So a few of us have read today's offering from Phil and I posted that I don't agree with much in his article. A few of you have disagreed with my posts and so I thought I should explain myself better than "nope he is wrong."
His statements are in black, my rebuttal is in red.
So let's get started.
THERE should be genuine concern in the NRL about the long-term future of the Manly Sea Eagles.
There should be concern about the welfare of all clubs
This is a club in turmoil on and off the field.
On field, a couple of tough losses, no 50-50 calls, massive injury toll. Turmoil? Maybe, but other teams are still worse off. Off field, don’t know about that. Issues arise and get dealt with. Don’t fall for the media ‘sources’ of b/s.
A crowd of 5700 on Friday evening for their clash with the Newcastle Knights was an embarrassment to the code.
Incorrect.
Forget the unpopular 6pm kick-off time, this was an indication that even their most ardent supporters have given up on a club with a rotten culture.
Incorrect. Incorrect and Incorrect. You can’t forget about the impossible timeslot or weather (what a stupid thing to say). Ardent supports have not given up. Culture is not rotten (subjective at best, some fans will probably think so. Also (I forgot) aren't the other teams fans allowed to travel as well? where were they? - thanks stuboot
The salary cap rorting, strip clubs, the victimisation of a young player, poor on-field form, poor leadership, no money and little hope.
Incorrect, incorrect, incorrect, correct, incorrect, incorrect, and incorrect.
We’re asking for permission to appeal the nrl findings but NO player got paid more than what was registered with the nrl and they signed off on everything.
It was a strip club, not clubs and they were well behaved.
Victimisation of a young player is an absolutely disgusting and untrue accusation to level at a club who have brought in outside people to help him.
No money – says who.
Little hope - totally untrue.
This is also a club with a higher executive turnover than any in the premiership.
If true, So what?
We often have the debate about whether Sydney is big enough to host nine clubs against one-team, one-city outfits such as the Brisbane Broncos and Melbourne Storm.
Well good on ya.
Clubs like the Canterbury Bulldogs and Parramatta Eels can afford poor years and tough times.
They are backed by massive leagues clubs that can pour in up to $10 million annually to prop up the football team in the bad years when costs blow out.
Must be nice to have the scourge of pokie machine profits to cover for inept management.
Whether the Penn family at Manly can, or is prepared to, do the same remains to be seen.
Who says a bad year costs 10 million or that Manly is heading for a bad year like this? The inference is incorrect.
Look at Brookvale Oval. It’s far and away the worst venue in the NRL, almost unfit to be hosting games in an era where fans want comfortable seats and easy access to toilets and food outlets.
Guess the ANZACS wanted comfy seats too. Harden up. 15,000 attended the week before.
These days it’s too easy to stay home and watch live footy on television.
Wow, something printed that is correct, well done.
Ideally, the NRL would like Manly to take home games to the new Allianz Stadium when it is completed in 2021.
Manly could do the same as the Wests Tigers, who play three games at Leichhardt Oval.
You could also stop printing lies and innuendo but we don’t always get what we want.
Yet their supporters are renowned non-travellers and it is unlikely to work.
Incorrect. This myth has been proven to be rubbish time and time again and is total clickbait. Also, Sydney is a total crap shoot to get around.
Look at their training facilities in Narrabeen and how the staff have to work out of demountable offices which are more like a high school PE department than facilities for a modern-day professional sporting franchise.
So what? Plus Manly has gotten new training facilities.
Look at Penrith and their $25 million academy. Same with the Broncos.
And look at the last time either won a premiership.
Look at the wonderful new stadium the Parramatta Eels will play out of next season.
And who paid for that? And so what?
Manly are that far behind, it’s not funny.
Incorrect, Manly have won more premierships that those other clubs mentioned. Also behind in what way? Making things shiny for Phil?
For years, Manly’s on-field success has masked the longer-term big-picture issues.
Incorrect. The only thing it has masked is the feeble medias ability to gloat.
There has not been a more successful Sydney club in the past 10 years.
Correct, well done.
They have made the semi-finals for eight years, the top four five times and played in three grand finals, winning two.
See what happens when you actually fact check? Well done again.
Yet this year is already a write-off. Incorrect and maths isn't that hard.
They will need to win 12 of their last 15 games to finish on 30 points, the cut-off for last year’s finals series.
Incorrect, and so… it’s not a write off then. Stop contradicting yourself. No one knows the points cut off or how other teams will go.
It’s very easy to blame injuries and lack of depth but this is something they have brought on themselves through coach Trent Barrett’s stubborn refusal to pick Jackson Hastings and for having to play $350,000 under the salary cap this year and next season for cheating.
Injuries statement - Incorrect. Are you seriously suggesting picking hastings stops all of Manly’s injuries? That is lost the plot stuff right there. That is galactically stupid writing.
Salary cap statement - Incorrect. We are appealing the findings that we broke the salary cap rules. No player got any extra money and the findings are based on a changed definition of a few terms. Cheating is like the sharks systematically taking performance enhancing drugs. Not getting the mandatory 4 years suspension made the nrl the laughing stock of world sports and cronulla the luckiest team around. A premiership 2 years later. Co-incidence?
Look at their draw over the next three weeks — the Roosters, Broncos and Storm. Dear oh dear. It could be mathematically impossible before June.
Incorrect. No one can possibly know that. Ridiculous statement.
The problem Manly face in the long term is that the NRL is no longer in a position to bail out clubs. Teams now get $13 million grants, more than 30 per cent higher than the salary cap, and there will be no more St George Illawarra-type loans. The next club to fall over will be replaced by an expansion team.
And? Manly have not said they are in financial turmoil and have shown that operating on a shoestring budget is possible. Muck raking rubbish.
No one wants that to happen to the Sea Eagles. This is a wonderful old club, but history doesn’t pay the bills.
Correct it is a wonderful club,and one could argue history does pay the bills. Great past performances can get an employee pay rises. Happens all the time in the…say NRL that Phil is supposed to know something about.
The NRL is now a business more than a sport and only the professional and well-administered outfits will survive. That is the brutal reality.
And newspapers are a dying medium. Hey let’s buy a newspaper so we can get all the up to date news from…yesterday! Churning out a few words between drinks and catering to the lowest common denominator whilst striving for clicks rather than insightful non agenda driven analysis is such a pathetic existence and a waste of one’s life. And that is the brutal reality.
I hope that helps to explain my issues with that 'article'.
Go Manly and have a great day!
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