Do we let Taupau go?

[Woodsie]

Of course that depends on the assessor. Note below

Power rankings: Top six props in the NRL at present | LoveRugbyLeague

We’ve taken a look at the top six props in the NRL at present.

www.loverugbyleague.com

Top 5 NRL Props in 2019 - Rugby League News

5- Jared Waerea-Hargreaves The now back to back premiership winning front rower had a consistent 2019 and definitely was a leader in the Roosters’ premiership winning forward pack. 4- Addin Fonua-Blake AFB has his best season in 2019, proving that he and Martin Tapau are a dangerous partnership...

www.seriousaboutrl.com

Its all about perception

Nope ... it is all about timing ... both those articles you quote relate solely to last year ... one written late 2019, the other April 2020 .... Blocker's, while still one opinion, is based on this year ...

 

[Freagle]

I agree on this one but 900k is overs imo. Love Jake tho one of my favs each week. Really interesting watching live as he was absolutely gassed and walking back slowly at times. He needs to be rested for a bit imo. Could do him wonders and the team. Des should try mixing the forward rotation up a bit. Perhaps move the pieces around a bit. Siro is busted. Maybe give him a spell in game and move Marty to an edge. Can’t hurt now to start mixing things up a bit. Nothing to lose.

Agree 100%. Jake needs a rest after 50 mins.

 

[Freagle]

Yeah & when he & AFB are off the field we fall to pieces duh! No 1/2 will fix that!

I used to think that as well, but I'm questioning it now. Yes we fall apart, but you look at Keppie (apart from a quick 'lull' in mid season) and Paseka and they are offering plenty now...Good go-forward (Paseka mainly( and Keppie's agressive defence can be great. Maybe i'm not reading the game hard enough, but the middle doesn't really fall apart - our entire line speed drops, and gaps open up out wide for teams to exploit.

 

[Bearfax]

I used to think that as well, but I'm questioning it now. Yes we fall apart, but you look at Keppie (apart from a quick 'lull' in mid season) and Paseka and they are offering plenty now...Good go-forward (Paseka mainly( and Keppie's agressive defence can be great. Maybe i'm not reading the game hard enough, but the middle doesn't really fall apart - our entire line speed drops, and gaps open up out wide for teams to exploit.

In my mind I've always thought our forwards are up there with the best and improving. Its what the backs did with the effort the forwards were giving week after week, that concerned me. Now that we're seeing a few potential class players being infused into that pedestrian backline, i think the effort of the forwards will begin to be appreciated.

 

[40 years an eagle]

In my mind I've always thought our forwards are up there with the best and improving.

Yes, they were in the "old" game. Our pack is not suited to the new game. We are big, slow, and not agile enough. Jake is the biggest lock in the game bar Lolo, but has 1/10 of his impact.

Look at the Souffs pack that everyone was bagging as too small before the season started.

 

[Bearfax]

Yes, they were in the "old" game. Our pack is not suited to the new game. We are big, slow, and not agile enough. Jake is the biggest lock in the game bar Lolo, but has 1/10 of his impact.

Look at the Souffs pack that everyone was bagging as too small before the season started.

That's why I would get Parker in the forwards. A lot think I'm just getting him out of the backs. Yes but only because I think he is wasted there. His defence and mobility would be ideal as a roving back row forward in my opinion alongside Sirro and maybe Keppie. Great having solid forwards in the Taupau, AFB, Turbo, Olak style, but you need good mobile forwards as second faze players

 

[40 years an eagle]

That's why I would get Parker in the forwards. A lot think I'm just getting him out of the backs. Yes but only because I think he is wasted there. His defence and mobility would be ideal as a roving back row forward in my opinion alongside Sirro and maybe Keppie. Great having solid forwards in the Taupau, AFB, Turbo, Olak style, but you need good mobile forwards as second faze players

Brad Parker mobile?

He also has a glass skull...remember? Parker is good centres backup, not much more.


