What can we do?

[ManlyMatt]

I love this club more than I can say. I've been following Manly for 20 years now and have been through the all the highs and lows. I went to my first game in 97 as an 8 year old and have been a die hard ever since. Me and my Grandfather have season tickets (Have had them for about 15 years now) and we travel over from Bankstown to Brookvale whenever we can to watch the boys play. We have been all over the country and to New Zealand to support the team. Some of my best memories with my Grandfather are because of this club and I am very grateful to Manly. This is why I am posting this.

I know all of you are as die hard as I am or you wouldn't be posting on here. I'm willing to bet that you all love the club as much as I do. Which means that you all must be feeling as ordinary as I am about the state of the club at the moment, as it is torn apart by a management team that is, to put it mildly, clearly not up to the task.

The decisions made in recruiting over the last few years have been abysmal. The recruitment of Myles and Brown were reckless and ill considered. In a league as competitive as the NRL, recruitments like these are unforgivable. Despite this, its the players and staff told to leave that is most disappointing.

Toovey, Glenn Stewart, Ballin, Gutherson, Hiku and now Buhrer (I'm probably forgetting people) have all been given the boot and for the most part, have been replaced by imposters that in all truth aren't fit to represent manly for either on or off field attitudes. Guth and Hiku were not established first graders in truth but to terminate two young players who had both recently signed new contracts with the club is extremely inappropriate and unacceptable.

The Team management decisions aren't the only causes for concern. The attitude by those running things is unacceptable. This is a professional football club but the like of Fulton, Peters and penn have turned the place into a joke. Allowing for no cohesion within the football club and showing utter contempt for the fans. Other unexplainable decisions such as hiring John Hopoate to mentor our youth team also come to mind.

The part about the fans is what I'm going to make my point around. It's pretty clear that these people don't care how the fans think or feel. They could not care less about the concerns we express about where the club is heading. I feel as though we could make them care if we work together to make a statement. No matter what anyone says, this is our club. We make it, we pay for it and we support it.

I am suggesting that we should get together and threaten a boycott of next years first home game. Just the first home game as the players don't really deserve us not showing up. The media would have a field day with it if they got wind and it would make Penn and his cronies look very ordinary. We could demand a truthful explanation as to why some club favourites have been treated so poorly or we could demand a written statement saying that no more club players will be treated this way going forward. Hell we could demand that peters be sacked on the grounds of all the ****ty things he's done in the past. Something to discuss.

Sorry for the long winded post I just feel like my club is being taken away from me and I really do fear for the future of it. Would love to hear your thoughts on all of this. I feel like the Fans of this club need to take more action to ensure the its future.

P.S. Please be civil, I'm putting myself out there a bit and trying bring us together for something positive.

 

[Lyonstomenzies]

Just keep supporting. It's like a marriage, you've got to take the good with the bad.That's what you signed up for.

It sucks what's happened, but it's happened. When I'm talking footy with someone now though it will probably be about the glory years and not what's coming up this next week.

We should all just be happy that we've seen some amazing football played by our club, delivering premierships and football legends along the way.

Look at it like your teenage years when we were all at our best.

Age has finally caught up with the mighty Sea Eagles club.

Sorry to be so reflective but I've had a few.

 

[Loobs]

What did you do with yourself when they bought in unManly guys like St George's Kite, Parra legend in the making Jamie Lyon, Newcastles own BK and later Perry, Orford and Bell from the Storm, and so on..?

 

[yokahontas]

What did you do with yourself when they bought in unManly guys like St George's Kite, Parra legend in the making Jamie Lyon, Newcastles own BK and later Perry, Orford and Bell from the Storm, and so on..?

Difference being, none of those you mentioned were arseholes and petty criminals, and they were the better choice in their respective positions at the time.

Replacing good guys with loose cannons, and handy players with gumbies, is the problem here.

 

[COMMANDER]

Fans get hung up on players. Most players will ditch their club at the drop of a hat for a dollar, or go to Union.

The Club is the constant.

 

[Dan]

Got to take the good with the bad, these things come in ebbs and flows. Things will look better in a year or two

 

[Fluffy]

we should not go to any games we are going to lose

 

[Mals]

I love this club more than I can say. I've been following Manly for 20 years now and have been through the all the highs and lows. I went to my first game in 97 as an 8 year old and have been a die hard ever since. Me and my Grandfather have season tickets (Have had them for about 15 years now) and we travel over from Bankstown to Brookvale whenever we can to watch the boys play. We have been all over the country and to New Zealand to support the team. Some of my best memories with my Grandfather are because of this club and I am very grateful to Manly. This is why I am posting this.

