Foran

[Stewbojevic]

I think your right Pete. We have the makings of a much better team, then we are actually demonstrating on the field. We have a number of players who are played out of position, and others who are no longer suited to their current spots, and at least five reserve graders masquerading as first graders. DCE is not suited to the halfback spot, under the new rules, but could go really well as a creative nine. Jake is no longer "ideally" suited to the lock role, and should go back to being a starting ball-playing prop. Schuster needs to be the eighty minute five-eight, primarily based on the right. Foran needs to activate the left-side attack AND wear the number seven on his jersey. Walker is not a fullback ..... He needs to play on the right outside Schuster. I am hoping that Harper manages to play well this week, and then stay in the team as the left-side centre. I think Lawton (when fit) has more upside in his game then Cust so would bracket those two together as our fourteen options. The wing spots are harder to pick, as none of the wingers or their respective replacements are inspiring right now. Hoping that changing the centres can remediate our defensive deficiencies outwide on both sides of the park. (I would go for Saab and Topiluto - as they have been brought in to develop into those spots IMO and we are now, almost firmly into a development season).

Someone then has to fill Jakes spot, and I think Siro could do a good job in that role for the rest of 2021.
The rest of the pack basically picks itself (Bench spots included - Paseka, DCE, Jake, Haumole, Aloiai, Sironen (Lawton/Cust, Keppie, Saddler, Taupau). Turbo is fullback of course (perhaps temporarily

Potentially the side looks like this:
Runout : Turbo, Saab, Walker, Harper, Topiluto, Schuster, Foran, Paseka, DCE, Jake, Haumole, Aloiai, Sironen
Bench : Lawton/Cust, Keppie, Saddler, Taupau
Goal kicker : DCE

We all know that this team has absolutely no chance of playing together as listed, but I think it looks a lot more balanced then what we run out now.

Note : Croker, Gosiewski, Parker, Garrick, Suli drop out of the 21

You’ve nailed this... I’d even say that if Turbo was out, we bring Funa in at fullback so there is minimal disruption to the team.

As you said, I’m not sold on the wingers but probably what we need to do for the future.

I’d love to actually see that team run out, unfortunately, there is a 0% chance DCE will ever play hooker.

 

[Kevinward777]

Best example of Parkers speed, or lack of it...early vs Illawarra Schuster put him into space twice and he was run down within 10-15 metres....even an average paced centre would have found space, drawn the fullback to pick up support....which was there and been try time....that would have been 10 - 12 early points early changing the entire complexion of the game.

Spot on. He reminds me of a back rower playing in the centres to cover an injury. I can't understand how he continues to be picked. He'd go okay as a benchie who can cover an edge and a couple of backline positions.

I don't want to knock the guy because he always has a red hot go. Coming off the bench fresh, he could provide good value. Harper, Funa, and Tuipulotu should all be picked ahead of him at centre imo.

 

[Bring back the.... Biff?]

Best example of Parkers speed, or lack of it...early vs Illawarra Schuster put him into space twice and he was run down within 10-15 metres....even an average paced centre would have found space, drawn the fullback to pick up support....which was there and been try time....that would have been 10 - 12 early points early changing the entire complexion of the game.

How bout the roosters LOL teddy looked like he was jogging Parker was that slow.. oh and james Roberts smoked him twice in the limited time he was on the field in that trial

 

[joeboy]

Parker deserves knocking. Him and croker are utter tripe and no amount of perceived effort or fitness will make me think they deserve a spot in our 17 or even our 30. These two, along with others are symptomatic of our acceptance of mediocrity and our inability to forge a great squad of players, I’m done with both of them and have been for some time.

Release them to whoever will take them.

 

[peterh]

Cant expect too much from him without a decent 7 on the other side to take the heat of him. Poor dude. Its all on him to deliver

he needs help on his 250 k pay checque

I am extremely optimistic that Foran will come good, he has the rugby league acumen and still retains sufficient skills to be a valuable player

He needs the team to start having some go forward and more than anything else, the team needs to get some pace into the side.

Garrick, Croker, Parker are playing positions which need some pace and they are close to the slowest players in the NRL for those positions.

Most teams have 2nd rowers quicker than these guys.

Man for man we must be the slowest team in the competition.
How does that work in a game that is becoming quicker & quicker?

 

[peterh]

Schuster to 6, Foran to the bench and Cust to 9.

Croker....Des can put him in his car and take him for a drive to the country.....

Take Croker out and our directness and ability to play more up tempo immediately changes.

I reckon my dear old grandmother when she was 90 years old would pass a ball better from dummy half than Croker. And don't get me started on his complete inability in engage the line.

Watch...Des will re-sign him

Ideally Des takes Croker out for a drive to the country and then gets lost on his way back.
Two problems solved with one stone.

 

[Bring back the.... Biff?]

@Snake Mate you seem to have the inside scoop.. can you tell me what the thinking is playing walker at fb and weakening two positions in doing so? And I just dont get it and how does a guy like croker make it over someone like birt? Or cust for that matter . Cheers mate

 

[HoldenV8]

My biggest issue with Foz right now is that because his shoulders are stuffed and because of his lack of speed and mobility, he has become a target in defense. With the ball in hand, other than again that lack of speed these days, he hasn't been all that bad.

If there are any plans to play him at hooker then they'd have to hide him somewhere else in defense because no way could be make 30-40 tackles per game, even with Jake and the front rowers protecting him.

Do I think he's been a good buy? So far I would really have to say no and that the money we're paying him probably should have gone to getting an actual hooker (or keeping Levi).

 

[Brisbane Tragic]

I don't reckon you have to love Levi to think that keeping him on minimum wage was a better option than starting a season with no established hooker because we assumed we could just use one of our excess, and underwhelming, halves...

