2025 recruitment & retention

[Disco]

For 2025
Lawton gone
Schuster gone
Woods will surely hang up the boots..

That leaves us with 26 players for a roster of 30.. and around 1.5mill under the cap..we must be looking at bringing in at least 2 really top notch NRL players..

Also I notice we only have 10 backs on our top 30.. considering 7 play each week we could be in trouble if we get multiple injuries or suspensions in the backs..
Thankfully as one back drops out another has become available..so far that is.
Just a thought
With Staggs and Cobbo waiting until 1 Nov I wouldn't mind either one of them.. come on Daly start playing the Qld captain card.haha

I think we should have a crack at Wayde Eagan too.. contracts mean nothing in today's world

How are you getting to 1.5mil????

 

[Ryan]

I hope the club don't push another very talented and quality half into a hooker in Jamie Humphreys. I GET he looked great at hooker because of his high tempo play, but come on Manly - get a specialist damned Hooker.

But for me, this kid is DCE's replacement when the time comes. From within guys - from within.

 

[Stewbojevic]

I hope the club don't push another very talented and quality half into a hooker in Jamie Humphreys. I GET he looked great at hooker because of his high tempo play, but come on Manly - get a specialist damned Hooker.

But for me, this kid is DCE's replacement when the time comes. From within guys - from within.

That’s always been my hope. He looks great at 7, a real natural. But it seems like the decision to move him to 9 has been made.

If that’s the case, no idea what the DCE retirement plan is.

 

[Eagle 1]

You can’t keep them all but API’s leadership abilities and role in our “dual-hooker” approach were both seriously under-rated and undervalued…

We ended up with the result we deserved really and API has just looked better and better ever since… the guy is a tackling machine and an absolute gun player that never stops and does not know how to give up…

always amused me when contributors tried to undermine his ability and blame him for the p*ss-poor coordination of our attack…

Disagree on this FS, Manase was a revelation, smart and elusive around the rucks, great tackler, and younger than Api too. At the time I was all for Manase, little did we know what layed ahead.

 

[frank stokes]

Disagree on this FS, Manase was a revelation, smart and elusive around the rucks, great tackler, and younger than Api too. At the time I was all for Manase, little did we know what layed ahead.

Not saying Manase was not good… my point is that he could come in and be creative around the ruck because API had done all the heavy lifting up until that point… API was a star that kept us in the contest when energy levels were high and then Manase was elusive and smart enough to come on and take advantage of tired forwards…
Des thought Manase could be an 80min hooker… API has always had that capability and we still do not know whether Manase had it… and never will….

Api was under valued, under appreciated and we got what we deserved when we let him go…

 

[Jay Eagle]

How are you getting to 1.5mil????

Well I'm taking the reported Shu money of $800k..and saying his on $650 ( but if he is on $800k for next year that adds to my figure)
Lawton would be on 250/300k and we still have 2 spots this year that havnt been filled even on minimum wage that's $170k x2
Woodsie being elevated to top 30 means he gets a pay rise this year to min wage.
So conservatively we will have around 1.5 mill if not more depending on the cap that rises slightly every year.

 

[Eagle 1]

Not saying Manase was not good… my point is that he could come in and be creative around the ruck because API had done all the heavy lifting up until that point… API was a star that kept us in the contest when energy levels were high and then Manase was elusive and smart enough to come on and take advantage of tired forwards…
Des thought Manase could be an 80min hooker… API has always had that capability and we still do not know whether Manase had it… and never will….

Api was under valued, under appreciated and we got what we deserved when we let him go…

Get what you're ssyin', but at the time Des made a judgment call, Api or Fainu. Sad as it was to see Api go, the majority of Manly supporters agreed with Des and went with Manase.

 

[frank stokes]

Get what you're ssyin', but at the time Des made a judgment call, Api or Fainu. Sad as it was to see Api go, the majority of Manly supporters agreed with Des and went with Manase.

It was a bad judgement call is my point… and I never agreed with it…

Harry Grant is a good example…

He is a very good player for 80min but he is an absolute star when he comes on behind Smith or Hunt… letting Api go was stupid because he was a leader and he created the environment for Manase to shine…

Of course, Manly has been very good at throwing ridiculous contracts to kids in order to stave off other clubs and that is what spelt the end of Api at Manly…

Api got another 2 premierships, State rep footy and a massive retirement package out of it though so it was the best thing Manly could have possibly done for him… f*cked ourselves though…

 

[double hoops]

He is taking 16 runs a game, that is equal first for an forwards in the game.

He is a strike edge, like Olakau'atu. His role is not to be tacking the muck runs, thats what we have middles for.

But each to their own.

I just think there is the warped perception on a whole to Fifita. He is a very good player.

Tis good to consider different views points.

Let's both hope Fifita has a very quiet one this week. He had one of his better games against us last year.

 

[Jerry1]

Get what you're ssyin', but at the time Des made a judgment call, Api or Fainu. Sad as it was to see Api go, the majority of Manly supporters agreed with Des and went with Manase.

Not me.. I howled about it.

 

[Bearfax]

Seems to me most successful clubs have a foundation of players from their junior ranks in the premier side, with just a sprinkling of imports. One reason is they know each other's game when they've been playing together for a few years in the junior ranks.

 

[double hoops]

Seibs has just thrown cold water on Staggs coming to Manly. Manly won't be persuing him.

