Huge reality check

[winnyason]

Well very numb like most with tom injury but thats footy. My hope was for these boys to win finals game. Injury is now killing us.
However for us to take that next step to elite our centres need to change.
Suli was exposed alot last night and parker may try but that only gets you so far.
Walker has to go back to centres on his preferred side with elliot and or young hopa as option.
We won't win a comp with suli and parker in centres.
Cust must be persisted with at 6 for 2020.

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

I agree it was a reality check.
But our centres didn't cost us the game last night.
Storm dominated us by dominating the ruck, laying on our blokes for ages in the tackle, without getting penalised. They were good enough to dominate possession and field position on the back of that and we spent all first half hanging on desperately. Our try near half-time showed what we can do if we had the ball and some field position. In the second half we were poor, but the Storm pressure was the cause of that. Down in reserves and tackling all night, we had bugger all left and kept making errors by then.

 

[BOZO]

Walker is our most Dynamic centre

Without Dylan we have no X factor in the centres

. Suli and Parker on their day hold their own . They will score tries close to the line but do not have dynamic acceleration and top speed to run away with the game with run away tries and are limited .

Our best and most explosive centre is playing out of position

 

[davohan123]

Walker is our most Dynamic centre

Without Dylan we have no X factor in the centres

. Suli and Parker on their day hold their own . They will score tries close to the line but do not have dynamic acceleration and top speed to run away with the game with run away tries and are limited .

Our best and most explosive centre is playing out of position

Wrong thread about this discussion try again
But agree with your views on our centres

 

[sheridanstand78]

We got schooled in wet weather football, their game plan was simple, dominate and control the ruck relying on weak refereeing to do this! Then play the percentages. I think we spend 80 percent of the game in our own half. Manly were not prepared to grind it out. get field position and wait for the drizzle to tire. Four tries down Suli's side and they exploited his defence in a big way. I think that Dylan should go out there as he will tighten things up. Devastating to lose Tommy, it was so innocuous too, Everyone pretty much will write us off and this is the time to get about our business. We need to rest anyone next week who is not 100 percent and be ready for our home knock out final in week 1. Top 4 is still a chance but the differential to the vermin is 30 plus now. Very expensive night last night!

 

[BOZO]

I agree it was a reality check.
But our centres didn't cost us the game last night.
Storm dominated us by dominating the ruck, laying on our blokes for ages in the tackle, without getting penalised. They were good enough to dominate possession and field position on the back of that and we spent all first half hanging on desperately. Our try near half-time showed what we can do if we had the ball and some field position. In the second half we were poor, but the Storm pressure was the cause of that. Down in reserves and tackling all night, we had bugger all left and kept making errors by then.

I agree . It would be unfair to say any single player cost us the game yesterday as the Manly machine misfired on all cylinders

Sure the Storm played well but we were no resistance as we could not complete and once that happens you cant compete

Hasler said in the presser that our team was down in all the stats that matter and make a difference in a game .

It was just one of those days where everything that can go wrong did

 

[BOZO]

Wrong thread about this discussion try again
But agree with your views on our centres

True mate but that is a reality check in itself

 

[Simonmyers11]

Dont need an awesome explosive attacking centre, we have plenty of attack build around ruck speed and off loads, and Tom at the back.

Just need centres that can read defence, tackle and run good lines.

Suli is great with the ball, but can be found wanting in defence. Parker is a good defender, but nothing special in attack.

Walker can be found out in defence just as much as suli, if not more?

Elliot was as good as any of the above at centre as well by no world beater!

 

[Woodsie]

In the same way that I don't read too much into a big win .... I don't read too much into a big loss .... last night was just one of those games where God showed he has a sense of humour .... dropping the ball at least 5 times on the first tackle contributed to our loss as much as ruck control ... it was just not our night ... and totally ****ed up beyond all repair ....

... and for the people bagging Parker .... he played wing last night ... not centre ....

... the only worry I took out of last night is the loss of Tom ...

 

[Nambawan]

Well very numb like most with tom injury but thats footy. My hope was for these boys to win finals game. Injury is now killing us.
However for us to take that next step to elite our centres need to change.
Suli was exposed alot last night and parker may try but that only gets you so far.
Walker has to go back to centres on his preferred side with elliot and or young hopa as option.
We won't win a comp with suli and parker in centres.
Cust must be persisted with at 6 for 2020.

The side was certainly disrupted due to injuries. However, the overall performance was poor. In the second half Taufua's play collapsed under pressure. Not unusual for him. His basic lack of speed makes him a permanent high level risk for Manly.

 

[Sheikheagle]

Dont need an awesome explosive attacking centre, we have plenty of attack build around ruck speed and off loads, and Tom at the back.

Just need centres that can read defence, tackle and run good lines.

Suli is great with the ball, but can be found wanting in defence. Parker is a good defender, but nothing special in attack.

Walker can be found out in defence just as much as suli, if not more?

Elliot was as good as any of the above at centre as well by no world beater!

I agree the suggestion of moving walker back to the centres to stiffen up the defence is ludicrous. He is a turnstile.

 

[susan]

Parker now tends to be overrated as much as he was underrated under Barrett due to the fact he has improved so much under Des.

