Any improvers under Hasler?

[Matabele]

I played football with Mitchell Sergeant (Cowboys prop) in 1996-98. Back then he was 90kg wringing wet and destined for a career in the backs. He never rose above PL status with the Eels before cracking first grade as an occasional with the Storm. When he went to the Cowboys he was little more than a fringe First Grader.

Consider his game against the Broncos today. He started, he makes plenty of metres and he does something with the ball every time he has it (the odd hit and spin, offload and involved in set plays). He’s not a one dimensional player.

My point is he has very little of the physical tools that a Kite or King enjoys. He is a good, solid journeyman, but he has improved with every season and at the moment out performs our front rowers, despite his limited ability.

His coach is Graham Murray, and if you look at the Cowboys, most of their players have improved EVERY season.

Here is my question.

Who, if anyone, has consistently improved under the reign of Des Hasler?

Name one player that shows constant improvement!

It’s pretty hard to name anyone, isn’t it?

Who has gone backwards at Manly? Here’s some I can think of – I’m sure you can name others:

Kite
Menzies
King
Randall
Monaghan
Witt

Etc etc

What’s going to happen to Bell and Orford?

I reckon it’s time for someone to get on the phone to Mal Reilly, Chris Anderson or Johnny Lang.

 

[Ryan]

I agree. Des Hasler appears to be demotivating, adverse to change, unable to improve players etc etc...

Jamie Lyon said himself, he'd like to play for Des, as the attitude at Manly is so laid back !!!

Sam Harris has publicly stated that playing for an outfit like the Tigers is "different" because they are so professional....I almost laughed myself silly with that one !!!

Maybe Wayne Bennett can take our reigns???I'm sure Jason King and a few other spots wouldn't be so secure then.

There may even be a little accountability back in the team !!!

 

[Matabele]

For someone that supposedly hates losing so much, he sure does his best to set us up for the loss.

I'm really sick of the steady decline and the failure to take risk that has crept into the club under Hasler.

 

[KaZa]

ahh finally... this is what i was saying last year.. Monas is a better player than he was showing last year.. ( now the same will happen to Orford) but the WHOLE TEAM had no idea what Des wanted them to do. As it appears nothings changed in defence and attack..

We have no set plays in attack.. no decoy runs.. no 2nd phase play.. and the same can be said for our defence. its a shambles.

 

[Garts]

agree with the failure to take risk but I disagree on the steady decline since he took over. overall we have improved each season since he took over imo.

 

[Ryan]

That's 14 losses from the last 16 starts now right?

 

[Matabele]

Have we improved as much as we could have?

Don't forget we were $1million under the cap when he took over.

So we're buying prime cattle and then not feeding them. Pretty stupid IMHO.

 

[Matabele]

See Sargeant running a decoy for the third Thurston try?

How long since we saw any of our front rowers run a decoy?

 

[KaZa]

See Sargeant running a decoy for the third Thurston try?

How long since we saw any of our front rowers run a decoy?

exactly. Its not the halfbacks responsibility all the time when the attack is flat. Orford and Monas are playing under the instructions of Des. Its not working at the moment. Im not sure Des has the capability.

 

[byso]

hhmmm so Orford isn't the saviour we thought...........No kidding.

Of cause nothing has changed. I guess we can only hope the players work out how to win by themselves.

They'll snag many I guess.

 

[Fluffy]

im having flashbacks to 2005 and what i was posting then.

copped a bagging - orford was the savior, all monas fault

The problem is that the style of play is the same in PL.

Flegg has the deepest backline - guess they havnt been corrupted yet

 

[byso]

Yep, looks like all the attention is on Dunley now, is this a smoke screen?
Many at the ground said Orford (Messiah) had a shocker, not much of a mention though 😉

 

[Matabele]

I saw Orford setting up a few tries and not falling off tackles.

What exactly did Dunley do?

 

[Garts]

also noticed Orford kicking balls into the crowd

 

[Fluffy]

its just part of being a half under des. Witt passed to the 20m in attack, we were at the 10, best move was the kick out on the full by miles from the kick off

it doesnt seem to depend on which player it is, just who is in half.

Mullane, monas, witt and now orford have all done it

 

[manlyone]

I am loathe to criticise Dessie .... but the defensive strategy of not sprinting up, waiting back & sliding might have worked in the mid-90s but it doesn't seem to work these days. We had blokes last night putting in some huge hits eg Bryant, Watty & Kylie but it seemed to be one off individual stuff and not part of an overall agreesive in your face team strategy.

Two or three of the raiders tries came out wide following simple 2nd man balls when our backs were on the line waiting for them. Whenever Wolford or Smith did anything resembling some ball play we went to pieces and left gapping holes.

This is a strategy issue and is of far greater concern to me than waiting a few weeks for Orford to start fitting in.

 

[Guest]

Dessie looks like he has been to the Peter Sharp coaching school. No attacking plays and no idea in defence.

I would say that Bryant and kylie have improved since coming to manly. King has also improved out of sight. he used to do only one hit up a match and now he does 11.

I agree that manly needsa a half and 5/8 who can get back to the old days of running angles and standing deep in attack and in your face defence. this flat style of attack is kimmirley like and we know how that finished up.

At least next week we can turn the Tv off if we are getting smashed.

 

[Matabele]

Wasn't Hasler boasting in the pre-season that he had a new strategy that would revolutionise defence in the NRL?

Maybe he aims to set a new record for points conceded. I think Wests let in 900+ back in 1999.

 

[Guest]

Maybe what he was talking about was his defnec of the team at media conferences aftre games like saturday night - just don't turn up to them.

Can we play the broncos next week instead of the cowboys? Might be more of an evenl game.

 

[sullyfan]

I'm not sure if you could say that Witty has gone backwards at Manly, after all he was also set adrift by Brian Smith.