We have a top-heavy roster and 9 props in our squad. Kapow, AFB, Keppie, Tent, Sipley, Saddler, Titmuss, Jake and Sione Fainu. We NEED a game-controlling 7 and if we won't cut one of our million dollar men then one or more from the next pay tier need to go. We get a 220K gift from the squad shrinking to 28 next year, plus Kapow's 650k gives us 870K to buy someone like Burton and a fast young winger. It just makes sense buddy.

 

[Bearfax]

Brad Parker mobile?

He also has a glass skull...remember? Parker is good centres backup, not much more.


We have a top-heavy roster and 9 props in our squad. Kapow, AFB, Keppie, Tent, Sipley, Saddler, Titmuss, Jake and Sione Fainu. We NEED a game-controlling 7 and if we won't cut one of our million dollar men then one or more from the next pay tier need to go. We get a 220K gift from the squad shrinking to 28 next year, plus Kapow's 650k gives us 870K to buy someone like Burton and a fast young winger. It just makes sense buddy.

And that's why we need Parker in the forwards. A few heavy knocks is just unlucky. He's not had them before and he's a tough, strong defender, with reasonable pace. It seems a few unlucky shots and we are declaring players prone. Doesn't work that way. Injuries are random and many forwards have suffered concussion several times in a row. Sometimes its because they aren't properly repaired. I was a line out specialist for a lower grade Rugby Union side and fell awkwardly landing on the upper back and head. Suffered concussion and twice later in the year suffered similar conditions. Never suffered it in the past. Sometimes the injury isn't properly healed even many weeks later, despite seeming rectified.

 

[KNUCKLES]

Yes, they were in the "old" game. Our pack is not suited to the new game. We are big, slow, and not agile enough. Jake is the biggest lock in the game bar Lolo, but has 1/10 of his impact.

Look at the Souffs pack that everyone was bagging as too small before the season started.

Fisher harris? Tino Faamasuli? Alex Twal? Isaac Liu? TPJ? Adam Blair ? That's just off the top of my head.. possibky McGuire n brown?

 

[Midnight Rambler]

I love having Marty in the side. He’s also been tremendously consistent for Manly.
I think he’s played really well since he’s been here. But AFB is easily the best prop in the NRL. Whilst I really want to keep Marty, it’s not Walker I’d say the club would be shopping around. Why would you weaken an already weak backline? Makes zero sense. I agree...Foz 6...Walker 3

 

[40 years an eagle]

Fisher harris? Tino Faamasuli? Alex Twal? Isaac Liu? TPJ? Adam Blair ? That's just off the top of my head.. possibky McGuire n brown?

Jake 107kg

JFH 103
Twal 104
TF 107
Lui 107
Blair 109
Brown 104

I believe all these guys are too big for a lock in the "new" game.

Radley 92kg
Cam Murray 90kg
Connor Watson 87kg

 

[KNUCKLES]

Jake 107kg

JFH 103
Twal 104
TF 107
Lui 107
Blair 109
Brown 104

I believe all these guys are too big for a lock in the "new" game.

Radley 92kg
Cam Murray 90kg
Connor Watson 87kg

Just because your heavier doesn't necessarily mean your bigger. But yes I would prefer a smaller lock forward

 

[Chuck]

I dunno, manly looks better with Marty and Addin out there

"Better" than utter **** still ain't that great. We need to spend money on halves and a hooker and strikepowr out wide. Simple. Marty is the odd man out.

 

[manlyfan76]

AFB looked up to and followed Tapow. Now is a top level prop, Paseka is following Tapow example, becoming a great prop.
Why get rid of Marty when he is such an influence off the field to the young bucks?

