Harper, Schuster & Olakau'atu

[davohan123]

Learning curve for all 3. Manly lost all 3 finals matches played over 2005-2006 before that side came good from 2007 onwards

After some of my posts tonight's you make a sound point. It just Hurts tonight having to watch how we performed.

The thing which is getting me through it in a few years if and when we click in the finals and some of our boys having the finals experiences will be a joyous occasion.. you can see this hopefully tonight being the making of our few of our young men.. learning the hard way.

 

[Keffola]

Can't disagree with that mate. and remember, we've been going 3 wins, 1 loss, 3 wins, 1 loss.

Happy for that to continue from here hahaha

My dream scenario is now parra get to beat the storm a 3rd time this year, we scrape by the panthers, and then we go on to beat parra 50-0 in the grand final.

 

[The Who]

If only the lotto numbers were as easy to pick as Suli defensive reads, or lack of

Agreed. He is poor in defence, but so was Harpo tonight. We have no choice other than to give Suli a chance. He is a big body and can cause damage. We need something and he's the only reserve likely to have an impact.

 

[davohan123]

Hard for the young guys to stand up and shine when your more experienced club leaders are missing in action and playing panicky football. If they see control and composure around them then they probably respond. Tonight looked like every man for himself, smacked of "can someone do something please....like NOW !!! " No structure, no kicking game, no control of the game and no idea how to wrest momentum back. Just descended into lower and lower percentage plays as we got more desperate. DCE, Foz and Turbo all MIA - very disappointing. Even Marty and Jake didn't stand up in the middle and drag the young bucks with them. We got a lesson and a big wake up call on how we are actually travelling. Look at our record against top 4 sides this season. It's ordinary because we aren't quite there against the teams that can defend and play up tempo footy.

They'll learn from this, its good experience for next year for the young guys.

Well said.
Give us a year or 2 and I think we go close to a GF.
Huge learning curve tonight and can only help us in the future. There is a footy team there just not quiet yet the finished package yet.

 

[eadie fan]

Definitely not me. If Suli played tonight, it would have been worse defensively.

Pigs arse!!

 

[Chip and Chase]

I've read years of excuses on here how our gun players can't shine because our forward pack doesn't dominate, or we don't have a quality hooker, or we don't have another kicking option, or they are too easily targetted by the defence or some other reason. Well tonight we got schooled because of all that and more, and I'm not hearing any of the those excuses for these young guys. Bellamy is no fool - he knows where all our attack comes from and he shut Turbo down cold. The forwards got owned and our halves were clueless. We had no plan B

But here we are blaming a couple of rookies for that performance. DCE was in headless chook mode from play one. He threw both of those passes that Harper dropped.They weren't the greatest passes if we are being honest. He rushed up on Papenhuyzen and let him through. He then went for more and more miracle plays, 40-20's, flick passes to no one .... the list goes on. Was Foran even out there ?? Barely sighted. Couldn't get Schuster in the game and didn't straighten the attack enough to utilise Tommy effectively. Did he kick a ball in anger tonight ?? Worst game for months. Tom is bloody good but we couldn't get him any decent ball tonight and against sides that can defend and are allowed to be a skinny 10 and slow down the roll on he struggles. He isn't a miracle worker, but his workrate and effort was down. Kapow and Jake should be setting the bar for Paseka, Keppie, Aloiai - showing them we won't be bullied. Melbourne dominated the ruck tonight and blew us away in just about every stat.

Funny how the young boys were the ones firing up at the end though, good to see some passion there. Where was that from the so called leadership group.

We got a pretty good indication on where we sit in the scheme of things. Until we can play controlled, low error, up tempo footy and match Penrith and Melbourne in the middle for intensity then we are on the next rung down from them. We will be lucky to get past next week let alone a prelim against Penrith unless we learn some big lessons from tonight. Some of these older players need to step up big time. If they want a premiership then they only have a very small window to make it happen. Starts next week.... there is oodles of talent in this team but we need to earn the right to use it by playing solid baseline footy first.

 

[EOL now nesting on the GC]

That was a woeful game from Harper, very poor.

I am not sure if you can play Guaca and Suli on the same side, Suli needs to be in the 13 along with Guaca, Harper needs a rest and maybe Start with Keppie in the backrow and Schuster on the bench.

They do look like they have lost the hunger somewhat.

Again the myth that is Suli. In 3 years he's had what? 6 good games? Is there a magic dust in the air that makes you forget that?
Suli has been a whipping boy favorite round here since he started with us and now he's some urban legend Jamie lyon love child thats going to solve all our problems?

