Pre-Game Chooks V Manly [Finals Week 2, 2024]

[Waz13]

Yeah it’s unfortunate mate I’ve experienced it myself but as I said a few bad eggs doesn’t make a club bad, most of us have many friends who support a variety of teams

yeah but my bronco supporting mates are def the bad eggs of that group lol

 

[maxta]

Roosters will come out 100mph and try break the Manly spirit.
If Manly can hang in there, could easily get the cash.
Roosters are every bit as busted up injury wise and then some and will give everything including the kitchen sink that opening 40 and has all the potential to be another cliff hanger.
I can smell some controversy this weekend, with big calls going a long way towards the results.
Teddy and the lanky wingers are the biggest dangers, with Sualli looking the best he has in ages also, but on the flip side we have enough X factor players to create opportunities, if we can match the middles.

 

[maxta]

The refs actually helping manly out…wow that’s a first lol

I think the first dog try DCE was obstructed, Kikau's had 2 blatent forward passes and Crightons was a lottery at best.....but I will say Dogs played great and in all fairness, the game was VERY level and could have gone eith way, with Koula's speedy brilliance the only difference in the end.....even the Dogs coach and captain gave Manly credit for a great Win and had no excuses.

 

[Eagle 1]

Roosters will come out 100mph and try break the Manly spirit.
If Manly can hang in there, could easily get the cash.
Roosters are every bit as busted up injury wise and then some and will give everything including the kitchen sink that opening 40 and has all the potential to be another cliff hanger.
I can smell some controversy this weekend, with big calls going a long way towards the results.
Teddy and the lanky wingers are the biggest dangers, with Sualli looking the best he has in ages also, but on the flip side we have enough X factor players to create opportunities, if we can match the middles.

Agree, they have a lot of big bodies forwards and backs. We stick with them, well into the 2nd half, we could come over the top of them like we did the Bulldogs.

 

[Tragic Eagle]

We need to stay with the chooks early. Everybody knows we are fragile in defence out wide and they will try to blow us off the park early like they did last time. We need to dominate possession early so our discipline, ball control and kicking game will need to be spot on. Our pack needs to stand up for 80 minutes. If we do that I can see them getting frustrated and losing their self discipline. Provided we don't give them too big a head start we are a real chance.

 

[Ralphie]

I'm going to stick my neck out here and go with a Manly win prediction. The Cocks were owned by Penrith, they struggled to beat souffs in the final round, they lost to Canberra in round 26 and have half their spine out injured with an inexperienced halfback who is clearly struggling, and they have one of their enforcer forwards out in Radley out. Add JWH back and heavily under the microscope whilst we, on the other hand, will be essentially full strength, albeit with Turbo a little under done. We have absolutely no excuses and we really should be favourites in this one. Manly by 10.

 

[broadbeachm]

I don't think we can get away with playing injured turbo again. 3 early tries around him the roosters won't let us back in like the dogs. Looks like Seibold will play him again though.

 

[Terry Zarsoff]

Nah, the better the opposition and the lower the expectations on us, the better we play. I think we may have played our gf already against the dogs. Watch us get better and better on the way to an unprecedented and unexpected premiership. 😉🌈

If we ‘have played our gf already’ doesn’t that mean that the team will lose on Saturday night?

 

[Seagles68]

Question:

If Jason Saab is available this week (they did say Week 2) ... does he get selected straight back onto the wing?? And if yes, who drops to at least the bench??

I agree 100% with all the positive comments made on the Lehi thread. But if Saab is fit, I think Lehi drops out. Only coz he will be targeted again and the Roosters have big wingers and forwards like Crighton and Tupinua (sp??) that will be itching to bury him again. It's a very tough call though coz the kid has something special but he just needs to fill out a bit in the off season. Saab isn't that great bringing the ball out either but he has filled out and did make some changes to way he runs the ball out. Of course, it could all be academic coz there's no guarantee Saab will be fit.

 

[ManlyTragic]

The bookies dont think we have much of a chance of beating the roosters

 

[HK_Eagle]

If we ‘have played our gf already’ doesn’t that mean that the team will lose on Saturday night?

Yeah, wrong choice of expression… I meant, that game against the dogs may be the most intense and hardly contested, compared to getting through the next three 😉

 

[Wombat Junior]

How long into the game until Lodge and JWH get into a scuffle? The only thing that's making the chances not as high for me is that JWH has had about 4 months off this year from suspensions

 

[Eagle 1]

How long into the game until Lodge and JWH get into a scuffle? The only thing that's making the chances not as high for me is that JWH has had about 4 months off this year from suspensions

If JWH comes out swigin' blood pressure up, penalty and 10 in the bin will be a great way to start the game.

 

[Sir Pigman]

Before last weeks game all the talk was how we beat the Dogs a few weeks ago up the middle. We might have been strong up the middle but our wide shifts really worked against them.

Last week we played too much up the middle. The early wide shifts were not a focus. Lucky we tried the wide shift on the last tackle late in the game.

Bottom line we need to goto the wide shifts which has been good for us all year.

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

Recently Manly has produced gold with some great moves from attacking scrums.
Against Sharks they re-played the one that worked so well in the 1st Dogs game, but Sharks were expecting it.
Can't wait to see this weeks instalment, there's certain to be something planned.!

 

[CBreeagles]

If we ‘have played our gf already’ doesn’t that mean that the team will lose on Saturday night?

No, because this is our World Club Challenge

 

[mickqld]

Before last weeks game all the talk was how we beat the Dogs a few weeks ago up the middle. We might have been strong up the middle but our wide shifts really worked against them.

Last week we played too much up the middle. The early wide shifts were not a focus. Lucky we tried the wide shift on the last tackle late in the game.

Bottom line we need to goto the wide shifts which has been good for us all year.

Something I just haven't seen much of was Manly having patience. We waited for the opportunities, we kept in the game and then at the end we controlled and managed the result. It was a real example of playing the long game which is what finals are all about.

 

[ManlyTragic]

Something I just haven't seen much of was Manly having patience. We waited for the opportunities, we kept in the game and then at the end we controlled and managed the result. It was a real example of playing the long game which is what finals are all about.

There is also an element of luck. If just one of those chasing bulldog players managed to ankle tap Koula we would have lost! Thankfully that didn’t happen and the rest is history as they say!

 

[TimmyQ]

Something I just haven't seen much of was Manly having patience. We waited for the opportunities, we kept in the game and then at the end we controlled and managed the result. It was a real example of playing the long game which is what finals are all about.

Good call and hopefully playing that tougher more patient brand of footy in the semis this year holds us in good stead for the future. Our playing style has cost us heaps of games this year and you don't win comps with zero respect for the ball trying to score off every set. Playing smart is a sign of maturity and understanding what it takes to win games CONSISTENTLY. Let's hope the players and also the coach get the memo. Go Manly

 

[DanielTurbo888]

Saab is still out injured vs Roosters.

Same 17 as last week at this stage.