Fainu to start.

[HappilyManly]

A question for the group

If Cook and Mc were ruled out for NSW who would be the next no 9? Api when fit?

Freddy would dig up Ennis 😀

 

[The Who]

A question for the group

If Cook and Mc were ruled out for NSW who would be the next no 9? Api when fit?

Queensland has plenty of hooking options. Not so for NSW.
However, I'd say Freddy would pick Victor Radley, who would probably relish the challenge.
The only other two I realistically see as possibles are Nathan Peats, who has done a good job in SOO in the past, and Cameron McInnes who holds the Illawarra forwards together, as we saw yesterday while he was conscious.

 

[Sue]

Yep. Take the pommies, qld and kiwis out and there are barely a handful of options.

 

[Snake]

Api will be a big loss. You have to acknowledge the defence he does in the middle that allows the likes of Fainu to come on and wreak havoc after the sting has gone out of the contest. The first 20 minutes, the collisions are fierce and we all saw how Api was able to cut down Taumalolo last week; a big reason for our early momentum in that game.

Until Fainu is more experienced, the best thing for Manly is to have both. We don't need to play around with a winning combination simply because they'll be off contract one day in the distant future. That's madness.

 

[ellakasmar]

Will be interesting to see how Fainu goes in another full game presuming Api is out.

Likely to determine what they do next year

 

[Snake]

I think Des would still run with a 9 on the bench, regardless of Api's injury. I can't see him playing Fainu for 80. He'll probably use Croker (if fit) on the bench.

 

[Technical Coach]

He’s played twenty games and is twenty years old ffs.Name one hooker since Smith who has been a gun at that stage.You need to put that fact into your hotshot analysis equipment .I don’t need said hotshot equipment to tell me what is blindingly obvious.Hes a star in the making. 80 percent of our points come with him on the field (34 today) yet time on the field is pretty equal.He’s been sounded out for origin availability already but chose Tonga which is admirable.Dont see too many other twenty year old hookers copping that phone call from NSW selectors.

Id like to keep them both like most fans but if you want to bet if it comes to the crunch they will choose a tough little warrior who is a good first grader but not improving at all in key areas over a twenty year old Fainu then you either don’t like money or you have your eyes painted on.

I judge off ball effort on support play and desperation when it matters, not some gadget.He was the one on the ball in the eightieth minute to save the last try. No other forward in sight.He is the one trailing through the middle in support and regularly scoring tries.Other than Jake I don’t see too many others doing that in our pack.That will do me over blacknbox facts and figures.

Been down this track with you too many times.its an incredibly tough position.Cook played reserve grade for three years. I bet your machines had him pegged as a failure too. Anyway you use your machines old mate. I’ll just sit back and watch a great young talent develop and iron out his flaws with experience as all young players do with a tough little veteran like Api assisting .and not judge him against ridiculous standards in an incredibly tough position that a 20 year old kid can’t meet.I love this kid in our team. He makes the game exciting, and you may have also noticed we are winning this year ,and that will do me.

You might need that "hotshot" equipment more than you think (the hotshot equipment is me obviously) since your track record in player talent i recall is not that great.

You went on and on about how good Kane Elgey is back in the day, and Foran not being a 5/8(yeah i know second time rubbing it in)

Fainu has the makings of being a very good player----just because he is still young doesn't mean a critical analysis of his all round performance is off limits.

Fainu is in first grade now so has to expect critical analysis, once a player starts getting comfortable in "having potential" or "i'm still young" before you know it he is a late 20's journeyman for clubs pinning their hopes on the potential never lived up to at a bargain price.

 

[Smokin Joe]

A question for the group

If Cook and Mc were ruled out for NSW who would be the next no 9? Api when fit?

Farah,Peats,Rein,Brailey.Queensland pick unknown or out of form players and they perform.Next man up....

 

[Sue]

You might need that "hotshot" equipment more than you think (the hotshot equipment is me obviously) since your track record in player talent i recall is not that great.

You went on and on about how good Kane Elgey is back in the day, and Foran not being a 5/8(yeah i know second time rubbing it in)

Fainu has the makings of being a very good player----just because he is still young doesn't mean a critical analysis of his all round performance is off limits.

Fainu is in first grade now so has to expect critical analysis, once a player starts getting comfortable in "having potential" or "i'm still young" before you know it he is a late 20's journeyman for clubs pinning their hopes on the potential never lived up to at a bargain price.

You just don’t get it do you. Yeah I’m sure you’ll be sitting there every week like a hawk with your little machine trying to spot errors and announcing it to us all - while everyone else will be watching a very talented player learning his craft ina tough position and making errors along the way. He’s played twenty games ffs. Tfats how it works. I look forward to your weekly dissection of every minute. Fascinating.I could t give a toss about technical mumbo jumbo. What I do know is we are a helluva lot bettter side with him in it than out of it and as a Msnly fan that’s all that matters.

We all get it wrong now and again.I too remember you banging on and on about JT being an ordinary half. That will do me for getting it wrong. A future immortal who is average. A very rare bird indeed.Well spotted. Not once in a decade did he turn it up. Give me a JT every day of the week.Competed on every single play on and off the ball.Tests ,SOO, GFs Done it all.

