A slightly interesting fact

[The Who]

The top three teams in the premiership - Dogs, Manly and Titans - are the bottom three placed clubs on the Under 20's competition ladder.

 

[Stevo]

I've been saying it for ages. 20's and NSW cup are just breeding grounds for young talent. They play the way they are told to play and in the positions they are told to play. Quite often players play in different positions to develop other skills or to ready them for the top grade.

 

[bob dylan]

No cares about NSW Cup, its a joke.

I read on here Manly should sack the coach, do this do that. Fact is Manly know exactly what they want to achieve with NSW Cup, and success on the field is not an essential factor in achieving those goals.

 

[Stevo]

Exactly

 

[Buchanan]

Exactly right bob Dylan.

Nobody cares or even remembers past nsw cup winning teams.

Manly have the current set up spot on.

 

[lsz]

But Willow must go....

 

[Pepi]

Unfortunately we have some good players in the younger grades who are not happy with playing in poorly coached teams. There are rumours of a gun youngster who wants out.

 

[mozgrame]

Poorly coached? How can you coach a team if you have no say in the way they are to play? Willow must have his players play the same style as Toovey's NRL side. It must frustrate Willow at times. Imagine if you had a player that you think would be a devastating, wide running back rower, but Toovey wants him as a possible replacement prop, therefore, Willow has to play him as a prop. And it doesn't even matter if he gets called up or not to first grade.

Why don't the people that call for Willow's head at least give him credit for Littlejohn?? Sure LJ has natural talent, that's obvious, but Willow had him mentally ready for the NRL. There was no stage fright. That has to be Willow's main role as a reserve grade coach. Play the team as you're told, and get them mentally ready in case they are called up to NRL. I think he's doing a great job!

 

[Pepi]

I personally do not think they are poorly coached, I know nothing about their coaching ability. I am not a master coach or "technical coach" as some people around think they are.
Simply relaying a message - from a player not in Willows team.

 

[mozgrame]

No worries Pepi. I wasn't having a go at you mate. I too, am no master of the game, and I realise the thread is about the under 20's. I just get sick of hearing about what an awful coach Willow is. I hated hearing what a waste of space he was as a player too. Still, some people are much better judges than I. I'm just glad they aren't in charge at Manly. 😉

 

[Ryan]

No cares about NSW Cup, its a joke.

I read on here Manly should sack the coach, do this do that. Fact is Manly know exactly what they want to achieve with NSW Cup, and success on the field is not an essential factor in achieving those goals.

Disagree. It's about engraining culture into a player. You need to be able to win at SOME stages. This club of ours is all about culture.

Our NSW Cup and Holden Cup teams are embarrassing.

I wish we still had the Sunshine Coast Sea Eagles.

 

[Stevo]

Ryan, culture has everything to do with the mateship/teamship that has been built up over the last decade at this club. And a belief that what you're doing and what you're involved in is for your benefit long term and the benefit of the club.

It has nothing to do with reserve grade or u/20's wins. If it did, there would be no culture here as those teams have been crap for more than a decade.

Any player who plays only for wins in lower grades can piss off as far as i'm concerned because they have obviously not bought into the 'culture' of this club.

---

It's about NRL premierships and nothing else.

 

[globaleagle]

The title of this thread delivers!

 

[RiverEagle]

I agree that ultimately premierships are what counts, but it's still not always a good look for Cup sides. - stepping out in our colours - to consistently get spanked.

Used to be quite prestigious to win the old Club Championship too, when all three grades were supported more strongly.

And how else can fringe, or up-and-coming players get a gig in 1sts if they don't play well in Cup games?

 

[Jonesyv2]

Manly NSW cup side beat Norths, as long as this happens every season i don't care about anything else. They have done their job in my books.

 

[StuBoot]

And how else can fringe, or up-and-coming players get a gig in 1sts if they don't play well in Cup games?

You can play well ( and meet your KPI's ) in a beaten side.
So if Wolfie or Chayse play great this weekend but we get spanked does that not count?

Realistically, how many guys running around in NSW Cup are going to step up to become a regular in the NRL?
I'd hazard a guess and say 25% at most.

Yes, it's nice to have a winning reggies but the world is littered with Champion sides that if you went through player by player may not be guns but collectively they work and conversely there are plenty of underachieving teams that have a few guns in them.

Like Littlejohn in First Grade last week, we really can't get a gauge on how he handles firsts because Canberra were toasted after 15mins.
From memory 7 of our 9 tries came down the right hand side whereas in previous weeks our left side was the more dominant.
That tells me that he just did what he had to - let DCE run the show -probably because thats what he was told to do.
The next few weeks will tell us whether he's NRL or just NSW Cup quality. (This is not having a go at Jack, just trying to make a point).

 

[RiverEagle]

Fair point too Stu, but why are they there then if not to play well and get into 1sts?

Few players are able to play really well in a consistently beaten side.

And if a majority, or most meet their KPI's, a team should be winning more than our NSW Cup team. As many have pointed out, we've got a damn good side on paper...And just as often people point out said player '' just went through the motions and looked disinterested...''

Apart from the pride factor - you shouldn't pull on the jersey if you don't want to have a crack and do your best - again I wonder why bother then?

You can't say most will make a decent living, or anything close to it, just trotting around in the lower grades.

 

[manlyfan76]

Fair point too Stu, but why are they there then if not to play well and get into 1sts?

Few players are able to play really well in a consistently beaten side.

And if a majority, or most meet their KPI's, a team should be winning more than our NSW Cup team. As many have pointed out, we've got a damn good side on paper...And just as often people point out said player '' just went through the motions and looked disinterested...''

Apart from the pride factor - you shouldn't pull on the jersey if you don't want to have a crack and do your best - again I wonder why bother then?

You can't say most will make a decent living, or anything close to it, just trotting around in the lower grades.

2 reasons:

1 Pride

2 Money

 

[RiverEagle]

That's my point @manlyfan76.

Pride dictates you do your best.

Income increases the better you play/ the more you're worth and earn.

I'm saying that IS why blokes should still do their best every time they take the field.

 

[simon64]

I don't know about any of this.

But I do know this........I hate seeing any side wearing our colours being soundly beaten.