DCE looks Lost

[maxta]

That post match interview was sadder than it was predictable....
DCE virtually going word for word off Barrett like the teachers pet was hard to cop.
Just call it as a filthy effort conceding easy metres and owned all over the field...this 4 tries should be enough to win is hard to swallow when Souths scored 7-8 tries...let's get real !!
Truth is they showed 1/4 heart Newcastle did today in front of their fans as underdogs....

 

[manlyfan76]

Leaders are born, like Jake. Not anointed like DCE.

 

[robbiea]

He definately doesnt look like a million dollars.

 

[Brocky]

He definately doesnt look like a million dollars.

Instead of buying rejects from other clubs 9 of them why not use the juniors and develop them like tom and jake, that know what it is to be manly. I would call up cliffy to help out. Not to late but Barrett must make changes or he will roll. Honeymoon is over, make the hard decisions

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

We look great until something goes against us (yesterday being the turbo dropped ball in the tackle) then heads go down and it's all over.

That didn't happen last week, last week things went against them and they kept trying till the end.

 

[COMMANDER]

His next good game will come on the back of good performances from others showing leadership, not from him showing those qualities.

How they made this shallow money grabbing douche the captaincy is beyond me.

 

[The Who]

Instead of buying rejects from other clubs 9 of them why not use the juniors and develop them like tom and jake, that know what it is to be manly. I would call up cliffy to help out. Not to late but Barrett must make changes or he will roll. Honeymoon is over, make the hard decisions

You are very wise. It's something several of us have been advocating for the past two seasons. To sack good locals, and players who showed pride in our jumper, and our passionate coach, for rejects from other clubs was criminal. This "grass is greener on the other side" approach was the start of our club's demise in 2016 and it is now in full swing here. I don't blame the players we have. They are simply earning a living. But those officials who caused the problem must go. I put the owners in this same basket.

 

[Supernintendo Chalmers]

DCE needs cogs turning around him. For mine, he is putting in, but since he isn't a one man showstopper (but is paid / promoted that way, and as such our expectations are that he is) the sword falls on him.
I see him having a good dig, but i'm not seeing a book of plays that work around / involve him. Everything just seems ad-lib, with no structure.

Watch the storm when they get a penalty, before the kick for touch, the whole team knows what the plays will be for the set of six, they don't stop to suck on drink bottles and stare at the grass. Similar at scrums. Cronk / Smith will yell out / throw up a signal and the whole team gets set for it, then puts it into action. We don't seem to have any of that, which is worrying. Remember those backline sweeps we'd do just about every attacking set? When was the last time we saw one of them? Remember when we'd have players counting the numbers on the other team on the go and adjusting the D line to match what they were doing. It'd be very interesting to see just what structures are worked on at training, and how thick the playbook is, because on the field it looks pretty thin, and relying on luck / individuals to make things happen.

 

[SoaringEagle]

Who else finds it annoying listening to DCE in an interview, he speaks like its scripted and so sophisticated. **** me man speak normally

 

[The Investigator]

The presser was painful to watch. DCE doesn't come across to me as a leader. In comparison, look at Josh Hodgson in the Raiders presser. No bull**** excuses, and didn't just regurgitate what his coach said. DCE offered nothing to the discussion. He could have not been there and the presser would have been exactly the same. Neither him nor Baz confronted the actual issues, instead harping on about the fact that scoring four tries should win you the game. What a joke! There is more to the game than scoring tries. For instance, how about working on converting those tries? Or our discipline in the 2nd half (giving away 5 penalties and earning 0 in return)? Or how about missing twice as many tackles in the 2nd half compared to our opposition (15-7)? Or how about field position (83% of the 2nd half was played in our territory)? Or even how about possession in the 2nd half (Manly's 34% to Souths 64%)?

In reality we played well for one quarter of the match, but fell asleep for the remaining three quarters. Say whatever you want about individual performances, but as a team we lost the battle in many areas.

 

[Chip and Chase]

Patience is wearing thin with DCE. It looks like there is effort there every game, he never shirks his defensive commitments, but I just don't see him stepping up and owning this team and taking responsibility for the side. He is the cliche king off the field and looks to be always mindful of grooming that media career with vanilla responses in all interviews. I want to see some passion from him. I want to see him looking to get the ball in his hands, I want to see him look like he has a plan, I want to see him lift the team with a big play when we need it. He doesn't have any of the old crew left now to step up in those tough times, like Killer did a lot last year for him. I'm not convinced that he realises that he IS the man now, he needs to start being the player we all know/hope he can be.

 

[IQofalimabean]

whole forward pack was trash besides Lawrence and jake. Forwards aren't doing the job.

 

[sheridanstand78]

Ever since the contract for life, DCE has not been close to the form he showed earlier in his career.

I think the message he sent when he accepted the Gold Coke deal in 15 for many in the club soured their feelings towards DCE.

