Depends when he would be available. 3 weeks before the finals, I'd play him off the bench. Week 1 of the finals not worth the disruption to the squad. If Froggy happened to get injured and he was available it'd be an easy choice regardless of timing.
Manase Fainu
- Thread starter Sir Pigman
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It’s all about managing humans and ensuring that team harmony and performance is maximised. On this basis, there is no way a young buck who has been out for 2 years on serious criminal charges comes in and displaces a guy who has been there all season, had a break out year and holds the middle defensively.
In my view, it a sends the wrong message and in any event I’m not convinced Manase would be up to it defensively yet. This is my major concern. Our middle is strong defensively - why change or risk that?
Croker has performed and deserves to start for the rest of the year. Next year is a different story.
In my view, it a sends the wrong message and in any event I’m not convinced Manase would be up to it defensively yet. This is my major concern. Our middle is strong defensively - why change or risk that?
Croker has performed and deserves to start for the rest of the year. Next year is a different story.
40 years an eagle
Bencher
Fair enough..to each their own mate.
Whether or not it's a mute point is a moot point.
Hahaha got me
Bearfax
Grizzly old fart
I think if Fainu's case is dismissed he'll he brought back slowly. Leave Croker at hooker and have Fainu as 14 for the time being I would suspect. Given Croker has settled in well and is now giving good service, Des may not want to risk unsettling the team fluidity by a change of such an important position...at least not straight away
Pittwater Legend
We brought back Geoff Toovey!
Manase’s form in 2019 was so great, to the point that I thought he could potentially become our club’s best ever hooker one day. I still rate him very highly but don’t think we should look to bring him back this year. The team has flourished with Croker at 9 and if all of our stars fire while he keeps doing what he is doing, we will be a decent chance at winning the comp this year
Shoe1
Journey Man
Especially the puns
He needs a full preseason before coming back in, and he needs to work hard to regain that spot over the preseason. As talented as he is he shouldn't just be given the nine spot this season. That's a really bad message in terms of team dynamic and club culture. A few games in Blacktown at the end of the season might give him some much needed humility as well.
All depends on his comeback through Blacktown. Croker has been fantastic this year and he is doing a great job but Manase can sniff half a gap and open up a defence. Not only that he is always on the hip of a fwd looking for an offload. Potentially an x factor that teams have not got footage of to study/plan for.
If available he is a must in the side even if it's off the bench
If available he is a must in the side even if it's off the bench
Why a full pre-season, he has been training with the squad
Nordburg
Bencher
TomT has been carving up running off DCE and Foran out wide,imagine adding him running off Fainu through the middle of the ruck.We haven’t seen it in a very long time,but imagine what this team is capable of if it ever gets to full strength
Yes he has been training with the squad but he has also been through the following, depression, anxiety, three reconstructions on his shoulder, a golden staph infection and 28 days in rehab for valium and painkiller dependency. He is also still facing a major court case, which could be career ending, let alone the implications of two to five in jail. On balance I think a full preseason would be the ideal way to come back into the team, and would go along way to restoring his physical state (injury rehab) and mental balance as well.
ManlyTragic
Bencher
Man arse
ManlyTragic
Bencher
Gees if that was me I would take a couple of Panadols and have a good lie down!
just sayin’
The team is performing so well, albeit against lower teams on the ladder lately, that I think Des is giving players time to be totally fit at the right end of the season and to bring them back when they are 100% fit, not just 80-90%.
I suggested (a few years ago) that Manly would win in 2021 and then at the beginning of this year it was WTF and that they wouldn’t win until 2023, even as lately as a month ago.
As Rex Mossop would say, “Let me recalcitrate (no such word) back to what I said previously”
I may need to revert to my original prediction.
Just listening to how the players speak says so much about the mentality of the team, the confidence they have in each other and the desire and awareness of potentially what lies ahead, without getting ahead of themselves.
They just seem so balanced now, maybe relaxed with each other and confident in each person doing their job and focused on each other.
I saw it with Turbo when he gave unfortunately a try that was disallowed to Burbo and then when Saab apologised for not giving his last try to Burbo. They are a team!
I listened to the Marty Tapau interview and just thought ‘wow’, yep, they are a team.
If we have minimal injuries, we are going to give this comp a big ‘shake up’ and other teams in the Top 4 will be very concerned.
I suggested (a few years ago) that Manly would win in 2021 and then at the beginning of this year it was WTF and that they wouldn’t win until 2023, even as lately as a month ago.
As Rex Mossop would say, “Let me recalcitrate (no such word) back to what I said previously”
I may need to revert to my original prediction.
Just listening to how the players speak says so much about the mentality of the team, the confidence they have in each other and the desire and awareness of potentially what lies ahead, without getting ahead of themselves.
They just seem so balanced now, maybe relaxed with each other and confident in each person doing their job and focused on each other.
I saw it with Turbo when he gave unfortunately a try that was disallowed to Burbo and then when Saab apologised for not giving his last try to Burbo. They are a team!
I listened to the Marty Tapau interview and just thought ‘wow’, yep, they are a team.
If we have minimal injuries, we are going to give this comp a big ‘shake up’ and other teams in the Top 4 will be very concerned.
eagleron
Bencher
19 days and counting
| Team | P | W | L | PD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
7 | 6 | 1 | 99 | 14 |
|
7 | 6 | 1 | 54 | 14 |
|
7 | 5 | 2 | 36 | 12 |
|
8 | 5 | 2 | 39 | 11 |
|
8 | 5 | 3 | 64 | 10 |
|
7 | 4 | 3 | 49 | 10 |
|
8 | 4 | 4 | 73 | 8 |
|
7 | 3 | 4 | 17 | 8 |
|
8 | 4 | 4 | -14 | 8 |
|
8 | 4 | 4 | -16 | 8 |
|
8 | 4 | 4 | -60 | 8 |
|
8 | 3 | 4 | 17 | 7 |
|
8 | 3 | 5 | -25 | 6 |
|
7 | 2 | 5 | -55 | 6 |
|
8 | 3 | 5 | -55 | 6 |
|
7 | 1 | 6 | -87 | 4 |
|
7 | 1 | 6 | -136 | 4 |
