I see Top 4 and expect it

[maxta]

This side not only has potential, but key players everywhere
This is gunna be a great season and I'm not usually game to come on here and claim it if not
Brace yourself for nothing less than a Top 4 finish
From Finals..... it's anyone's
But I reckon we are starting in a great position 💯 🙌

 

[Dion Johnson]

I hope you are on the money @maxta would be great to get a home finals game.

I think we are short of a dominant middle, but hold hopes that Tent can have a breakout season and become the most dominant front rower in the game and Sipley goes to another level both defensively and fitness wise, think those two on paper look like the main meter eaters.

Would have liked another edge forward, though hold hopes on Ben T being better prepared for the position with a good offseason and the potential in Zane Dunford with a full offseason under him after missing out with injury last offseason.

Hopefully no long term injuries that jeopardise the squad in building on last season, I expect a similar type of attacking approach to games this season as it looks the strength of the squad.

 

[maxta]

I hope you are on the money @maxta would be great to get a home finals game.

I think we are short of a dominant middle, but hold hopes that Tent can have a breakout season and become the most dominant front rower in the game and Sipley goes to another level both defensively and fitness wise, think those two on paper look like the main meter eaters.

Would have liked another edge forward, though hold hopes on Ben T being better prepared for the position with a good offseason and the potential in Zane Dunford with a full offseason under him after missing out with injury last offseason.

Hopefully no long term injuries that jeopardise the squad in building on last season, I expect a similar type of attacking approach to games this season as it looks the strength of the squad.

Great summary as always Dion....plenty' of valid points and if we get that dummy half service and right edge con point....who knows ??

 

[IQofalimabean]

Our defense doesn't hold up
2023 539 points against
2024 521

the worst defensive top 4 team over the last 2 seasons leaked 463 points so Manly has to dramatically improve their defense.

 

[BOZO]

This side not only has potential, but key players everywhere
This is gunna be a great season and I'm not usually game to come on here and claim it if not
Brace yourself for nothing less than a Top 4 finish
From Finals..... it's anyone's
But I reckon we are starting in a great position 💯 🙌

I agree feathered friend
The Potential is there . We have enough Stars to light up the Finals and it will be What Seibold does with it
Anything but a Top 4 Finish and it will be a failure
The only way up for Manly is not going backwards

Can you imagine how another Netflix Manly Way series in 2026 will go down with the fans if we go backwards this season?
Going Backwards is not The Manly Way

Pressure at Manly is a Privilege and it only comes to those who earn it !
No Pressure No Premiership Winning Rings

 

[BOZO]

You don't pat people in the back that fail at Manly
You kick them up he Arse
We do not want to Endorse and Inspire a new culture of Losers
We want our Decade of Premiership Winning Decline to End Once and for All

There is no Place for Good Losers at Manly
At Manly Winning is The Manly Way

 

[BOZO]

Our defense doesn't hold up
2023 539 points against
2024 521
the worst defensive top 4 team over the last 2 seasons leaked 463 points so Manly has to dramatically improve their defense.

Never fear feathered friend
At Manly we have Defence Covered

Defence the main focus for Seibold....

Manly Warringah Coach Trent Barrett is hoping the experience Anthony Seibold gained from working under Craig Bellamy will pay dividends in 2016.
Barrett said Seibold will play a vital role in the team’s defensive structure.
“Anthony is doing the defence. I was very selective in choosing who I wanted to be my assistants and one thing I wanted was for someone to come out of a system that was very strong defensively,’’ Barrett said.
“He has been in the Melbourne system for four years. He is very confident with the contact work and he has got some really good philosophies with what he does.

Manly has gone Back to the Future again

 

[Dion Johnson]

No doubt defence needs improvement, though for me it’s eradicating the errors and discipline that lead to fatigue that has been the main cause of defensive lapses.

Fatigue can compromise a player's reaction time and physical ability to execute tackles effectively, especially in the later stages of a game.

The communication and positioning they will have been working on during the off-season and with another offseason together this should improve.