He gets the job done and is a decent option but a Suli/Parker combo won’t cut it at the pointy end of a season. Both have done a good job this year but looking forward to seeing Hoppa/ Funa getting a crack next year. Would like to see Suli on a wing . Good news is we have options within the club.

 

[BOZO]

Dont need an awesome explosive attacking centre, we have plenty of attack build around ruck speed and off loads, and Tom at the back.

Just need centres that can read defence, tackle and run good lines.

Suli is great with the ball, but can be found wanting in defence. Parker is a good defender, but nothing special in attack.

Walker can be found out in defence just as much as suli, if not more?

Elliot was as good as any of the above at centre as well by no world beater!

""Dont need an awesome explosive attacking centre, we have plenty of attack build around ruck speed and off loads, and Tom at the back.""""???

Tom at the back ??? Without dynamic centes we heavily rely on Tom at the back

What happens when Tom is not at the back ?

What happens when Tom has an off day ?

What happens when other teams can shut down Tom ?

We all have our opinion and mine is the more trike weapons the merrier and Dylan is the only Strike centre we have

 

[Simonmyers11]

Plenty of options. Funa looks to be impressive, very athletic. Young hoppa if stays injury free and develops under dez will be phenomenonal, he is a natural gifted outside back, then we have Ben turbo who could be the best of the lot, now he is special - big, strong big motor, can defend and score tries! Hoping we re-sign schuster he is amazing talent too and of course faniu younger brother who is a prop is said to be every good as faniu.

 

[maxta]

Agree 100% with SER8's accurate observation.

Personally watching this go on and was awaiting the Brookie "Advantage" where the penalty could and should have been awarded just about EVERY tackle early on...but Nothing.
Then I thought - "Well Manly have to shoulder some blame as they are not adapting to a very lenient ruck with the refs - Give it back"
Then as I watch Manly start to attempt similar tactics the whistle comes out.....penalty Storm for half the offence....I was pretty filthy.
It was like a horror show as Manly then went from this confident side that was building for something special, into a broken down rabble, full of errors and uncertainty and missing Tom T the X factor to top it off.
They actually tried hard and were outplayed in every way, but those early exchanges showed we still have a way to go....as an example the 2006 Manly side that was building well would have buckled pretty much the same way, yet the 2008 side had grown into a side that could absorb that type of pressure, bad calls and still hang in and come out on top....this game showed we are still a fair way off the pace, but in 1 -2 years will be better for it.

 

[Terry Zarsoff]

Whatever happened to commas and fullstops?

 

[Woodsie]

I can't believe that some people actually think our problem last night was the fault of a couple backs .... I am gaining an appreciation of how the flat Earth movement developed ...

 

[Cioran]

Last night showed us how far we are behind the top teams. Before you reach for your guns let me expand on that. We had a lot of damaging injuries. One centre returning from a lay off and the other carrying an injury from last week. Our pack leader out and our star player gone in the opening minutes. A dry weather game plan in driving rain. Referees who found a convenient penalty to get the Storm rolling again when ever we had them trapped. All of that. But the NRL want their super teams. They want Manchester United and Man City and Chelsea. For the super teams to be super teams you also need your Aston Villa and your Christal Palace. You need the canon fodder that make the super teams look super. The NRL have ordained The Storm, the Roosters and the Broncos as super teams and they will hand them every advantage to keep them at the top. Last night we saw a team with no salary cap, that was allowed to tell the referees how they wanted to play the game, and and that has the sort of background resources and multiple feeder team structure that allows them to have several potential stars coming through for every position, play against a suburban team that had been very deliberately hamstrung by the NRL administration. I will keep supporting our own little Aston Villa as long as they are in the comp but it will take the direct intervention of a god to get us to the top. Unfortunately God fights on the side with the side with the best artillery.

 

[Simonmyers11]

""Dont need an awesome explosive attacking centre, we have plenty of attack build around ruck speed and off loads, and Tom at the back.""""???

Tom at the back ??? Without dynamic centes we heavily rely on Tom at the back

What happens when Tom is not at the back ?

What happens when Tom has an off day ?

What happens when other teams can shut down Tom ?

We all have our opinion and mine is the more trike weapons the merrier and Dylan is the only Strike centre we have

Your kidding, when has tom gone off or the forwards not been getting quick play the balls and off loads or faniu not on the field, or dce having an off day that Dylan is the x factor playing at centre can win us the match?!?

Dylan is a good player, but doesn't do anything special at centre. He doesn't create anything at centre, he runs side ways more at centre and straighter at 5/8. He is a turnstile playing centre, but comfortable at 5/8.

We dont need him in the centre to be the x factor, because he played there most of the year and last year and was avg.

Centres look good when they get early ball, but need the forwards going forward. He can still get good early ball and run like a centre playing 5/8, only one position in, and faniu has gone to first receiver and dylan outside him during the match.

I just want strong defenders, and ball carriers in the centres.

Anyway, i think we have amazing outside back prospects coming through with funa, hoppa and ben turbo

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

Agree 100% with SER8's accurate observation.

haha I've been waiting for such a comment for 10 years, thank you!!