 

[Tragic Eagle]

No

 

[double hoops]

100 per cent agree. Kapow could be amazing on an edge, but he hasn't been used that way. Playing him at prop, and now only 40 minutes as a battering ram albeit with an offload. Shipley was every bit as good as Kapow last year. Tent and Cino getting better every year. Bang for buck, money better spent at either 2nd row or backline

 

[Hibyemama]

I don’t think Marty is the issue. We had a good team in the last 3 years that would have gone close to if not win us a premiership. Look at 2019. Despite turbo’s chronic hamstring injuries and a pec injury, manly was one game away from meeting Canberra for a place in the grand final. Dce, Marty, Jake, and a lot of the better players are getting older now. Had Tom not been injured last 3 seasons , manly would have retain and maintain our minimum 1 premiership per decade performance. So whilst we can’t lay the blame entirely on turbo, our chances of winning the premiership heavily rely on turbo and Dce been both on the field.i think our squad has lost our chances in the last 3 years and now it’s past it’s peak. Unless we introduce and revamp this squad, can’t see us winning going forward.

 

[Nordburg]

Manly has no attack. In recent weeks martys enthusiasm and second phase play is about the only attacking option in the team.

I understand his costs and our position with props and it makes sense from that viewpoint. i dont see wingers being anything but defensive in this team due to our lack of vision to shift the ball.

Only cust and walker have shown glimpses of using the outside men with walker rumoured to being shopped about , and cust struggling with consistency and composure ( fair enough too )

We can sell the bank, the house and the kids but until we get more from our halfback in terms of vision, we will be also rans.

Cut sirro out ffs and use the centres, move the ball early, stop routinely dishing the ball back inside to at least see whats out there. Maybe even try a pressure building game , based on kick chase. Turn our defence into attack , then maybe outside backs might be handy. Put up an attacking bomb

Parker was on fire until walks got injured

If brisbane are looking at taking hunt back surely we should offer dce to them. Or has hunt proved more value .

not a stats man but currently marty has more impact than chez in attack. He has even had to kick this season.

Its tough and i understand the question but our forwards are doing the job mostly , our spine is pathetic and the rest of the players are just making up numbers due to being completely overlooked, as opposed to being outplayed.


If we were unloading cherry even with some freight, maybe 200 k it would make sense to release marty as we could really change the team dynamic with 1.7 million but selling marty to get wingers and depth that will be overlooked seems like a step backwards if we want to score points

We have structural problems that a lick of paint wont fix

Even if manese returns it wont take coaches long to sort him out and reduce his impact , putting more emphasis back on the halves which will be the same same

I don’t think Marty is the issue. We had a good team in the last 3 years that would have gone close to if not win us a premiership. Look at 2019. Despite turbo’s chronic hamstring injuries and a pec injury, manly was one game away from meeting Canberra for a place in the grand final. Dce, Marty, Jake, and a lot of the better players are getting older now. Had Tom not been injured last 3 seasons , manly would have retain and maintain our minimum 1 premiership per decade performance. So whilst we can’t lay the blame entirely on turbo, our chances of winning the premiership heavily rely on turbo and Dce been both on the field.i think our squad has lost our chances in the last 3 years and now it’s past it’s peak. Unless we introduce and revamp this squad, can’t see us winning going forward.

as said a thousand times,nobody is saying Taupau is the problem,it’s just that he’s the most expendable out of the players with any value.The team could win a premiership without Taupau,but they can’t win with the current backline and the only way to make the backline better is to find $$$ to improve it.

 

[BOZO]

Fabio is here to Stay !!!

 

[Bearfax]

as said a thousand times,nobody is saying Taupau is the problem,it’s just that he’s the most expendable out of the players with any value.The team could win a premiership without Taupau,but they can’t win with the current backline and the only way to make the backline better is to find $$$ to improve it.

Two strong go forward props are essential to a premiership winning side. They are the enforcers and without them you lack the go forward power. Consider Manly's premiership winning props

1972: O'Neill and Hamilton
1973 O'Neill and Hamilton
1976 Randall and Harvey
1978 Ian Thomson and Harvey
1987 Ward and Daley
1996 Carrol and Gillespie
2008 Kite, Perry, King
2011 Kite, Galuvao, King

AFB and Taupau are two of the best props in the game. We have some rising prop stars in the making but not yet ready. Its not the props where our problems lie.