Fitness???

[Canteen Worker]

A lot was said in the off-season about the signing of Rob Rowland Smith and how fit the team would be. Running sandhills on Baranjoey is one thing and it seems from the trials and the early season that we were very fit and conditioned.

However someone has got to ask what happened during the season. As time went on we looked flat and jaded.

Was the team conditioned to be April Premiers? What was the strategy to have us firing at money time, which the good clubs seem to be able to do. Saints were just as bad as we have been recently in the first five rounds. However they are playing their best football at the right end of the year. This must be part of the fitness/conditioning strategy as it is hard to stay fresh and at the top of your game over a 26 week regular season.

Rob R-S has a reputation of over-training at Parramatta (according to some) and I hope that didn't end up the case here at Manly.

 

[byso]

I think our demise was more mental than physical. Lack of Attitude and motivation.

 

[Guest]

It seems to be a case of a combination of mental and physical tiredness.

Parra looked sharp, fit and fresh on Sunday compared to our slugs who looked lethargic especially in the first half.

The broncos also seem to become jaded at the end of the season in the past couple of years so even the best teams struggle to get it right.

 

[byso]

But the Broncs dont look way out of touch.

 

[lsz]

If you take into account the back end of last year and the start of this year it was a great "season". I think we might have had a too hard off season. I coach football (the round ball type) at a decent level (although no where near professional though). A lot of how you coach is for the full year - I guess the nature of a top 8 system is that you can have great first half of the year, tank, then still make the finals.