Give-me-morley as a Northern Eagles signing

[CliffyIsGod]

KE:

That St George thing at the SFS -- Didn't Ferris put in a banana kick on the buzzer that cam down on the line which Menzies took a afl-mark to catch it and put it down?

Also, how good was that menzies cover tackle? Typical beaver.

 

[DVS Matt]

yep that was Ferris

great try that was

Round 22
Sunday 11 August 2002: Saints 18 - Northern Eagles 20
Aussie Stadium (SFS) Ref: Tim Mander
SOTV Man of the match: Jason Ryles / Mark Riddell
Article - click here
Match pics - click here
Saints: 1. Jason Kent, 2. Lee Hookey, 3. Mark Gasnier, 4. Shaun Timmins, 5. Matt Cooper, 6. Trent Barrett (c), 7. Ben Hornby, 13. Brent Kite, 11. Justin Smith, 19. Lance Thompson, 8. Luke Bailey, 9. Mark Riddell, 10. Jason Ryles. Interchange: 14. Chris Leikvoll, 15. Jason Hooper, 16. Shane Millard, 23. Willie Peters
Northern Eagles: Reeves, Miles, Torrens, MacDougall, Hopoate, Williamson, Ferris, Menzies (c), Shipway, Kosef, King, Goddard, Long. Interchange: Kaufusi, Lima, Watmough, Dorn

 

[Kiwi Eagle]

Yep that was the one CIG, **** it was a good moment, used to have a photo of Beaver celebrating but dont have it any more

 

[CliffyIsGod]

Brent Kite at lock 🙂

 

[DSM5]

I was always, and will always be, only a Manly fan. I lost interest when we hybridized with those losers, the Hapless Bears. A great day dawned when we shucked of the yoke of those loser ****eheads. Therefore, no interest.

 

[Duff]

Yeah, no time at all for anyone who supported the club that killed my club & therefore don't recall Kimmorley playing for them, I couldn't even look at the Beagles on TV without getting angry, even writing about it now is raising my blood pressure.

I don't understand how the other mergers are successful. I have no respect for those supporters, they just let it happen. An honourable death would be preferable IMO.

I used to go down to Brooky on a Saturday to watch PL when Norths PL were supporting the NE's at Gosford.
Me & about three other "real" supporters were the only sad figures on the hill mostly.

 

[Kiwi Eagle]

yep that was Ferris

great try that was

Round 22
Sunday 11 August 2002: Saints 18 - Northern Eagles 20
Aussie Stadium (SFS) Ref: Tim Mander
SOTV Man of the match: Jason Ryles / Mark Riddell
Article - click here
Match pics - click here
Saints: 1. Jason Kent, 2. Lee Hookey, 3. Mark Gasnier, 4. Shaun Timmins, 5. Matt Cooper, 6. Trent Barrett (c), 7. Ben Hornby, 13. Brent Kite, 11. Justin Smith, 19. Lance Thompson, 8. Luke Bailey, 9. Mark Riddell, 10. Jason Ryles. Interchange: 14. Chris Leikvoll, 15. Jason Hooper, 16. Shane Millard, 23. Willie Peters
Northern Eagles: Reeves, Miles, Torrens, MacDougall, Hopoate, Williamson, Ferris, Menzies (c), Shipway, Kosef, King, Goddard, Long. Interchange: Kaufusi, Lima, Watmough, Dorn

Cheers, so there were some good memories from that time then

 

[SilentBob]

I thought Kimmorley was a great signing at the time, he was THE halfback back then, keeping Johns out of the 7 in rep sides for a while.

I wasn't a huge NE fan, never went to the games or bought any merchandise, just supported them through the TV, and yeah the forum back then made this one seem like a pleasant holiday.

The first game back at Brookie against the Warriors after Manly gained control was sweet.

 

[byso]

Does anyone think that Manly board went into that merger knowing it wouldn't last.

I still vividly recall Fulton and Arko convincing everyone the merge was needed. Then within months they bagged it.

The whole thing was very smelly imo.

 

[Canteen Worker]

Does anyone think that Manly board went into that merger knowing it wouldn't last.

I still vividly recall Fulton and Arko convincing everyone the merge was needed. Then within months they bagged it.

The whole thing was very smelly imo.

We were in danger of extinction and were broke as us and the Roosters basically had all the players from Superleague war. We were obvious candidates for a merger but the problem of the two cultures (winners and losers) merging was underestimated as was the dark forces that undermined as they feared that NE was a Manly front.

 

[Nutzcraw]

I supported Norths before the merger... I was also gutted.

I still followed the Northern Eagles during the time and that's where I really grew a great love for Steve Menzies! I always knew he was a champion but supporting the team he was in was excellent.

