After watching the Storm tonight....

[Brissie Kid]

The Storm get off the 10m line ridiculously quickly. I don't know why they rarely get pinged for it with '6 again' calls.

They don't seem to put the ball carrier on the ground quickly. They prefer to dance with them and kill any momentum.

Conversely, when the Storm have the ball and see they probably won't escape a tackle, the ball carrier seems to get to the ground as quick as they can. But they rarely get called for a surrender. They start wriggling about like a freshly landed trout and feign the defence is holding them down. As they get up to play the ball they swing a leg around forward and take the markers out of the play. The referees seem to reward this with six agains and calling the markers out.

The Storm deserve credit for all of that. it isn't the Storm's fault the current rules and the nonsense attitude from NRL HQ that a "fast game is a good game".

 

[grassy]

We need to be able to beat sides like St George first. I can’t remember the last time we beat them I think it was June 2019. The only good side we have beaten this year is the eels I think. But we did that when twenty was coaching us 50 to zip i think. But the next time they played us they did the same to us.We need resilience to beat the storm And plenty of it. Of late we have been good though.

 

[Mataiforever]

Completely agree.

I will also add that our best pack will match theirs as well.

We will all know soon enough after we play them.

I can't find room for many (any) of their players in our best seventeen. Maybe Finucane?

This would be my team
1. Turbo 2. JAC 3. Hynes 4. Olam 5. JAC 6. Munster 7. DCE
8. Jake 9. Grant 10. Bromwich 11. Olakau'atu 12. Schuster 13. Cheese
14. Papenhuyzen 15. Finucane 16. NAS 17. Taupau

I would have 11/17 making the 17. Unfortunately us Manly fans can be biased.

 

[Leader of the Flock]

This would be my team
1. Turbo 2. JAC 3. Hynes 4. Olam 5. JAC 6. Munster 7. DCE
8. Jake 9. Grant 10. Bromwich 11. Olakau'atu 12. Schuster 13. Cheese
14. Papenhuyzen 15. Finucane 16. NAS 17. Taupau

I would have 11/17 making the 17. Unfortunately us Manly fans can be biased.

I know JAC is bloody quick but I don’t think even he is fast enough to play on both wings simultaneously.

 

[Eagles4Life]

This would be my team
1. Turbo 2. JAC 3. Hynes 4. Olam 5. JAC 6. Munster 7. DCE
8. Jake 9. Grant 10. Bromwich 11. Olakau'atu 12. Schuster 13. Cheese
14. Papenhuyzen 15. Finucane 16. NAS 17. Taupau

I would have 11/17 making the 17. Unfortunately us Manly fans can be biased.

Proudly Manly biased. Also a massive hater of the Storm. That might have have something to do with it. Still only finding a spot for Finucane. The Storm can keep the rest.
I am assuming you have Garrick at 5?

 

[Ranga]

Storm are currently the best team in the comp. No questions there at all. The Storm are also clearly superior to us right now. On top of that they have some quality players coming back into that team soon. (Harry Grant, Nelson Asofa-Solomona, Ryan Papenhuyzen)

Manly are currently the most improved team in the comp, and we are yet to put our best team on the field at any time this season. We also have some quality players coming back around the same time as well (Jake Trbojevic, Josh Schuster, Josh Aloiai).

Manly V Storm, Round 21, August 7, Brookvale Oval will answer a lot of questions for us. We will either compete at that level with the Storm, or we wont. If we don't compete at that level, we will be simply making up the numbers for the finals.

However, I think we have far more upside then the Storm has going forward. Potentially they have already peaked, as the Panthers did earlier in the season. We are a long way from hitting that peak, and definitely have a chance to make the GF. Can we win a GF against the Storm in 2021? Nobody on this site knows the answer to that question, but we will know a bit more on August 7.

The Storm might be in peak form, but unlike other teams they hold it for much longer. There have been many years where I’ve thought they surely can’t maintain their standards at the business end of the year, but they do. I agree that Round 21 is our litmus test.

 

[Brissie Kid]

40-0.

 

[Cliffymagic]

Storm love a good ol minor premiership.
That's why their always so ruthless.
To boost that for and against.
Last few weeks have seen them overtake the Panthers for and against and one game clear.
Bloody ruthless !!

 

[QueefRichards]

Melbourne have to be clear favourites at the moment. Have seen them really develop through the year whereas I haven't seen the same progression from Panthers

 

[Bearfax]

With our best players on the park and an even share of possession, I think Manly has the team that can beat them. But they need to be at their best and not hampered by referee game changes. But for me the team needs to be

Turbo
Garrick
Harper
Parker
Saab
Foran
DCE
Taupau
Croker or Fainu
Paseka
Olakau'atu
Schuster
Jake

Walker
Aloiai
Keppie
Lawton

with Ben Trbojevic and Sipley as backup forwards, Cust and Suli backup backs.

 

[maxta]

The big thing vs Storm will be patience and focusing on playing direct and through that middle
They have the ability defensively to steer the attack sideways which is into their hands
They also score much points through the kicking game and have the best chase in the NRL
They are beatable but playing 1 on 1 collisions in attack rather than allowing their 4 man tackles is a must.....definitely have the stars to score points, provided have not been sucked into playing to the edges before earning it and 2nd phase and unorthodox attack with players pushing up in support break down the guts first

 

[Mataiforever]

I know JAC is bloody quick but I don’t think even he is fast enough to play on both wings simultaneously.

hhhahaha im a spoon
2 JAC 5 Garrick

 

[robbiea]

Hate Storm more than Parra .

 

[Eagles4Life]

Forget the Storm. We are winning the premiership this year. We never got out of second gear today. So much more improvement to come. Go Manly.

 

[ManlyTragic]

Hate Storm more than Parra .

More than parra ….. surely you exaggerate!

just sayin’

 

[robbiea]

Forget the Storm. We are winning the premiership this year. We never got out of second gear today. So much more improvement to come. Go Manly.

Yep ,crazy how we dont miss one of our best players.We will need him for the hard stuff though.

 

[ManlyTragic]

Hate Storm more than Parra .

I don’t mine the storm…. Pleasant memories of 40- nil always come to mind!

 

[Bearfax]

More than parra ….. surely you exaggerate!

just sayin’

Its a near thing, though the Roosters rank high as well.

 

[EOL now nesting on the GC]

Im doubling down on my original post. We do have more strike than any other side.

 

[Cliffymagic]

Yep ,crazy how we dont miss one of our best players.We will need him for the hard stuff though.

Jake must be spewing missing our biggest ever win.
His defence in the middle will be unmatched against the other heavyweights.