Can Harper fight back ?

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Our centres this year have been links or foils and they’ve done well.

Both Parker and Harper have been strong in defence all year and last week was just an aberration and The Beast intimated as such in his interview that Harper had put his hand up.

last week was a big wake up call for the young guys and Melbourne were coming off a wake up call from Parra. Parra wouldn’t have beaten Melbourne on Saturday, as Melbourne were really on their game.

I think we’ll beat the Roosters but am not so sure about the Vermin. I still think 2023 will be our year and we will have a bunch of Fainu’s and Turbo brothers in the side.
 
The problem I have with the tactic, as I have also said many times, is him coming on as a prop-rotation after 20 min. I think he should be coming on at the 30 min mark, AFTER the forwards battle has progressed. If we still haven't won the battle by then he should come on at 50 min. My opinion.
As soon as Dylan came on against Melbourne we shifted momentum for the first time in the game off the back of his runs. The small window from when he came on until Turbo dropped the ball on halfway (tackle one) was the only time we were on top the whole game
 
Our centres this year have been links or foils and they’ve done well.

Both Parker and Harper have been strong in defence all year and last week was just an aberration and The Beast intimated as such in his interview that Harper had put his hand up.

last week was a big wake up call for the young guys and Melbourne were coming off a wake up call from Parra. Parra wouldn’t have beaten Melbourne on Saturday, as Melbourne were really on their game.

I think we’ll beat the Roosters but am not so sure about the Vermin. I still think 2023 will be our year and we will have a bunch of Fainu’s and Turbo brothers in the side.
I agree. Only takes a little to be off your game, not pushing up, not covering on the inside with 100% and you can be found out.

Watching the Souths game, every play was making the extra effort in defense, they were working so hard, especially on the inside (panthers have some dam quick outside backs as well)

Harper has shown he can defend, but it takes the whole backline to be in sync with each other and working together. Quac has been a little lazy of late, but we know he can defend, so can DCE, its about keeping a straight line and moving together and having the talk and commitment.

Also feel harper has plenty of skills for a centre, enough to be dangerous, Im happy with parker on the other side as long as he defends well and distributes to garrick early enough when he is open.

If the forwards first lay the platform, Manly have plenty of strike in the halves and on the edges and of course with Tom. We have shown plenty of times we can score points from any where, but it has first come off some big forward charges and winning the ruck
 
Morgan Harper had a Shocker vs Storm pure and simple....and I like the bloke and what he offers....in fact did not kick him when down but like everyone else, knew it was a terrible performance and lets not forget, there were many down in form, in fact maybe 2-3 could walk off that field knowing they had a dig.
I have 1 question only - can he fight back and finish the season strong.
Some calling for his sacking and though felt there were a few harsh critics after Friday night, the fact is Harper made more errors and missed tackles in 1 night than maybe the entire season.
Now the emotion has reduced - whats the opinions, as its highly unlikely Des will change anything but the teams attitude.
I'm backing a solid performance against City and right now, it's 1 game at a time...
As long he he doesn't make errors and can make his tackles that is a success. I am not convinced he will do any more than be solid.
 
We have 3 of the 5 top tryscorers in the comp, and it has never been done before.
Our backs will get the job done if they have space...just like the others you listed will not get the job done if they DON"T have space....they have all suceeded off space created by their forwards dominating...just like it has always been.
People won’t be satisfied until the centres score more than 20 each too.
 
He is still young and played against the best in Justin olam! Olam is a beast and storm targeted our right side especially Harper. He will learn from this and definitely bounce back. Imo he is one of if not the most improved player this season. He has been terrific for us especially when we needed it most. I'll back him all the way go Harper you good thing! Hopefully he shaves that dirty Sanchez and grows and extra leg
 
Bellamy obviously saw a weakness there, hence at him over and over and over again. Agree with Waz13 though, DCE plays a big part in it with his shooting up out of the line. Hopefully Des has a chat to him too.
Must compliment Bellamy coaching. He was spot on in his game plan against us as well as prep of that team..
A lot of Harper's problems were DCE's misreads in defence and Gauc's lack of fitness or effort. Watch the tape - in one Storm attack DCE got caught up with a decoy runner and was taken completely out of the play. In the Pap try just before half time DCE was too far up and left a hole inside that Gauc didn't close up. In the Bromwich try - Gauc is totally loafing letting Munster skip across to DCE. Harper then isn't sure who to take and take's nobody. The Welch try was simply lack of effort. Aloiai didn't get out from marker quick enough making Lawton take Smith, Jake was then left defending the next runner and Marty was simply too wide and Welch ran a super angle which maybe Marty should have realised. On the second Pap try - a terrible angle and then attempt by Harper on Olam. The Olam try - Sironen simply not tough enough to make the tackle. All fixable but certainly on watching those again the effort across the park was damn poor.
 
