Do we need a 5/8th?

[1978]

Obviously someone has to play 6, but the obsession with a team's 'spine' is overdone.

Our last great Manly team had several play-makers and '5/8ths' : Brett Stewart, Glenn Stewart and Jamie Lyon were hugely influential with try assists.

This Manly team can do the same: DCE, Tom, Api, Sironen and Jake. I'm expecting a lot more ball playing from Tom and Jake this year. I reckon Jake could lead more plays, like James Graham did at Bulldogs (without hogging it as much).

In this structure, the 6 (Croker) has a more of a ball distribution/fifth tackle kicking role.

 

[tookey]

We are ****ed without an experienced 5/8 2016 was a disaster and 2018 will be a repeat

Huge penalty for salary cap rorting coming our way

One disaster after another with Penn in charge

 

[manlyfan76]

Probably.

 

[Garts]

Of course. But to simplify it, attacking footy and game management is just about having options. We have plenty.

I expect Turbo and Api to play more of a play making role this year, just to keep the opposition guessing and take some pressure off Croker.
Dce will be more involved.
We've had Siro playing in a ball playing role.

Those things alone will make the 5/8 jobs simpler (compared to last year).

Croker will handle the simple job of delivering good ball and kicking to the corners. Green was not a world beater. He did the simple things well (apart from tackling). Those comparing him to Walker in 2016, know little of the difference in skill between a play maker and a centre.

Some people just prefer think the worst so they can't be disappointed.

We need Croker to organise, deliver good ball and kick well to take the pressure of DCE. From my view that is all Green did last season. He did not offer anything else attacking wise and missed heaps of tackles. It was definitely not any more complex than what we need from Croker.

If this is all that is expected of Croker it sounds relatively easy as he should have those skills being a junior rep half but it is a big step up to the NRL. This is why I wanted Hodkinson as he could easily perform that role if Croker failed.

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

We do need a 5/8.
Without one we will be down to 12, that's too hard over 80 minutes in the modern game.
Any 5/8 will do, as long as it's not Walker.

 

[COMMANDER]

We are ****ed without an experienced 5/8 2016 was a disaster and 2018 will be a repeat

Huge penalty for salary cap rorting coming our way

One disaster after another with Penn in charge

Well hello Mr Sunshine!

 

[Highflier]

We are ****ed without an experienced 5/8 2016 was a disaster and 2018 will be a repeat

Huge penalty for salary cap rorting coming our way

One disaster after another with Penn in charge

Call me an optimist or maybe delusional but I disagree. If as has been mentioned on here that this revolves around a 90 year old x lawyer who sponsored a few players (with alleged NRL approval)being invited into the sheds by the club and therefore breaching alleged rules and coupled with the fact that Penn has asked for 3 extensions I would think he has a credible defence to present .Otherwise what would be the point in prolonging the mess and further inflaming Greenturds oblivious and transparent pathological hate for Manly.Maybe it’s part of the bigger play where Greenturd is going to go soft on the Player mangers because they have the filth on him from his time at the flea dogs or his alleged involvement in the scam Smith affair or any other conspiracy theory that can be floated to explain his unrelenting and unreasonable pursuit of the greatest rugby league club ever !!!!Go Manly and F&$$ Greenturd!!!

 

[Dan]

Depends, i mean if you had a 24mm you could probably get away with it, you might do some damage if you went with something slightly larger. Failing that if you had a shifter that would work just as well

 

[Spartan Eagle]

Unfortunately we do.

 

[tookey]

Amusing that everyone thinks that Crocker can do the job better than Green yet most of us have never seen him play and has only played one first grade game

 

[EaglesDontTweet]

We'll soon find out.

 

[manly al]

Green had general N R L experience . Croker will need simple encouragement and self confidence . Previously guys like Chris Bailey promised quite a bit but did not really deliver . Certainly an important time to establish some team stability , let us hope Croker is up to it and can produce .

 

[bob dylan]

We are totally screwed without one.

Not at all optimistic about this season, actually I think it will be a very long and disappointing year.

 

[Chip and Chase]

The upside of Croker playing 5/8 is that if he doesn't work out we have an easy Silvertails whipping boy target for the year. God knows Lewis would appreciate the rest.

 

[tookey]

Amusing you think everyone said Croker will do a better job than Green... Don't think anyone said that.
The point was made several times that Greens game was a relatively simple one and if Croker gets help from the senior players he should be able to plug the hole.

But hey, don't let me spoil your half empty cup of coffee this morning....

Half empty? I spilled it all over myself this morning

I have bad memories of 2016 when we didn't have a set 5/8 The season was ****e and this year is heading in the same direction as it is too much to ask Crocker in his first year to fill the gap to a similar standard as Green

 

[Woodsie]

We have one ... NO, .. wait for it .... two, junior Kangaroos and emerging Blues SOO players fighting tooth and nail to get a shot .....

Fukk me sideways on a Sunday some people are hard to please ....

PSS Green went ok but he didn't set the bar that high that either of these kids couldn't clear at half pace.

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

The way I viewed Blake Green in 2017 was he was an excellent ( if not the best) 5th tackle kicker in the game, winning us dozens of repeat sets.

That's going to be very very hard to replace.

However, he really didn't do much else than that, passed the ball out the line .....ok, but was hopeless at taking the line on or creating any other last play options.

And let's not forget his side of the paddock was where a LOT of try's were scored, and for a very good reason, his defence was ****house.

Croker, or Hastings for that matter are not going to get the same number of repeat sets, won't happen in a month of Sunday's.

But, on the upside ( we hope) is both have a wider set of skills.

We will get some repeat sets from them, we might get a 40/20 or two ( remains to be seen) and we should get better ball playing and attacking the line skills.

Very early in my business career my accountant said when looking at something put the positives on one side and the negatives on the other , and when comparing two options look at the one with more positives even though the one option with a big positive might look better initially.

I based many of my business decisions, employment decisions and life decisions around that, and haven't done too badly in any of them.

I think we will be right, but we can't expect miracles in game 1, either player might take 5-6 weeks to really settle in to the role.

I'm thinking positive, despite what many of you are saying, will we lose compared to Green, yes in some ways but we might well gain more in others to compensate.

 

[mickqld]

Looks like plenty of 5/8ths out there available. Munster and Peachey now BUT Greenturd will ensure this cap fiasco will string out long enough to stop any chance of us signing them.

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

Looks like plenty of 5/8ths out there available. Munster and Peachey now BUT Greenturd will ensure this cap fiasco will string out long enough to stop any chance of us signing them.

Yep, they’ll go to Titans and Donkeys respectively.

Def can’t have those dastardly Sea Eagles picking a winner can you!!!

 

[tookey]

I wonder if we might make a play for Barba to come back to the NRL as our 5/8 this year He is best friends with DCE