I would like to see Jake Turbo be made captain cause we need a guy who will give everything to our cause and maybe DCE needs to take a step back and sort out his game cause as a senior player and a half, his job is to manage a game and again yesterday he was out pointed by a guy who had not played in a month and Reynolds did everything you need to manage a close game.

At 18-18 the game was there to be won and we failed miserably!

 

[court83]

Ever since the contract for life, DCE has not been close to the form he showed earlier in his career.

I think the message he sent when he accepted the Gold Coke deal in 15 for many in the club soured their feelings towards DCE.

I would like to see Jake Turbo be made captain cause we need a guy who will give everything to our cause and maybe DCE needs to take a step back and sort out his game cause as a senior player and a half, his job is to manage a game and again yesterday he was out pointed by a guy who had not played in a month and Reynolds did everything you need to manage a close game.

At 18-18 the game was there to be won and we failed miserably!

to be fair, its easier for him to look good (and play good) when he had crisp dummy half work from ballin, foz calling the shots on the left with glenn stewart and chez working with lyon on the right with snake chiming in....

take away a legit leader on the park in foz, and legit ball players on his left and right in lyon and stewart, its a little harder to look good lol...

interested to see how great cronk looks when hes not playing with smith and slater... ide say about as good as chez lol

 

[ALinda]

Well said @sheridanstand78 I too question how the other players interact with DCE since his contract renewal and am yet to be convinced he's the best one to captain the side. Yes he handles the media well, but watching him on the field he doesn't look like he has the passion (ala BK or Lyon) to fire up the team. Also I think the captaincy and added responsibility is affecting how he's playing.

 

[hozza]

I agree with what everybody is saying.great to see everybody waking up to the fact this guy is a pretender!!
For well over 18months he has been absolutely terrible. He can't control a game, he goes missing big time, and he most definitely can't turn a game on his own like the greats of the game. He is a mouse, he should be yelling at the team to set up the next play, motivating his forwards to take one more hit up, he should be leading. Instead you watch him when it really counts anddddddd Nothing.

Alas he's no leader, he's a mouse.its like a bad fu$king joke. joke is on us though, how many years?

Don't worry though, DCE lovers willing be crowing how good he is when he has a good game in 4 weeks time.

 

[hozza]

Well said @sheridanstand78 I too question how the other players interact with DCE since his contract renewal and am yet to be convinced he's the best one to captain the side. Yes he handles the media well, but watching him on the field he doesn't look like he has the passion (ala BK or Lyon) to fire up the team. Also I think the captaincy and added responsibility is affecting how he's playing.

Agreed.
He doesn't inspire any confidence at all in the other players. Then he gets rewarded with a enormous contract and the captaincy. WTF. If we think like this you'd have to think some of the squad thinks it as well.

I said it last year and I'll say it again, DCE contract will go down as one of the biggest mistakes we have ever made (player contract wise).

 

[Kevinward777]

My biggest concern with DCE of late is his kicking game. He gets minimal distance on his kicks downfield which allows the opposition good field position. And don't get me started on his kicks to touch, we're lucky if he makes 20 metres, compare this aspect to Reynolds yesterday. It's as if he's been spooked by the incidents where he failed to find touch. His long kicking game used to be right up there with the best in the league, but I can't remember the last time he kicked long into space and turned the opposing wingers/fullback around. Then there is his seeming inability to force a repeat set.

 

[NYEagle]

Well, after watching him yesterday I disagree with the shade being thrown his way.
I thought he was quite good yesterday. He made some good runs and some busts, but with a flat footed and unspirited team around him its hard to create momentum all by himself.
I believe he is still the same player he was in 2011. Cherry would still kill it on the back of a strong forward pack and half decent backlline. It's just not there any more.
I do agree he is not a captain. He is just too nice, much like Barrett.
NYEagle

 

[hozza]

Well, after watching him yesterday I disagree with the shade being thrown his way.
I thought he was quite good yesterday. He made some good runs and some busts, but with a flat footed and unspirited team around him its hard to create momentum all by himself.
I believe he is still the same player he was in 2011. Cherry would still kill it on the back of a strong forward pack and half decent backlline. It's just not there any more.
I do agree he is not a captain. He is just too nice, much like Barrett.
NYEagle

That's the thing though NY, back in 11' he was part of a well oiled machine. And he was paid according, leaving money for quality players across the park. fast forward to 17' and he is on a far bigger pay packet, meaning somewhere along the line that money doesn't go to other quality players. Instead we get panther rejects and knight rejects.
Solution? He has to start playing like a superstar player that is paid millions and start leading this team. Cause in 2017 he doesn't have superstars next to him like, Lyon, glen and Brett, King,kite, Matai. He's the star( supposedly) it's his turn to lead. And mate, he's failing big time. He wants the big bucks? That fine, deliver or fu$k right off.

Side note- I usually agree with your posts NY, just not on this. Lol