2010 worries

[Crusher_Cleal]

After the initial 'elation' we all felt at seeing our deteriorating Premiership Captain leave, thus freeing up valuable cap space for the next 3 years, aren't some of you beginning to feel a bit worried about our prospects for next year? I know I am. ALL of our plays went through Ox after all - how on earth do we replace that? Yes, he was dreadful in some spells last year, but you think unproven players like Foran & co are just going to step into his shoes and somehow replace him? I'm not so sure. I distinctly remember what happened to the Tigers after Prince left - they became very average very quickly (and they still had Marshall running around). I see 2 things happening - either we find a Mortimer equivalent young gun and stay competitive (be it Foran or someone else), or we lose all playmaking capabilities and win as many as we lose.

 

[Duff]

It will hopefully allow us to have a better game plan. One that has alternatives & uses the full skill set of all of our creative players.

Bring it on.

 

[King]

I am worried but at the same time i am excited.

I am worried that we don't have the experience in the halves to win the close games with Orford now gone. However i am excited at the thought of Hodkinson & Foran building a strong combination and playing together for many years to come.

As long as our expereinced players can support the young guys then we should be ok. Kite and Perry need to really stand up for us, if they play the way they did last year then our halves will have a tough time and have no chance of settling in.
The quality players are still in the team:
Watmough, Lyon, Kite, Perry, G Stewart, B Stewart, Robertson, Ballin, King the list goes on.
Imagine being a young half and given the opportunity to play in the 6 & 7 with those guys around you. It couldn't get any better.

I have a feeling Lyon may get the 6 jersey until Foran settles in to his new role. However i'd love too see a fresh combination of Hodkinson and Foran in the halves from the very start. Both are genuine ball players and both are great defenders. How exciting!

 

[Fluffy]

Not worried at all.

Didnt see us doing much different to this year with Orford remaining.

Next year we might drop a bit but we were no chance of the premiership anyway so im considering it an investment

 

[Pepi]

Look back to the Sharks game at Brooky, where we almost lost to one of the worst teams of the modern era. Also look at the Storm, Tigers,  Souffs games and you will feel less worry.

I just think Ox was getting stale at Manly, we needed to move on badly

 

[Dan]

I didnt see us winning it in 2010 so really I can handle a rough year next year, particularly if it means a good few years to come

 

[QldEagle01]

get cliffy back, imagine brett having a field day beside him...........

 

[Cletus]

I wasn't very optimistic about next year so it's all good. I'd much rather be in this position looking foward to the next few years rather than losing some of our best players because we can't afford them.
Besides Orford couldn't stay forever and this way we may get a good halfback for a lot less than buying a top line player.

 

[clontaago]

Lets face it, we were either going to be in the position we are in now or, we would have had another 2 years of Orford potentially playing as bad as he did this year, and then we would be in the position we are now.

For mine all we have done is cut the suffering down by 2 years. A positive for sure.