I know all of you are as die hard as I am or you wouldn't be posting on here. I'm willing to bet that you all love the club as much as I do. Which means that you all must be feeling as ordinary as I am about the state of the club at the moment, as it is torn apart by a management team that is, to put it mildly, clearly not up to the task.

The decisions made in recruiting over the last few years have been abysmal. The recruitment of Myles and Brown were reckless and ill considered. In a league as competitive as the NRL, recruitments like these are unforgivable. Despite this, its the players and staff told to leave that is most disappointing.

Toovey, Glenn Stewart, Ballin, Gutherson, Hiku and now Buhrer (I'm probably forgetting people) have all been given the boot and for the most part, have been replaced by imposters that in all truth aren't fit to represent manly for either on or off field attitudes. Guth and Hiku were not established first graders in truth but to terminate two young players who had both recently signed new contracts with the club is extremely inappropriate and unacceptable.

The Team management decisions aren't the only causes for concern. The attitude by those running things is unacceptable. This is a professional football club but the like of Fulton, Peters and penn have turned the place into a joke. Allowing for no cohesion within the football club and showing utter contempt for the fans. Other unexplainable decisions such as hiring John Hopoate to mentor our youth team also come to mind.

The part about the fans is what I'm going to make my point around. It's pretty clear that these people don't care how the fans think or feel. They could not care less about the concerns we express about where the club is heading. I feel as though we could make them care if we work together to make a statement. No matter what anyone says, this is our club. We make it, we pay for it and we support it.

I am suggesting that we should get together and threaten a boycott of next years first home game. Just the first home game as the players don't really deserve us not showing up. The media would have a field day with it if they got wind and it would make Penn and his cronies look very ordinary. We could demand a truthful explanation as to why some club favourites have been treated so poorly or we could demand a written statement saying that no more club players will be treated this way going forward. Hell we could demand that peters be sacked on the grounds of all the ****ty things he's done in the past. Something to discuss.

Sorry for the long winded post I just feel like my club is being taken away from me and I really do fear for the future of it. Would love to hear your thoughts on all of this. I feel like the Fans of this club need to take more action to ensure the its future.

P.S. Please be civil, I'm putting myself out there a bit and trying bring us together for something positive.

Love the passion ManlyMatt. A boycott probably isn't the answer though and would be very hard to implement in enough numbers to make a "show of force". Some A League clubs have official supporters groups who can raise issues with the management of their teams as a collective voice as well as organise events etc. I would like to see this implemented at Manly. Also an example of what the Mariners do for members - they have a members only FaceBook group. You can raise topics in there and a club rep gets back to you within hours.

 

[sheridanstand78]

The writer of this article sums up how many of us feel right now. History will judge the current decision makers.

For now I am prepared to give them the benefit of the doubt. I just hope they abide by the very words used to vindicate the dismissal of our last coach "That we are in a results based business!!"

 

[Loobs]

Difference being, none of those you mentioned were arseholes and petty criminals, and they were the better choice in their respective positions at the time.

Replacing good guys with loose cannons, and handy players with gumbies, is the problem here.

That's the fringe guys. Blake Green, Tapau, I'd give you Walker as possibly loose but still our best recent team had Choc who was as much of a ****wit as anyone.

Look who the Roosters recruited this year. Paul Carter, Knight, Tetevano...

 

[Ryan]

What did you do with yourself when they bought in unManly guys like St George's Kite, Parra legend in the making Jamie Lyon, Newcastles own BK and later Perry, Orford and Bell from the Storm, and so on..?

Too be fair, Ox was a Northern Eagles junior, so kinda WAS one of ours to begin with. Well, Bears, but it was still Northern Eagles.

 

[Brookie Brawler]

I like your idea @ManlyMatt but history says we as a group of fans struggle to even get a chant going let alone organise a boycott. Sign me up now though for what it's worth.

I wish people would stop misinterpreting our anger and disappointment as fairweather fans throwing our toys out of the cot because we have been spoiled by 10 years of finals and can't accept that we are now losing more than we are winning.

I got on board and stuck it out through the Northern Eagles debacle which was a nothing short of embarrassing. During that time it seemed as though Manly would never be back as the club we knew and loved. At no time during that period though, no matter how many personnel decisions I disagreed with or just didn't understand, did I feel anything like the sense of disengagement that I have had since Penn took over 2 years ago.

From day 1 they got rid of the successful Dave Perry then set about dismantling the team culture and undermining Tooves. Penn and Zorba must have absolutely loved seeing the injuries mount up in the early part of 2015 - giving them the opportunity to use results as an excuse for their culling of anyone from the Perry era.