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A lot of Harper's problems were DCE's misreads in defence and Gauc's lack of fitness or effort. Watch the tape - in one Storm attack DCE got caught up with a decoy runner and was taken completely out of the play. In the Pap try just before half time DCE was too far up and left a hole inside that Gauc didn't close up. In the Bromwich try - Gauc is totally loafing letting Munster skip across to DCE. Harper then isn't sure who top take and take's nobody. The Welch try was simply lack of effort. Aloiai didn't get out from marker quick enough making Lawton take Smith, Jake was then left defending the next runner and Marty was simply too wide and Welch ran a super angle which maybe Marty should have realised. On the second Pap try - a terrible angle and then attempt by Harper on Olam. The Olam try - Sironen simply not tough enough to make the tackle. All fixable but certainly on watching those again the effort across the park was damn poor.
Harper was ordinary - plain and simple, but.....but that's a very fair observation and loads of poor inside reads and lack of communication and even proper contact inside was a big part, thing is, if 3 kids steal from the cookie jar, by the time the fans and media play it out its the kid with his hand in the jar and crumbs on his face who cops the blame....and this was Harper on the night.
 
Can Harper fight back? The answer is

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We have 3 of the 5 top tryscorers in the comp, and it has never been done before.
Our backs will get the job done if they have space...just like the others you listed will not get the job done if they DON"T have space....they have all suceeded off space created by their forwards dominating...just like it has always been.
3 of those 5 guys scored 93% of those tries v teams not in the top 4 with us. its a big difference

the players mention score and threaten vs us and other teams in top 4
 
He can and will .
Won't be easy though ,as the imposter Robinson will be trying to poach Bellamy's game plan.
 
3 of those 5 guys scored 93% of those tries v teams not in the top 4 with us. its a big difference

the players mention score and threaten vs us and other teams in top 4
Yes, against teams that were dominated in the forwards...the best teams dominate the forward battle. It's a pretty simple game plan really...win the forward battle and the backs will score LOTS of points...against ANY team. Just like the Drizzle did to us.
 
Heard he was in tears in the sheds after the game apologizing to the boys for his performance. Look at some of the interviews so far this week from our boys, they seem so motivated to make amends and get revenge. Imagine how he feels, how motivated he's going to be for Friday.

I am sure he is bound for a huge bounce-back.
 
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A lot of Harper's problems were DCE's misreads in defence and Gauc's lack of fitness or effort. Watch the tape - in one Storm attack DCE got caught up with a decoy runner and was taken completely out of the play. In the Pap try just before half time DCE was too far up and left a hole inside that Gauc didn't close up. In the Bromwich try - Gauc is totally loafing letting Munster skip across to DCE. Harper then isn't sure who top take and take's nobody. The Welch try was simply lack of effort. Aloiai didn't get out from marker quick enough making Lawton take Smith, Jake was then left defending the next runner and Marty was simply too wide and Welch ran a super angle which maybe Marty should have realised. On the second Pap try - a terrible angle and then attempt by Harper on Olam. The Olam try - Sironen simply not tough enough to make the tackle. All fixable but certainly on watching those again the effort across the park was damn poor.
DCE always does this. The problem is up until a few weeks ago Harper was getting up side by side with Chez. Now Harper and Olakau-atu are behind Chez. They are all to blame but I put more blame on the guys not getting up hard off the line. Cronk pointed this out before the game even kicked off and even he was blaming Harper for a lack of effort to get off his line.
 
DCE always does this. The problem is up until a few weeks ago Harper was getting up side by side with Chez. Now Harper and Olakau-atu are behind Chez. They are all to blame but I put more blame on the guys not getting up hard off the line. Cronk pointed this out before the game even kicked off and even he was blaming Harper for a lack of effort to get off his line.
Agree. Its just a little more attitude and intensity in defense that is needed. need to get up off your line, that is how Manly is coached to defend, then slide together. If you dont move up, get caught flat footed which is what happened to quac and harper. they can easily fix that
 

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