 

[BOZO]

No doubt defence needs improvement, though for me it’s eradicating the errors and discipline that lead to fatigue that has been the main cause of defensive lapses.

Fatigue can compromise a player's reaction time and physical ability to execute tackles effectively, especially in the later stages of a game.

The communication and positioning they will have been working on during the off-season and with another offseason together this should improve.

Your Key word from your post feathered friend is
We should improve and move on from all the excuses
The Decade Era of Premiership Winning Decline must End

 

[Uk eagle]

Our defense doesn't hold up
2023 539 points against
2024 521

the worst defensive top 4 team over the last 2 seasons leaked 463 points so Manly has to dramatically improve their defense.

2.5 points per game is more of a tweak than a dramatic improvement

 

[Rosko]

I see critical weaknesses in several positions, and above all - defence.
Hope you're right and I'm wrong @maxta!

 

[Waz13]

will be the same old story. Tom stays fit and plays 17 plus games and we are always a big show. Like every year the fingers and toes are crossed he will.

I think we seriously need to look at a transition in the 9 this year.

I quite like the fact we’ve held a lot of stability in our main 17 this off season. Im confident we can improve.

 

[BOZO]

I see critical weaknesses in several positions, and above all - defence.
Hope you're right and I'm wrong @maxta!

What ever weaknesses we have are Compensated by the Champions we also have in the team
We have Elite Leaders and Match Winners that can dominate games
The Ballance of Power is there feathered friend .

 

[Woodsie]

Our defense doesn't hold up
2023 539 points against
2024 521

the worst defensive top 4 team over the last 2 seasons leaked 463 points so Manly has to dramatically improve their defense.

So ... we have to improve our defence by 2 points per game ... hardly a dramatic improvement ... and one conceivably achievable.

 

[Stuey Davis’s Socks]

2.5 points per game is more of a tweak than a dramatic improvement

Yep, when I think of dramatic defence improvements you can’t go past the Dogs:

PA 2023 769
PA 2024 433

336 point improvement or 12.44 points per game.

No wonder they shot up the ladder last year. Hats off to Ciraldo.

 

[The Who]

Currently I see the top clubs being:
Melbourne
Penrith
then a few 'maybes': Souths, Manly, Brisbane, Cronulla, Easts...

 

[bob dylan]

I am in the "kind of agree with the opening post" category.

We have a window of opportunity for sure.

Can we we beat the Storm and Panthers highly doubtful without a lot of luck.

We needed Damien Cook at 9 and our 6 is also a question mark.

Defensively, teams like the Dogs and the Sharks were in a different league to us in 2024.

2025 is the best, and maybe the last, chance for a good few years of doing something.

Can we finish top 4. Yes for sure.

Do i expect to finish top 4, kind of.

Could we miss the 8, yes but that would be a blown season.

I think a par season would be 3rd 4th or 5th.

 

[DUFFMAN]

We need an attitude change.
I don't know why we can beat top 8 sides but then get embarrassed by the bottom 4 teams.
We could have finished in the top 4 for in 2024 if we won a few of those games, some of those games were embarrassing.

 

[Sea Eagle 4 Life]

Never fear feathered friend
At Manly we have Defence Covered

​

Defence the main focus for Seibold....​

​

Manly Warringah Coach Trent Barrett is hoping the experience Anthony Seibold gained from working under Craig Bellamy will pay dividends in 2016.​

Barrett said Seibold will play a vital role in the team’s defensive structure.​

“Anthony is doing the defence. I was very selective in choosing who I wanted to be my assistants and one thing I wanted was for someone to come out of a system that was very strong defensively,’’ Barrett said.​

“He has been in the Melbourne system for four years. He is very confident with the contact work and he has got some really good philosophies with what he does.​

​

Manly has gone Back to the Future again​

View attachment 29141​

What would Barrett know.

 

[Sea Eagle 4 Life]

FYI - The Daily Telegraph had a prediction on where each team will be after 6 rounds. It had Broncos underfeated & Manly 3-3.