 

[Will on the hill]

Seems to me most successful clubs have a foundation of players from their junior ranks in the premier side, with just a sprinkling of imports. One reason is they know each other's game when they've been playing together for a few years in the junior ranks.

The most successful clubs in recent years are Penrith and....

Penrith captured lightning in a bottle, generational talent and the biggest catchment area in the country, with the finances and systems to create a production line the likes of which have never been seen. The Broncos are probably the only other club that have a chance of replicating that system.

As much as I wish we could be a team full of local juniors I don't think it's plausible.

 

[SeaEagleSI1]

 

[The Who]

Seems to me most successful clubs have a foundation of players from their junior ranks in the premier side, with just a sprinkling of imports. One reason is they know each other's game when they've been playing together for a few years in the junior ranks.

Easts seem to do well for a club with no juniors.
I wonder what their secret is?

 

[Ryan]

I'm going to say something very unpopular here, but for as long as I can remember, we've managed a very injury prone roster.

I think we should be very careful in who we release, sign and/or re-sign.

I think it's time to cull the habitually injured players and get some toughness in our team. I know people are excited because we've won half our games, but don't throw away desperate contracts.

If Brown continues to be injured, let him go. Schuster was always injured, he's gone. Lawton always injured or suspended, he's gone..We have to continue that. Players like Aloiai always in and out of the team through injury / suspension. Calling it here, of Brown or Lodge are injured again, let them go. Saab is starting to be injury prone now. Sipley is always in and out (form, injury, suspension). Ben Trbojevic is always injured.

We are brittle.

We've won half our games, 6 games in, and people are flying off the handle like we are world beaters for goodness sakes.

We've got an absolute reserve grader in the 17 this week in Matterson. I've always said if players like Condon / Matterson are.playing first grade (players who struggle in NSW Cup, in an awful team), we are in a world of hurt, and scraping the bottom of the barrel.

We need to level up. We've been a .400 - .500 team now for way too long. It's not only accepted now, it's celebrated.

 

[eagleron]

Like this but wouldn't come cheap. At least $500-$600k per season. Not sure we can afford it.

Getting towards the end of his career, that coupled with dissatisfaction could see him sign for less, I would love to finally see us with a genuine 9 but whether we do it by elevating from within or look elsewhere is something we need to sort and the sooner the better if we want to push for the title

 

[Smokin Joe]

Taking into account Lawton moving on and Humphreys who supposedly had passed Gordie but now been passed back by Gordie with both being not overly impressive(Gordie is going ok ..)
If I had a wish list for young dummy halves elsewhere,I would look at Tyler Moriarty from Roosters or Oskar Bryant from Titans,both ready next year( and off contract).
I think that the club is fairly high on Lenaz in the Flegg side and O'Donnell however.

 

[eagleron]

I'm going to say something very unpopular here, but for as long as I can remember, we've managed a very injury prone roster.

I think we should be very careful in who we release, sign and/or re-sign.

I think it's time to cull the habitually injured players and get some toughness in our team. I know people are excited because we've won half our games, but don't throw away desperate contracts.

If Brown continues to be injured, let him go. Schuster was always injured, he's gone. Lawton always injured or suspended, he's gone..We have to continue that. Players like Aloiai always in and out of the team through injury / suspension. Calling it here, of Brown or Lodge are injured again, let them go. Saab is starting to be injury prone now. Sipley is always in and out (form, injury, suspension). Ben Trbojevic is always injured.

We are brittle.

We've won half our games, 6 games in, and people are flying off the handle like we are world beaters for goodness sakes.

We've got an absolute reserve grader in the 17 this week in Matterson. I've always said if players like Condon / Matterson are.playing first grade (players who struggle in NSW Cup, in an awful team), we are in a world of hurt, and scraping the bottom of the barrel.

We need to level up. We've been a .400 - .500 team now for way too long. It's not only accepted now, it's celebrated.

I'm still prepared to give us more time before I write us off mate, it's our best start to a season for a while and could have even been better without the Parra rort and that bullsh*t last week, I don't disagree with some of what you say but there's still a lot to be positive about so far

 

[Disco]

I'm going to say something very unpopular here, but for as long as I can remember, we've managed a very injury prone roster.

I think we should be very careful in who we release, sign and/or re-sign.

I think it's time to cull the habitually injured players and get some toughness in our team. I know people are excited because we've won half our games, but don't throw away desperate contracts.

If Brown continues to be injured, let him go. Schuster was always injured, he's gone. Lawton always injured or suspended, he's gone..We have to continue that. Players like Aloiai always in and out of the team through injury / suspension. Calling it here, of Brown or Lodge are injured again, let them go. Saab is starting to be injury prone now. Sipley is always in and out (form, injury, suspension). Ben Trbojevic is always injured.

We are brittle.

We've won half our games, 6 games in, and people are flying off the handle like we are world beaters for goodness sakes.

We've got an absolute reserve grader in the 17 this week in Matterson. I've always said if players like Condon / Matterson are.playing first grade (players who struggle in NSW Cup, in an awful team), we are in a world of hurt, and scraping the bottom of the barrel.

We need to level up. We've been a .400 - .500 team now for way too long. It's not only accepted now, it's celebrated.

Which teams aren't injury prone these days?

We have one of the better injury lists in the comp atm