Kane always had the skills. Just doesn’t have the confidence or physical presence in defence. That was always going to be his issue and he didn’t get the get over it unfortunarely.

As for Foran the reason I didn’t think he would be a five eight is the same reason his body gave up at 27.. He was just so physical. Didn’t think he could play like that as a 5/8 where playmakers are targetted and didn’t think he had the kicking game.It’s a credit he was a very good five eight for as long as he was. Great player.

Fainu went up to test level last night in an intense high quality game and looked like he belonged in a side with zero playmakers.If you can’t see he’s a quality player right now then you ain’t looking.

Fainu was good and will get better but Smith is a star now.Wow what a player. Said a few years ago he would be a generational player for NZ when he was in reserve grade( get one right sometimes as well).He won’t be far behind his namesake when he finishes.

 

[brad]

Only have the Titans game then the bye , Api back the following week.

 

[Technical Coach]

You just don’t get it do you. Yeah I’m sure you’ll be sitting there every week like a hawk with your little machine trying to spot errors and announcing it to us all - while everyone else will be watching a very talented player learning his craft ina tough position and making errors along the way. He’s played twenty games ffs. Tfats how it works. I look forward to your weekly dissection of every minute. Fascinating.I could t give a toss about technical mumbo jumbo. What I do know is we are a helluva lot bettter side with him in it than out of it and as a Msnly fan that’s all that matters.

We all get it wrong now and again.I too remember you banging on and on about JT being an ordinary half. That will do me for getting it wrong. A future immortal who is average. A very rare bird indeed.Well spotted. Not once in a decade did he turn it up. Give me a JT every day of the week.Competed on every single play on and off the ball.Tests ,SOO, GFs Done it all.

Kane always had the skills. Just doesn’t have the confidence or physical presence in defence. That was always going to be his issue and he didn’t get the get over it unfortunarely.

As for Foran the reason I didn’t think he would be a five eight is the same reason his body gave up at 27.. He was just so physical. Didn’t think he could play like that as a 5/8 where playmakers are targetted and didn’t think he had the kicking game.It’s a credit he was a very good five eight for as long as he was. Great player.

Fainu went up to test level last night in an intense high quality game and looked like he belonged in a side with zero playmakers.If you can’t see he’s a quality player right now then you ain’t looking.

Fainu was good and will get better but Smith is a star now.Wow what a player. Said a few years ago he would be a generational player for NZ when he was in reserve grade( get one right sometimes as well).He won’t be far behind his namesake when he finishes.

At the time in relation to your Foran observations in the thread back in the day you questioned that Foran was a 5/8 at all and should be a centre due to his limitations as a player, had zero to do with the physical style of play that will eventually break him down.(now you are using hindsight to back up your opinion)
We all worried that Foran would not be able to keep playing in such a physical direct way and had our concerns he could sustain this----i even mentioned at the time Foran was already backing off in the physical elements of the game to prolong his career.

In relation to JT, i never said JT is ordinary just a very good half but not "great" and is over-rated, that QLD's success/dominance over the decade was due to the big Melb 3 and Lockyer. If you had a graph showing Melb's dominance and Qlds dominance it would perfectly line up, that is not just a coincidence.

As i have stated before(and at the time) i would take Cronk over JT any day of the week. JT never dominated the game in his mid 20's and failed on numerous occasions during semi final time, i also recall the 2014 Origin series when Cronk was injured in the first game and didn't play in the second JT was the man and didn't get Qld up.

Cronk way past his peak heads off to the Roosters basically doesn't do much other than direct the team around, leadership qualities and added some composed structure for the whole year and wins a premiership----i think that tells you a lot and illustrates the difference between a very good half in Pearce(who i actually rate and should be better than he has shown) and a great one in Cronk.

Also i would like to add watched parts of the first half between NZ and Tonga and what i saw wasn't high quality, the defense allowing the Johnson tries in was very very poor and not up to Rep standard.

 

[manlyfan76]

Fainu has been solid as a starter. I think he has really stepped up in Apis absence.
Real quality and x factor and still young.

 

[BOZO]

Fantastic Fainu and only 21 years of age

I can see him lifting another Premiership winning trophy for Manly

 

[Lyonstomenzies]

Fainu’s family were on the hill again last Sunday. I counted 22 of them all decked out in heaps of Manly gear.

Also they were the most vocal on the hill and tried getting chants going but the crowd didnt seem into it.

They seem like a tight nit family and also were very loving towards Moses Suli.

It’s great having a family around the club that seem to love watching their guy run round the park.

 

[Ron E. Gibbs]

They seem like a tight nit family and also were very loving towards Moses Suli.

It’s great having a family around the club that seem to love watching their guy run round the park.

That's awesome. And it's no surprise Moses is playing such good footy with Manase and his family around to give him extra support. Good to see both these young guys living up to their potential.

 

[HappilyManly]

https://twitter.com/SeaEagles/status/1152880938113572864?s=19

Fainu Clan at the Club celebrating Nase's 21st