Don't take Manly lightly, says Lawrence

MANLY prop Brenton Lawrence has dismissed suggestions the Sea Eagles will be vulnerable up front after losing four of the NRL's most experienced big men.

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[Jethro]

MANLY prop Brenton Lawrence has dismissed suggestions the Sea Eagles will be vulnerable up front after losing four of the NRL's most experienced big men.

The 2013 grand finalists enter t

his year minus Brent Kite, Richie Fa'aoso, George Rose and Joe Galuvao, who between them have played over 840 first grade games.

While acknowledging the big loss of experience, Lawrence says a bunch of hungry frontrowers are ready to fill the gap.

Former Gold Coast forward Lawrence knows just how well players can respond to opportunity.

A fringe first grader before 2013, he emerged as one of the buys of last season as he played 27 games for Manly, including the finals series, earning a call-up to Mal Meninga's emerging Queensland squad.

"We might not have (many) blokes that have played 50 or more games in the frontrow but there's a lot of guys that are in a similar situation to myself last year and I think in a sense that's probably more dangerous," said Lawrence.

"All those blokes have got a point to prove, so every week they go out thinking they've got to play hard and not let anyone down.

"There's probably no better position than frontrow to be able to go out there and really stick it to your opposition."

The Sea Eagles lost Kite and Rose to Penrith and Melbourne due to salary cap pressure, while Galuvao retired and Fa'aoso was forced into premature retirement because of a neck injury, leaving the frontrow stocks seemingly threadbare.

But Lawrence said players like James Hasson (11 games for Manly), Brisbane recruit Dunamis Lui (27 NRL games), South Sydney recruit Josh Starling, Tyson Andrews (Mackay Cutters) and promising local junior Jake Trbojevic were ready to step up.

"They may not be well known to the general public and people might be saying we're a bit light, but put all those guys into one pack and we're certainly not light on frontrow forwards," he said.

"They've all got something to prove. There's two spots available so I don't think they're going to be going out there anything short of trying to prove themselves."

Steve Gee
AAP

http://www.foxsports.com.au/league/dont-take-manly-lightly-says-lawrence/story-e6frf3ou-1226822486157

 

[Captain Moondog]

I'd prefer that the other teams took us lightly....
You've got it in the bag boys, just turn up and you'll be sweet....

 

[The Who]

Never has so much Prop aganda been written about Manly's loss of front rowers. I'm totally over all the stories, the suggestions we can't cope, and how the end is nigh to our glorious nine year reign.
We'll quickly shut up the naysayers when we run over Melbourne in the first match.

 

[HappilyManly]

Manly has to smash the Storm, otherwise the panic will spread to this forum 😎

The Opposition may smirk at our lack of aged Props, but if they get past them, the Army of One will welcome them and may even share the joy with Shoulders Matai for good measure 😛

 

[globaleagle]

So last year all our props were too old (but made the gf)....

But this year, with all our young props we are too inexperienced!

woohoo!

They could do worse them emulating foz with his big ol hits when needed a couple of years ago.

Go Manly!

 

[HappilyManly]

So last year all our props were too old (but made the gf)....

But this year, with all our young props we are too inexperienced!

woohoo!


Go Manly!

Manly are the Goldilocks of the League - Just Right 😀

 

[globaleagle]

So last year all our props were too old (but made the gf)....

But this year, with all our young props we are too inexperienced!

woohoo!


Go Manly!

Manly are the Goldilocks of the League - Just Right 😀

lol, I'm not sure we want that saying to take off!

 

[Killer03]

Written off before the season starts? I LIKE IT!!!

 

[beeman]

Too old, too young. Blah, blah, blah.

I like the new young crop. Kingy and BJ will steer them straight. We don't need to spend the $$ on a marquee prop. Keep the faith in the newbies and keep Gifty.

 

[simon64]

Written off before the season starts? I LIKE IT!!!

I can't remember a time when Manly weren't predicted to perform worse than in the previous year.

But time and again, we shut them up pretty quickly.

2014 will be no different.

The culture in this club will always overcome any perceived shortcomings in our roster.

 

[EagleFromMay1967]

wrong Brenton, take them lightly, take them lightly. We'll be ambushing every weekend.

 

[Killer03]

Written off before the season starts? I LIKE IT!!!

I can't remember a time when Manly weren't predicted to perform worse than in the previous year.

But time and again, we shut them up pretty quickly.

2014 will be no different.

The culture in this club will always overcome any perceived shortcomings in our roster.

I read a great article after the 2011 Grand Final in the Daily Telegraph, I think it was by Paul Kent and it basically said:

When will we learn? When will we stop hating and writing off Manly, as it has just seen them win another premiership.

And I thought it pretty well summed it up. We love this stuff. The players love it, the fans love it. Write us off, call us too old, too young, too whatever........we'll just keep using it as motivation.

 

[bones]

Haters: helping Manly win Premierships since 1972

 

[Hamster Huey]

Written off before the season starts? I LIKE IT!!!

I can't remember a time when Manly weren't predicted to perform worse than in the previous year.

But time and again, we shut them up pretty quickly.

2014 will be no different.

The culture in this club will always overcome any perceived shortcomings in our roster.

I read a great article after the 2011 Grand Final in the Daily Telegraph, I think it was by Paul Kent and it basically said:

When will we learn? When will we stop hating and writing off Manly, as it has just seen them win another premiership.

And I thought it pretty well summed it up. We love this stuff. The players love it, the fans love it. Write us off, call us too old, too young, too whatever........we'll just keep using it as motivation.

Probably not Kent. This was his prediction of Manly for 2012;

"By winning the premiership and then spectacularly imploding, Manly officials have done what many thought impossible; made NRL fans feel sorry for them. The Sea Eagles still have the personnel (on the field), and their pride is stung, but they won't come within a bull's roar of what they achieved this year."

History shows that 13 other clubs wished they could have placed themselves closer to a bulls roar, that season.