfortunately you make sense
Sounds like some good times there too Ryan and the players were far more grounded.
Personally no time for big heads, I mean regardless of status, a true reflection of character is the way we treat everyone.
I'm going out on a limb here, but I have a feeling will have a red hot go vs Brisbane and will cop a deserved hiding for that call, but please let me live in hope for a week

No you don't cop it from me, if we show some fight on Friday well good because they should but if they don't it's not like we are not ready for it as per the last few weeks

You and Ryan have been speaking what we are all thinking about the club and it's been refreshing to read

One final comment @Ryan that period of 2004-2014 I am now forever grateful to be alive to see and be at a lot of those matches live. We won't be seeing a period like that from us never again unless things change dramatically with this club.

I miss the days of us holding sides to under 10 points and actually giving a f$$k about this place

this current mob from owners down are a disgrace to this once proud * not pride ** club and have set us back decades.

 

[mickqld]

Been feeling it since 2014, Manly were one of the weakest teams to finish 2nd on the ladder ever and that a long decade was ahead of us.

We were off the pace in terms of the forwards and power game plus overall depth while also falling more noticeably behind in terms of looking like a Semi Professional club struggling to keep up.

That year i didn't rate Manly at all during the season and copped a lot of flak here for stating that even though Manly were top 2 most of the season, in the Semi's we were poor both games and resembled at best an 8-10th finishing team.

2013 is the most proud i have been of the team as we performed well above what was left in the tank from the senior playing group.

Making the GF that year was all about the senior playing group taking control and offering outstanding leadership and effort through all sorts of struggles and injuries, they basically ran the show more than Toovey did.

The 2013 Prelim final win over Souths was the greatest victory this club has had since the 1978 finals campaign. Who would've thought back then that we wouldn't see anything near it till 2024 and beyond.

 

[EOL now nesting on the GC]

In our “Winning Years” it was exactly opposite, we played for each other, had that winning mentality, played for the badge ,and it was us that won games coming from behind !
The current team does not play for each other , and what’s more there is a attitude to not trust each other especially in defence.
This attitude is the responsibility of the senior players and coaches, and sadly we are lacking big time in this area. How else can you explain the big leads we create and then just fade away ??
THERE IS A TEAM SOMEWHERE IN THERE, BUT WHEN THE MOMENTUM GOES AGAINST US, YOU DON’T PLAY FOR EACH OTHER AS A TEAM.
So you senior players and coaches getting paid big bucks need to get off your arses and at training forget about ball work, running etc …and concentrate solely on attitude under adversity, playing for each other and your defensive drills.
GOOD LUCK AND GO MANLY !!

Rot starts at the top and Seifold is that fish head.

 

[mickqld]

Rot starts at the top and Seifold is that fish head.

Goes higher mate. Penn.

 

[eaglebuzz]

Mate, I remember being at Brooky Oval with Dan I think back in the day, and Nathan Hollingsworth played on with a broken leg he was that desperate to fight for the team. Okay, maybe not the most talented bloke in the world, but showed the character needed. Des had such buy in, and "the team" ALWAYS came first.

We'd go back to the club, and players like Nick Bradley-Qallilawa (sorry about the spelling) would mingle and proactively come up to nubs like me and talk about water skiing and things. Could you imagine Turbo doing that ? He'd treat people like adoring fans, not actual people.

I remember players like Ben Kennedy. Authrotive leaders, who could walk the walk, not just talk the talk. That's the type of backrower (lock) we need. Travis Burns whingeing in the dunnies at the leagues club, only for BK to say "stfu Burnsie" hahah.

Players like Ox. I'm sorry, but DCE isn't a shadow of Ox. One of my all time favourites. We became a heavyweight again, when he chose Manly.over Storm. When Storm wanted him (as well as other clubs). Remember that? Us being a destination of choice rather than a retirement village for the washed up? Him convincing Steven Bell over.

I find It strange not ONE solitary player in the entire league (and Siebold coached at The Bunnies, Storm and Broncos) have chased Siebold....not ONE. Doesn't he have ANY contact?

People say big name players aren't available or moving. B.S. AFB, JFH, Lomax, Fifita etc etc etc, good clubs make things happen, regardless of their cap situation.

We'll end up 13th-15th, and having to release players to retain the (I won't be nasty), "players" we have now. Anyways. I'm still here, so me talking about apathy is probably more disappointment than not caring tbh, so I'm probably just talking waffle.

We definitely had a better squad back then than we do now. I feel like we are building to it, this year has a very 2005-6 kind of vibe to it for mine.

Siebold has done a good job cleaning out dead wood but we still probably need another cull like the one we did last year into this year before we have the squad that we need.

We desperately need a decent hooker, and we need Tom and Jake to stop playing like shadows of their best.

 

[double hoops]

Yeah I know exactly what your talking about.

Jake giving away his deliberate 6 agains at completely the wrong time, has become a further trigger point too.

The tactic has to be scrapped. It has become the beacon signal of a lack of grit for the opposition, sends the wrong message of his fragile mindset to his team.

I reckon he does it when he's fatigued in the middle, thinking everyone else is too. When he needs to be a leader and call someone else in to defend the ruck.

He doesn't pick a time when we are shot in defence. We can have our line set, and only one or two more tackles in the set to defend.

When Jake gives the opposition 6 more, that's when you see our fatigued players heads drop to the floor and then the opposition is then in like Flynn.

Our teams improved resilience needs to start with Jake.