Battle of Hastings 1066 Thread

[HoldenV8]

@Batty , no one is thinking Hastings will be some messiah for us who is going to suddenly make us red hot premiership favourites. But the reality is that he should have been there from the start.

You're right, he's no Cronk.....but (and no offence intended to the kid), he's definitely more talented, and more experienced, than Croker.

We have basically been handicapped for the first 2 months of this year simply because the coach has refused (and may still refuse) to pick the best player we have for that job. Hastings is not the best half in the NRL by any stretch of the imagination. He's not even the best half at Manly. But.....for what we needed from a 5/8 he is definitely the best we have got and has been since Green left.

 

[Nice Beaver]

I find it amusing that Hastings has everyone convinced he is the next Cronk...
The guy is a pro.

I sure as hell do not consider Hastings much more than a competent first grader.

But on what Croker provided this season to date (until the poor bugger did his ACL), he is the better option of the two.

Not sure who is talking him up as anything other than the better (and now only) option?

 

[HoldenV8]

It would appear that most (if not all) of the first grade squad has kissed and made up with Jackson Hastings.

Lets hope our coach does the same before we do end up with the wooden spoon.

Note to Trent Barrett. MANLY DO NOT 'WIN' WOODEN SPOON'S PAL.....GET WITH THE PROGRAM.

 

[Holmsey]

Give Jackson a spot, I can see a special story coming out of this. Jacko and Cherry form a deadly combo and push into a shock top 8 spot. Cmon boys!

 

[HoldenV8]

I said from the start after we released Green that in a spine with DCE, Api and Tom, Jackson Hastings could very well shine.

He could finally get his chance next week to start staking that claim.

I said could.....I still have the sinking feeling that Barrett won't do it.

 

[Harvies elbow]

I said from the start after we released Green that in a spine with DCE, Api and Tom, Jackson Hastings could very well shine.

He could finally get his chance next week to start staking that claim.

I said could.....I still have the sinking feeling that Barrett won't do it.

Might be taken out of his hands though.
Duty of care, political correctness and club appearance is probably why Lyall has got involved, prompted or not.
That will make things extremely interesting.
I think Barrett is at a crossroad.

 

[Ned]

However, I still fear that he will move Api to the halves, put Brown in at hooker and the bench utility will probably be someone like Jono Wright. And if he does that we may as well not bother turning up over the next 3 weeks.

Don't forget that Barret's coaching credentials are not looking too good at the moment after 4 straight losses. He would be desperate for a win as anybody ATM. I reckon self preservation alone should rule Api to 6 out...but we will see I guess.

 

[eaglebuzz]

There's still Joey Lussick, so even with Croker's injury Barrett still has a way to screw everything up.

 

[globaleagle]

Jackson wasn’t the Mesiah today for BWSE, and in fact the commentators made mention that Manly were looking at Fanu ( can’t spell his first name) Brown from the Bulldogs for 5/8.

First I’ve heard of this!

Can't spell Messiah either! teeheeheeheecough

 

[HoldenV8]

Always pick it up but this time straight over the top nice and sloooooooow.

I remember when I was a kid my dad doing that one time. Happily mowing the lawn and ran over some fresh poop one of our dogs had left in the back yard......

Two things though.

1. He didn't see it before running over it with the mower.
2. He wasn't using the catcher and the back was lifted up so nothing blocked what was coming out.....

No prizes for guessing the result. And yes I thought it was hilarious when I saw it and I still get a laugh when I think about it almost 30 years later.....and his reaction at the time LOL.

Indeed. Ironic that twice we appointed different guys with the same name Alan Thomson/Thompson and both got flicked first year. Probably the only coaches we ever flicked after 1 year ?

Manly coaches who only lasted a season or less than a single season (and I mean just the one season, not any overlapping) were:

Harold Johnson (1947 - 5 games)
George Mullins (1949)
Roy Bull (1953 - captain/coach)
Ray Norman (1954)
Tony Paskins (1963 - captain/coach)
Allan Thomson (1980)
Alan Thompson (1989)

The only reason I didn't include Peter Sharp in 2003 was because he coached 2/3 of the year in 1999 after Bozo quit.

 

[Volley]

Baz said in the presser when asked about keeping Api at half that he wants Api at 9 because he is pushing for SOO in that position.

Haha Baz is kooked. Cook and McInnes are well in front of Api.

 

[brad]

Might be taken out of his hands though.
Duty of care, political correctness and club appearance is probably why Lyall has got involved, prompted or not.
That will make things extremely interesting.
I think Barrett is at a crossroad.

I said from the start after we released Green that in a spine with DCE, Api and Tom, Jackson Hastings could very well shine.

He could finally get his chance next week to start staking that claim.

I said could.....I still have the sinking feeling that Barrett won't do it.

I thought similar at the start of the season that Jackson , Dce , turbo and happy would make a pretty good spine . Hopefully he has no choice . I got your story also but couldn't comment as for some reason it went into another post . Funny.

 

[brad]

I thought similar at the start of the season that Jackson , Dce , turbo and happy would make a pretty good spine . Hopefully he has no choice . I got your story also but couldn't comment as for some reason it went into another post . Funny.

About the mower .

 

[Eagles2nv]

Baz may have no choice here unless he plays T Wright.

I can honestly see hastings being brought back out of desperation, Dce and Hastings develop a combo, and we improve.

Then hastings will prob head to super league.

 

[Tragic Eagle]

The fact the DCE and both Turbos were at the Blacktown game yesterday was IMO clear message to all that they still consider Hastings a member of their squad. They may well have done under instruction and that was a smart move. I expect the advice came from Gorman.

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

Can't spell Messiah either! teeheeheeheecough

Mate, I’m good at catching fish not spelling!!!!!!

 

[wombatgc]

The fact the DCE and both Turbos were at the Blacktown game yesterday was IMO clear message to all that they still consider Hastings a member of their squad. They may well have done under instruction and that was a smart move. I expect the advice came from Gorman.

Would've been nice to see the coach there.

 

[Tragic Eagle]

This issue has now changed focus and it’s no just about Hastings it’s about Barrett’s stubbornness and the future of his coaching career at Manly. The leak that started this snowball is a boil on Manly’s Bum and should shut the xxxx up from now on. What a numb nut!

 

[XV-1]

I see Buzz wqrote in his tele column today that one NRL club is interested in signing Hastings. They just need Manly to pay a fair portion of his salary and he will be gone.

Looks like we could be left with no 5/8th options soon.

 

[XV-1]

The fact the DCE and both Turbos were at the Blacktown game yesterday was IMO clear message to all that they still consider Hastings a member of their squad. They may well have done under instruction and that was a smart move. I expect the advice came from Gorman.

It was part of their Gladstone punishment to watch a team as bad as them to give them perspective on how bad they are going.
They left just after half time - so still not as loyal as real Manly fans.