Been waiting for a while when tough games hit tipping points and the opposition had forwards to swing the momentum in their favour with extra determination and contacts leading to controlling the tempo of the game through the ruck....while we seemed to lack the grunt when push came to shove.
Young monster backrower Olakuatu has had moments almost on his own trying to lift a Manly pack as such a youngster for a while now, when we were being bustled by physical opposition, but as an edge forward, this is not an easy task and needs middle men to add the muscle in the guts....
Enter Aloiai....his presence has been Massive the past few weeks and though dwindled away in 2021 after a promising start, his form today is EXACTLY what was needed to add steel where we were most lacking - that middle 3rd.
It's not just his powerful charges bending the line and his rugged defence, it's the fact he has been doing everything with energy and determination winning the tempo for Manly playmakers to play off and not simply going through the motions, which is a bad habit this Manly pack has been guilty of, particularly in the big games when the tougher opposition go's to another level....Aloiai has raised the bar and this has 100% had a positive effect the rest of the pack is feeding off.
As for the young juggernaut in Olakuatu, is hitting harder and showing his power more every game, adding aggression and a bloke who is a legitimate X factor game changing backrower....could become anything in coming years.
Anyways - at a time when we were crying out for leaders, I feel we have 2 blokes that have stepped up and taken the bull by the horns, in what could be the Biggest growth for Manly in 2022 imo.
Young monster backrower Olakuatu has had moments almost on his own trying to lift a Manly pack as such a youngster for a while now, when we were being bustled by physical opposition, but as an edge forward, this is not an easy task and needs middle men to add the muscle in the guts....
Enter Aloiai....his presence has been Massive the past few weeks and though dwindled away in 2021 after a promising start, his form today is EXACTLY what was needed to add steel where we were most lacking - that middle 3rd.
It's not just his powerful charges bending the line and his rugged defence, it's the fact he has been doing everything with energy and determination winning the tempo for Manly playmakers to play off and not simply going through the motions, which is a bad habit this Manly pack has been guilty of, particularly in the big games when the tougher opposition go's to another level....Aloiai has raised the bar and this has 100% had a positive effect the rest of the pack is feeding off.
As for the young juggernaut in Olakuatu, is hitting harder and showing his power more every game, adding aggression and a bloke who is a legitimate X factor game changing backrower....could become anything in coming years.
Anyways - at a time when we were crying out for leaders, I feel we have 2 blokes that have stepped up and taken the bull by the horns, in what could be the Biggest growth for Manly in 2022 imo.