 

[Mal Cochrane]

I dont really see how anyone could play Tommy into the game tonight, he was just not there

 

[Dion Johnson]

Again the myth that is Suli. In 3 years he's had what? 6 good games? Is there a magic dust in the air that makes you forget that?

Suli has been a whipping boy favorite round here since he started with us and now he's some urban legend Jamie lyon love child thats going to solve all our problems

For me can only call it as I see it, the last few games Suli has played he has been a menace for the opposition’s defence, from a game plan perspective as you witnessed today you need as many attacking options as you can get against quality coached teams.

Bellamy targeted Harper and unfortunately that cost the team with points scored.

Can’t put all the attack down to a few players.

On the last few weeks I would have Suli in the 13.. Just which side of the field for me.

 

[Remy]

I agree with ur points, it's the inexperience and the rawness of it all. They are all young players and it looks like the long season is taking a toll on them. Schuster's second half of the season has kind of disappointed me, he just doesn't get as involved and has defensive lapses in him. Ola has been amazing all year but he doesn't get enough ball in good opportunity for him to do what he's good at. Harper's been consistent and great throughout the season, he's had his worst game of probably his career in a night where nothing went right for him. He will bounce back.

We got a young core in our club that has so much potential and are so dangerous but need polishing and experience before we are ready to trump the big dawgs of the comp in the big games.

 

[HK_Eagle]

I agree with ur points, it's the inexperience and the rawness of it all. They are all young players and it looks like the long season is taking a toll on them. Schuster's second half of the season has kind of disappointed me, he just doesn't get as involved and has defensive lapses in him. Ola has been amazing all year but he doesn't get enough ball in good opportunity for him to do what he's good at. Harper's been consistent and great throughout the season, he's had his worst game of probably his career in a night where nothing went right for him. He will bounce back.

We got a young core in our club that has so much potential and are so dangerous but need polishing and experience before we are ready to trump the big dawgs of the comp in the big games.

This. Why the farrrk is DCE passing to a flat-footed Ola? Why is Ola not trained and drilled to be running from deep on hard straight lines??? That's his strength. Like NAS, Fafita, et al, nobody is going to stop him in that scenario close to the line, and will suck in multiple defenders to open up opportunities for others too.

 

[Remy]

This. Why the farrrk is DCE passing to a flat-footed Ola? Why is Ola not trained and drilled to be running from deep on hard straight lines??? That's his strength. Like NAS, Fafita, et al, nobody is going to stop him in that scenario close to the line, and will suck in multiple defenders to open up opportunities for others too.

Yes u look at some of his best moments this year, he's always running onto the ball hard in a great line, but there are so many times this year where he gets the ball flat-footed and tries breaking tackles in slow motion. He is such an attacking weapon that needs to be used right.

 

[HK_Eagle]

Yes u look at some of his best moments this year, he's always running onto the ball hard in a great line, but there are so many times this year where he gets the ball flat-footed and tries breaking tackles in slow motion. He is such an attacking weapon that needs to be used right.

I assume it's due to the improvised attacking style we have adopted this year. There is no reliable structures and much more ad lib play. Spectacular against garbage teams during the regular season, but cannon fodder for a Bellamy in finals

 

[Brisbane Tragic]

Keppie starts for me every day of the week! Especially in the semis. We needed him out there earlier.

I thought he would start for sure to put some hits on. We needed some mongrel early and Aloiai Jake and Keppie are three mongrel dogs.

 

[Brisbane Tragic]

Yes u look at some of his best moments this year, he's always running onto the ball hard in a great line, but there are so many times this year where he gets the ball flat-footed and tries breaking tackles in slow motion. He is such an attacking weapon that needs to be used right.

People on here the other day defending his flat footedness and lack of energy with the carry as some sort of tactic to beat the defence. Seriously??? Come in on the long run at pace and hit a hole - that will always get more yardage than standing still and then trying to bully people. At least Fifita that heartless flat track bully understands that. Anyway - only one night - we go again next week!

 

[Hibyemama]

we missed the control of Lachlan croker

 

[Ron E. Gibbs]

We played like busteds, but the young blokes - even Harper - were the least of our problems. No composure, no leadership out there. We did everything we could to hand Melbourne the game.

 

[winnyason]

It's there for all to see.
Who got personal first?....it says a lot about you.

Own it.

Haha who the **** do you think you are ? Get over yourself your not that important

 

[manlyfan76]

I'm confident for next week.

 

[George Rose's Butcher]

Not me the complete opposite we won't go close next week.

Against the broken roosters? Or the titans who just scrapped in the 8? We will cream either of them