Central Coast Trial

[Jatz Crackers]

Still no word on our squad or the lineups for each period.

I take it the announcing of the squad in trials isnt as regulated as the season proper ?

 

[Canteen Worker]

That is true. It has been said in the media though that both coaches have agreed to use 30 men squads and give their top players a run at some stage in the proceedings.

 

[clontaago]

I dont care who plays and who doesnt, so long as those who do stay healthy and nobody is injured.

 

[Matabele]

Though an ACL injury to Matai wouldn't go astray.

 

[Fro]

has Matais shoulder recovered from the callous headbutt it recieved in the test

 

[Canteen Worker]

Matai will struggle to pick up an ACL injury this weekend due to the fact he is not playing, along with Brett Stewart plus the suspended duo of Jamie Lyon and Jason King.

 

[Matabele]

Matai will struggle to pick up an ACL injury this weekend due to the fact he is not playing, along with Brett Stewart plus the suspended duo of Jamie Lyon and Jason King.

  He could always do it carrying their bags.

 

[Ryan]

In hindsight, I think this thread has real credence if you ask me. I feel for the poor kids that may have saved up their pocket money as Manly fans to watch what happenned.
Yep, they are called trials like Fro points out for a reason, but there should be certain standards or guidelines to what is dished up to paying customers. I'm not talking the scoreline on the weekend, I'm talking about an almost full strength Melbourne vs. the likes of Andrew Suniula, Gideon Mzemba, Tim Browne & co.

 

[DVS Matt]

the price of admission was a rip off. I was going to buy on ticketek for $15....but then i thought nah i'll just get at gate. They charged $22 at gate!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It was a rip off for what we got to see. We looked ok in the 2nd stanza when it was 1st grade v 1st grade

 

[Canteen Worker]

I will not go to trials - they mean nothing. They are a good opportunity for Regional Centres to get a feel of the big time but in terms of results and predictions they are nothing.

Wheel and I went to Leichhardt with others a few years back and pencilled in the Tigers for the wooden spoon afterwards.

They won the comp!!!

 

[Ryan]

I will not go to trials - they mean nothing. They are a good opportunity for Regional Centres to get a feel of the big time but in terms of results and predictions they are nothing.

Wheel and I went to Leichhardt with others a few years back and pencilled in the Tigers for the wooden spoon afterwards.

They won the comp!!!

Mate, I agree with you in that it's good for exposure in regional areas, but imagine paying $22 buck, you go with your family etc, buy food, and Manly get dished like they did.

You'd just think this sport sucks. You'd at least like to watch a sport where the competition is close. Hell, move a mid season game to regional australia if you want exposure. Not that poop on Saturday night.

Seriously guys...$22 bucks? It's not much to me, but like I say, a family all excited to see a game of of footy. Pfffft.

The marketing people (not Des, not the new players etc) should be ashamed of themsleves. Highway robbery if you ask me.

Imagine some young fella aspiring to become the next Steve Menzies turns up, forks out $22 bucks, and watches Gideon Mzemba getting smashed by Cameron Smith, Dallas Johnson and Ryan Hoffman !

 

[Fro]

they are charging $30 odd for Bonkos and Raiders in Orange and expecting a sellout.

its peoples only chance to see some gooduns and people apparently are expecting to see lockyer et al running around, I fear they may be a little disapointed

 

[Matabele]

Lockyer certainly won't be playing this weekend.  But people in Orange are so dumb they could run Dame Nellie Melba out there and they'd think they were getting a bargain.

The current trials format is a farce and a wasted opportunity.  It is beyond time that they instituted a proper pre-season competition as the AFL have.  Atr the moment AFL and Super Rugby have a 5 week free run at this time of year. 

 

[Ryan]

Boyaa. There you go Mata. Excellent idea. Imagine a carrot of say $500k to a winner of a pre-season event. Unlimited interchange, unlimited players....but $500k in this game, and team will take it seriously. AFL have the Nab Cup. I think it pays $300k, I might be wrong, but you get some pretty serious footy for that.

 

[clontaago]

Boyaa. There you go Mata. Excellent idea. Imagine a carrot of say $500k to a winner of a pre-season event. Unlimited interchange, unlimited players....but $500k in this game, and team will take it seriously. AFL have the Nab Cup. I think it pays $300k, I might be wrong, but you get some pretty serious footy for that.

No you dont. Most of the clubs rest their senior players and play kids, just like the NRL sides do. Not many teams take it seriously.

Here is a stat for you from the last 3 NAB cups Ryan. Carlton have won 2 of them, in 2005 and 2007. In the season proper they finished last in 2005, and second last in 2007.

Everyone knows that the best players wont be seen and if they are it will be for short periods.

The season proper runs for 22 rounds, these guys are in full training for 10- 11 months of the year, and you want then to run around in some joke of a pre season competition and risk injury and the chance of claiming the real prize, a grand final victory.

One of the swans players is out for the season with a knee injury after their trial on the weekend, but I suppose the Swans supporters will be satisfied about losing a player for the entire year, because they got value for their $22 in a trial game that meant SFA.

 

[Matabele]

Concede that the best players aren't played a lot in the NAB Cup Clon, but on the flipside:

1.  Every game is on TV so AFL fans are already getting their fix (and it rates well).

2.  There is serious sponsorship of the competition.

3.  It has the game being talked about.

There used to be the old Panasonic Cup.  I remember in the early 90s the final was played in Wagga in March and it generated huge early season interest in League.  Noone gives a rats about the current trial format. 

 

[clontaago]

I dont disagree with your points, however the fans are still paying top dollar knowing full well that the team's best players may not play.

Ryan's whole argument is that we shouldnt be marketing trial games if our best players arent playing, however the AFL do it and do it quite succesfully.

 

[Ryan]

I'm not suggesting that at all Douggie.

What I'm saying is that there should be some minimum requirements or standards met, in order for any trial to be held. The events are pay per view events, so one should expect something for their dollar.

Your probably thinking, "if you don't like it, don't go". Well I actually used to go (travel to Albion Park / Central Coast etc), but I learned my lesson.

What about a basic schedule a full week out from trial, listing the players, and the periods when they most probably will play (like Melbourne provided).

That, or the cost needs to be heavily reviewed to $5bucks or something.

 

[Corso_Pete]

I seem to recall amongst my whinging about playing 3 games in Gosford this year Grant Mayer advised that the trial was actually a Melbourne Storm event and not a Manly event.

Never the less the cost of admittance was excessive given the talent that was on show. Of course the venue owner is renting the facility for that period and regardless of whether the match is marquee event or trial featuring a bunch of no names the cost of providing the venue would not change little for a crowd of 20K or 1K. If patrons only want to pay $5 admittance the games would have to played at sub standard venues and I cannot ever imagine Hasler wanting to expose his players to the potential of an injury at a venue that is not up to standard. A trial game was cancelled a few years ago at Orange or Bathurst, well at least on the other side of the ranges because of a sub standard playing pitch.

As a Manly supporter we all know Hasler's attitude to trials so to expect anything else would be folly.

 

[Matabele]

Ryan's whole argument is that we shouldnt be marketing trial games if our best players arent playing, however the AFL do it and do it quite succesfully.

And this success has to do with it being an organised event, rather than a random hotch potch of games with no rhyme or reason.  The only pre-season League games of interest are the World Club Challenge and the Charity Shield.  There has to be a lesson in there.