Daniel's Round 2 Wrap Up

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Dan

Kim Jong Dan
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Daniel's Round 2 Wrap Up

This year is shaping up to be a good one, not only for us as Manly supporters but fans of the sport in general.
It seems every game is either filled with passion, ends in an upset or in controversy and again we weren’t disappointed.
So without dissecting each match play by play, here are some brief summaries.

Game 1: Cowboys vs Bulldogs

After a dodgy show against the Broncos last week the Cowboys came out and showed the form that drove many of us to cheer them on in the finals last season. They contained the bulldogs attack and in doing so frustrated them out of the game In turn they showed spark and creativity in attack and managed an upset and a strong win to show they are a chance at least as much as last year

Game 2: Raiders vs Knights

As many expected the Knights have shown the kind of form that may just see them take out the spoon (to the considerable delight of myself & manly fans everywhere). The were destroyed convincingly by a Raiders team who were previously tipped for the bottom of the table fight.
In the Raiders first hit up of the season they showed that even without any big name players they can still string a win together and in doing so have raised a few eyebrows.

Game 3: Dragons vs Storm
Some believed the Saints would bounce back from last weeks loss with a win at home against the Storm, who have a poor record in Saints home land.
Brown must surely be on shaky legs and may be seeing out his last season as coach. 40 + 2 weeks in a row has position the Storm at the top of the table look set to be the force this season.
The Dragons on the other hand have shown that they will be strong contenders for the spoon.
The Storm impressed through Billy the Kid and Orford, they are an enviable combination for any team.

Game 4: Broncos vs Warriors

Another game where the pundits widely backed the Broncos to run all over the Warriors who were out-played by manly last weekend.
The Warriors won’t be great this year but they showed enough to prove
that they will at the very least be competitive this season. Their defense was solid and the game was in the balance from start to finish. New recruit Wiki and Stacey Jones were inspirational in the win.
The Warriors showed that they have worked on their defense and that will be the biggest part of their game. It also showed Manly’s metal to beat them last week.

Game 5: Sea Eagles vs Sharks
In a game that will be talked about all week, not because of the quality football that Manly played nor for Steven Menzies scoring his 150th try for the Manly Sea Eagles but instead the match will be remembered for yet another Hoppa moment. I wont focus on that because everyone else will.
Last year Manly showed they were more than capable of scoring a try and in fact had one of the best attacks in the game. What they have started to show us this year is that they can defend. Ben Kennedy inspired the defensive effort. Monas drove the attack and Kite backed up kennedy with example after example of what it means to make a tackle.
Everyone played well, no one played poorly. This is the Manly we have been waiting for.

Game 6: Panthers vs Roosters

In a result that surprised me the panthers were out done by the roosters who looked to have found some of the form they have possessed in recent seasons.
Nothing can be taken away from the Panthers who played an out standing game. They are yet to have a result this season but its not far away.
I have a feeling that they will bust onto the scene in a big way and end up near the top of the table despite this recent slump in their luck.
The Roosters controlled the game from start to finish however and the never looked like losing.
The forwards ran out of puff toward the end of the game for the Panthers, and this is a worrying sign for them.

The Roosters were led around by Cross who was firing today and showing everyone how its done. With Flannery playing well as fill in half back. Roosters looking to push their way to number 1 again.

Game 7: Rabbitohs vs Eels

The eels were shocking. The Eels have nothing, Smithy has a team on paper that should by rights be blasting holes in every team they play. Today as predicted in my round preview the Rabbitohs came out and finished off the eels.

The eels started the game looking like they would comfortably win, however Souths quickly gained the upper hand with 3 tries in a 10 minute period to lead 16 – 6.
The rest of the game saw a few exchanges of tries before the Rabbitohs pushed ahead with the game and put together a convincing 39 – 26 point victory.
Luke MacDougal scored a hat trick and half back Williams kicked 8 goals and a field goal to show that this years recruits may just help the woeful bunnies avoid the spoon.

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There are plenty of things to take from this round. It has shown that whilst there may be changes to teams line ups, some teams are destined to remain successful whilst others are destined to struggle with mediocrity.
The roosters and Storm look like they will be in the 8 again whilst the Eels, Knights and Tigers look like they will end the season in a tussle for the feared spoon.

Manly can take plenty from this round. They defend, and do it well. They have worked hard and their new recruits are exactly what was needed.
Their attack is still strong and has so many positives to it that they need not be mentioned.

Enjoy and discuss at will fellas,
<span class='smallblacktext'>[ Edited ]</span>
 
Daniel's Round 2 Wrap Up

I found the results of this weekend very surprising, luckily I managed to get the points by tipping both the Rabbitohs and the Warriors. The Rabbitohs also won 49 - 28.
 
Team P W L PD Pts
3 3 0 48 6
4 3 1 28 6
3 2 1 10 6
4 2 2 39 4
3 2 1 28 4
3 2 1 15 4
3 2 1 14 4
2 1 1 13 4
2 1 1 6 4
3 2 1 -3 4
3 1 2 0 2
3 1 2 -5 2
3 1 2 -15 2
3 1 2 -22 2
3 1 2 -36 2
2 0 2 -56 2
3 0 3 -64 0
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