Pre-Game Bulldogs v Manly [Round 25, 2022]

[davohan123]

Its a 3 letter word!

And it starts with D

 

[Disco]

I know things are grim atm.....and the pile on has its merits.

But lets all step back and look at the team today.

Only Koula from our back 5 starting. Turbo, Garrick, Saab, Parker all out along with Harper.

Also our three best middles (IMO) in Jake, Aloiai and Paseka out. Not to mention regular Keppie.

We are bare bones.

That said, I would at least expect effort and commitment, sometjing thats been sadly lacking the last few weeks.

Lets go Manly!!!

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

I know things are grim atm.....and the pile on has its merits.

But lets all step back and look at the team today.

Only Koula from our back 5 starting. Turbo, Garrick, Saab, Parker all out along with Harper.

Also our three best middles (IMO) in Jake, Aloiai and Paseka out. Not to mention regular Keppie.

We are bare bones.

That said, I would at least expect effort and commitment, sometjing thats been sadly lacking the last few weeks.

Lets go Manly!!!

We’ll get beat, that’s for sure

But if they have a crack I’d be over the moon.

Just not sure anyone really gives a **** anymore so I’m expecting a shellacking.

 

[alafua siaosi]

I will be at the game hoping for a win one last MAAAAAAAANLY hooray in 2022 .Let's go Manly .

 

[Wombat64]

I know things are grim atm.....and the pile on has its merits.

But lets all step back and look at the team today.

Only Koula from our back 5 starting. Turbo, Garrick, Saab, Parker all out along with Harper.

Also our three best middles (IMO) in Jake, Aloiai and Paseka out. Not to mention regular Keppie.

We are bare bones.

That said, I would at least expect effort and commitment, sometjing thats been sadly lacking the last few weeks.

Lets go Manly!!!

Even at full strength only 1 of those players would make one of the top 8 teams and in an average season Turbo only plays 20% to 30% of games for us anyway. We just can't have a player taking up so much of our cap constantly not available and then expect to be competitive.

Outside of Jake, Turbo, Foran and DCE The rest of our team are reserve grade standard and therein lies why aren't playing semis.

 

[Bearfax]

I'm looking for a surprise given its the last game at Manly for a few and there are a few youngsters out to prove their worth. Manly by 10+

 

[alafua siaosi]

Even at full strength only 1 of those players would make one of the top 8 teams and in an average season Turbo only plays 20% to 30% of games for us anyway. We just can't have a player taking up so much of our cap constantly not available and then expect to be competitive.

Outside of Jake, Turbo, Foran and DCE The rest of our team are reserve grade standard and therein lies why aren't playing semis.

Didn't hear any of this last year when we finished in the top 4 .We have played bad this year and with injuries to some key players at times did not help .Manly will be back in the 8 next year and who knows until then , if we can win the whole damn thing . Let's go Manly .

 

[Disco]

Even at full strength only 1 of those players would make one of the top 8 teams and in an average season Turbo only plays 20% to 30% of games for us anyway. We just can't have a player taking up so much of our cap constantly not available and then expect to be competitive.

Outside of Jake, Turbo, Foran and DCE The rest of our team are reserve grade standard and therein lies why aren't playing semis.

Oh come on, I know we are in a bad spot atm but that is absolute hogwash.

Middles and outside backs playing in top 8 teams this weekend

Opacic, Meaney, Seve, Momirovski, Hutchinson, Naqaima, Tass, Milne, Paulo, Hiku, Ikuvalu, Miller, Kris, Hunt, Tolman, Taunoa-Brown, Sele, Chee-Kam, Lewis, King, Loirio, Makatoa, O Kaufusi, Nuikore....thats not including the panthers reserve grade team.

If you honesty think that all of Garrick, Saab, Parker, Harper, Aloiai, Paseka and Keppie are reseve grade quality then I give up.

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

Even at full strength only 1 of those players would make one of the top 8 teams and in an average season Turbo only plays 20% to 30% of games for us anyway. We just can't have a player taking up so much of our cap constantly not available and then expect to be competitive.

Outside of Jake, Turbo, Foran and DCE The rest of our team are reserve grade standard and therein lies why aren't playing semis.

I think I disagree with this , every side just has to have some “ fill ins “ , with probably only the Rorters managing to have all of their usual 17 and a percentage of their next 5 or so still outstanding.

We all know how they do this.

But otherwise , even the Panthers , Sharks , Storm , Cowboys just to name a few , base their team around 4-5 excellent players with a bunch of fill ins.

Those fill ins are trained to an inch of their lives to do exactly what they are supposed to do in that team environment but it’s always the superstars that win the games.

We have almost the same level of superstars ( when not injured ) but our fill ins seem a rabble.

It’s much more how they are coached and trained than it is how good they are.

 

[Pete W]

Even at full strength only 1 of those players would make one of the top 8 teams and in an average season Turbo only plays 20% to 30% of games for us anyway. We just can't have a player taking up so much of our cap constantly not available and then expect to be competitive.

Outside of Jake, Turbo, Foran and DCE The rest of our team are reserve grade standard and therein lies why aren't playing semis.

It's a hopeless feeling knowing this sad truth (although I would probably throw in Walker, Aloiai and Garrick in there too maybe Guac if he gets he continues to improve) 4-8 players out of 30 that would make a finals contending top 17, and 2 are leaving. What chance do we have when injuries come knocking