I know rugby league has changed a lot since I started following it back in the 80s and players don't stay put anywhere near as much as they used to, but over the last decade I loved how Manly lead the way in developing first graders up from the lower grades, converting rejects to solid performers and maintaining a tight knit playing group full of familiar faces, (almost) all of great character to boot. I was proud of the players and the club with its history of success and it's culture of embracing it's past.

Now it seems like management sees no value in continuity, loyalty or passion for the team. That's what's pushing me away.

I can cop (and have done in the past) poor results on field but this just seems as if management are going out of their way to tear down the culture and history of the vlub while antagonising the fan base as much as possible.

Wow that went on for a bit!

 

[maxta]

We start winning games & all most will be forgiven.....thing I'm pi##ed off about is having to wait so long for redemption ....Manly will be a force again & it will be in the next year or 2.

 

[Woodsie]

Difference being, none of those you mentioned were arseholes and petty criminals, and they were the better choice in their respective positions at the time.

Replacing good guys with loose cannons, and handy players with gumbies, is the problem here.

What is gumbies?

 

[Loaded dog]

Got to take the good with the bad, these things come in ebbs and flows. Things will look better in a year or two

Wow! What a philosopher!

 

[Loaded dog]

I like your idea @ManlyMatt but history says we as a group of fans struggle to even get a chant going let alone organise a boycott. Sign me up now though for what it's worth.

I wish people would stop misinterpreting our anger and disappointment as fairweather fans throwing our toys out of the cot because we have been spoiled by 10 years of finals and can't accept that we are now losing more than we are winning.

I got on board and stuck it out through the Northern Eagles debacle which was a nothing short of embarrassing. During that time it seemed as though Manly would never be back as the club we knew and loved. At no time during that period though, no matter how many personnel decisions I disagreed with or just didn't understand, did I feel anything like the sense of disengagement that I have had since Penn took over 2 years ago.

From day 1 they got rid of the successful Dave Perry then set about dismantling the team culture and undermining Tooves. Penn and Zorba must have absolutely loved seeing the injuries mount up in the early part of 2015 - giving them the opportunity to use results as an excuse for their culling of anyone from the Perry era.

I know rugby league has changed a lot since I started following it back in the 80s and players don't stay put anywhere near as much as they used to, but over the last decade I loved how Manly lead the way in developing first graders up from the lower grades, converting rejects to solid performers and maintaining a tight knit playing group full of familiar faces, (almost) all of great character to boot. I was proud of the players and the club with its history of success and it's culture of embracing it's past.

Now it seems like management sees no value in continuity, loyalty or passion for the team. That's what's pushing me away.

I can cop (and have done in the past) poor results on field but this just seems as if management are going out of their way to tear down the culture and history of the vlub while antagonising the fan base as much as possible.

Wow that went on for a bit!

I think that what you were trying to say was:
"Now, it's a results driven BUSINESS. Fans (customers) have no say! However, we, (the franchise) still accept the money you pay us for "MEMBERSHIP "

 

[ricardo]

In the wise words of Rory Breaker:

 

[ManlyMatt]

I would like to make clear that I am not suggesting a boycott because of last years results. I am fully aware that with the salary cap we are going to have some not so successful years. I believe that, at least on my part, all will not be forgiven with a successful year in 2017.

What I am disillusioned by is the clear lack of morals shown since Penn bought the club out. The in fighting, the way people like Toovey, who we all love, was shafted with no dignity, the signing of players with criminal pasts, The termination of local juniors mid contract, the rehiring of Peters despite being originally sacked for his sexist remarks, the hiring of John Hopoate despite His criminal past. The selling of the leagues club to developers. Also disillusioned by the way the club swept it's betting accusations under the rug instead of taking them seriously.

All these issues have played a part in taking the club we love and turning it into something that is unrecognisable. As fans we should show our solidarity and take the club back. I believe we do have a say and if we got together to plan a boycott it could definitely shake things up.

My major concern is what the end result of all this will be. There is a real chance that this current management will run the club into the ground or attempt to move the club away from Manly in order to profit. If we don't make ourselves heard sooner or later, it may be too late by that point.

I will always support Manly and right now the club needs our support by standing up to these people. The players are the ones who deserve our support and they are probably as disillusioned as we are.

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

What can we do???

Easy, settle in for a bumpy ride, whinge about the lows, celebrate the highs.

I hate what's happening too BUT as I can't do a thing about it and after this long being proud of my team , it's buckle in and get used to it.

And as others have said , we will be back , absolutely guaranteed.

As to when, that's the gazillion dollar question!!!

 

[ManlyMatt]

Not sure why people keep saying there is nothing we can do. There is always something we can do. Question is how much responsibility do we take for the wellbeing of the club? Not much apparently.