To me, the Northern Eagles was basically Manly. I always had a feeling that I was following Manly from the get go. As a bears supporter it was basically you have the bears and then you had nothing.

From what I gather from those that followed Manly pre NE days.. you had a team.. they picked up another club to help pay bills then Manly was back.

It never felt like that as a Bears supporter.. the day NE started the Bears were dead and buried and I guess I just adapted to it. I enjoyed watching the old bears players play for NE and then I started to take notice of all these other players like menzies, kosef and tooves and then when Manly went on their own it just felt right to support them.

It's hard to explain.

Re: Kimmorley, I can't even really remember :lol: I was about 12 years old I spose. I guess I would have been excited.

I'd probably be more excited if he came over now 😉

 

[Duff]

Trust me Nutz, as a Manly supporter it felt nothing like Manly. We were dead for 2 & a half years.
I still maintain that we along with Norths, Balmain & Wests should've joined Souths in their campaign. The merge never stopped us from going broke, Max did. It actually put us in a worse financial state as we took on a portion of Norths debts as I remember.

I saw the red & black on the jersey as an insult to my integrity as I'm sure many Norths supporters saw the maroon & the Eagle.

I don't understand where you're coming from Nutz, players come & go but the club should outlive all of us.
This still feels to me that in some way we are supporting Manly2, much like the Gold Coast.

 

[Nutzcraw]

Well obviously now.. I've looked into the history of Manly etc and I will always now support the club.

I was saying that supporting those players made it alot easier to just do the done thing and support Manly. I don't know if I would enjoy footy as much if I didn't support a team.

 

[Corso_Pete]

Does anyone think that Manly board went into that merger knowing it wouldn't last.

I still vividly recall Fulton and Arko convincing everyone the merge was needed. Then within months they bagged it.

The whole thing was very smelly imo.

Arthuson was and will always be remembered as one of the games greatest administrators. He convinced Manly fans that the merger was essential for the survival of Manly in any shape or form. Members were told we simply had no choice but to accept the merger.

Then as you correctly say almost immediatley the back room fighting began, it was akin to the Hatfield's and McCoy's fueds. The merger was doomed to failure the day the marriage certificate was signed.

Then, what was not publicised at the time was the fact that whilst the NE was essentially a joint venture its one true asset was the fact that the licence to play NRL held football was actually held, not by the joint venture but the MWRLFL. Like all bad marriages the fighting became worse, the accusations more personal and the partnership went from bad to worse.

Then out of the blue comes the fact that the NRL licence was held by Manly and next thing you know half way through the season all games are returned to Brookvale, the JV effectivley killed off and at the start of the following season Manly returns.

Was the whole venture a conspiracy to finally rid the world of the Bears?, I don't know and personally hope that it wasn't, but where there is smoke there is usually fire and for a man as astute as Ken Arthurson to have recommended the effective death of his beloved Manly, only for it to resurrect itself just 2 1/2 years later does have have an element of cyncism about it.

 

[DSM5]

I loved the way we killed of the useless bears. One of the proudest moments in rugby league history. We did what the ARL had wanted to do for 70 years, but didn't have the guts. As well, we wouldn't have needed to JV if we had of taken huge cash from Murdoch in the first place, but then again burying the bears was a better outcome.

 

[byso]

That’s the point, I wonder if the club was on death's door. Was the JV just used to get some of the cash back from SL war?

While prolonging Norths pain 🙂

 

[Corso_Pete]

The club was experiencing immense financial pain follwoing the Super League war and the exorbitant salaries that were paid at that time.

The NRL were offering, I think $7m to any clubs that merged and that carrot was to much for Manly to ignore. The unknown factor was if Arthurson knew that the JV would not survive, and being the holder of the NRL licence Manly would eventually return to the NRL on its merits.

For mine, Arthurson was a very very astute administrator who loved Manly with a passion and as any Manly supporter knows there was no better feeling than beating the Bears. Maybe Arthuson had got bored with beating them on the football field and decided he would crash tackle them with the might of Randall (T), Gillespie, Roberts, Menzies and Jason King combined and put them out of their miserable existence permanently!

 

[CliffyIsGod]

The one thing I miss is Nigel Roy on the wing. What a class act.

 

[Garts]

I supported the NE but not like I did previously with Manly. I went to a few games each season but it was not the same being married to Norths, thank fark that is over!!!!

If Manly got the boot, there is no chance I would have supported Norths. I would not have supported anyone and probably would have lost interest in the game for a little bit.

 

[Crushercleal]

Yeah thinking about it now i also hated those f'n Northern Eagles 🙂