No... we assumed that Fainu's stand down would be lifted based on De Belin being found not guilty

 

[frank stokes]

No... we assumed that Fainu's stand down would be lifted based on De Belin being found not guilty

There's that word ass-u-me...

i would say that there has been a lot of assuming at Manly in recent history... and we are seeing the results...

Altho to be fair (too bee farrr, to be faiiiirrrr) we on ST are assuming that they assumed... so there's that...

 

[Brisbane Tragic]

There's that word ass-u-me...

i would say that there has been a lot of assuming at Manly in recent history... and we are seeing the results...

Altho to be fair (too bee farrr, to be faiiiirrrr) we on ST are assuming that they assumed... so there's that...

yes mate.... funnily enough despite all the experts on here... I will generally defer to the belief that Des knows much more than I do and knows wayyyyyy more than most on here. That might be as Irish as to be fair to be fair lol but I just have a hunch that there are very very few actual experts on here - experts in their own minds though no doubt. Again I could be wrong.....

 

[frank stokes]

yes mate.... funnily enough despite all the experts on here... I will generally defer to the belief that Des knows much more than I do and knows wayyyyyy more than most on here. That might be as Irish as to be fair to be fair lol but I just have a hunch that there are very very few actual experts on here - experts in their own minds though no doubt. Again I could be wrong.....

Nah i reckon you are right mate but if we had to be an expert to share an opinion than ST,, or social media more generally, would not exist...

Plus if des had all the answers we would not be 1 win from our last 13 games and 0-4 and -122 f/a to start our season...

So a bit of ying and a bit of yang i guess...

 

[Brisbane Tragic]

Nah i reckon you are right mate but if we had to be an expert to share an opinion than ST,, or social media more generally, would not exist...

Plus if des had all the answers we would not be 1 win from our last 13 games and 0-4 and -122 f/a to start our season...

So a bit of ying and a bit of yang i guess...

we have problems - no doubt. Some are obviously Des created - not sure which specific ones but he will be a contributor - maybe game style, loyalty, playing players out of position. We all have our views on that but nobody really knows. The club will wear a certain amount of the blame... maybe at least for the DCE lifetime contract. The players should take the bulk of the blame for the poor effort and lack of heart. But bad luck has also played a massive part - ie game changed massively in 2020, we are caught with a million contracts expiring at the end of this year etc etc. I suppose even the fans can take some blame for not being robustly behind the club. Lots of reasons why.... what matters is that we get out of the hole and that might be in 2022 or 2023... but we will get out. Love your posts and your views - we can always agree to disagree on some things.

 

[Tragic Eagle]

we have problems - no doubt. Some are obviously Des created - not sure which specific ones but he will be a contributor - maybe game style, loyalty, playing players out of position. We all have our views on that but nobody really knows. The club will wear a certain amount of the blame... maybe at least for the DCE lifetime contract. The players should take the bulk of the blame for the poor effort and lack of heart. But bad luck has also played a massive part - ie game changed massively in 2020, we are caught with a million contracts expiring at the end of this year etc etc. I suppose even the fans can take some blame for not being robustly behind the club. Lots of reasons why.... what matters is that we get out of the hole and that might be in 2022 or 2023... but we will get out. Love your posts and your views - we can always agree to disagree on some things.

Can't see us getting out of the hole unless our coach stops rewarding players with selection that don't deserve it and stopping picking players out of position.

 

[Brisbane Tragic]

Can't see us getting out of the hole unless our coach stops rewarding players with selection that don't deserve it and stopping picking players out of position.

Sort of agree given I don't agree with many of his decisions but I just always come back to the view that if I or we all knew more than Des... we would be an NRL coach

 

[ManlyTragic]

yes mate.... funnily enough despite all the experts on here... I will generally defer to the belief that Des knows much more than I do and knows wayyyyyy more than most on here. That might be as Irish as to be fair to be fair lol but I just have a hunch that there are very very few actual experts on here - experts in their own minds though no doubt. Again I could be wrong.....

There seems to be two differing opinions on here with regard to player selections and positions.

One opinion is mine the other one is wrong!

Just sayin’

 

[Brisbane Tragic]

There seems to be two differing opinions on here with regard to player selections and positions.

One opinion is mine the other one is wrong!

Just sayin’

Um probably. I just know that I don't know as much as Des or the club. So while I have a firm belief that players are in wrong positions, our game style is wrong etc and I will say that I just know... I am a punter with no real idea.

 

[frank stokes]

Release them to whoever will take them.

East India slave traders wouldn't take them....

 

[Tragic Eagle]

Um probably. I just know that I don't know as much as Des or the club. So while I have a firm belief that players are in wrong positions, our game style is wrong etc and I will say that I just know... I am a punter with no real idea.

What makes you just a punter with no real idea? I read the comments on here and find most are well reasoned even though I don't always agree with them.

We are not sheep that should just sit back and say they know best and keep eating the sh-t sandwiches which are continually being dished up each week.

I don't buy into the argument that "one opinion is mine and the other is wrong" because it ignores outcomes that flow from actions. Ongoing outcomes over 14 or 15 games that create a powerful body of evidence.

So don't let anybody devalue your opinion because it may differ with our failing club and coaching staff.

 

[Shoe1]

Foran appears to play broken. He's slow, struggles to walk from what I see.

Yes, he's more direct than DCE, bit that's not saying much.

All DCE does is stifle the attack and run in circles / miss tackles, with the occasional decent kick.

Stiff legs, comes to us all. Some mornings I wake up and walk like foran for a while until my muscles unstiffen.