Manase Fainu

[Will on the hill]

I would be interested in how many on here would look to drop MF in as soon as case is done if found not guilty? We are humming along at the moment with Croker in there and im concerned MF may disrupt that flow this year given his time out of the game.

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.

 

[Ranga]

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.

 

[40 years an eagle]

I'm not saying straight back in but if he plays 3-4 games in reserves and his form is undeniable you have to go on that.

You have to go with the players that give you the best chance of winning and if he can demonstrate that he is one of the best 17 then you pick him.

That said he has to be acquitted and then show that form so it may all be a mute point

Fair enough..to each their own mate.

 

[Will on the hill]

I'm not saying straight back in but if he plays 3-4 games in reserves and his form is undeniable you have to go on that.

You have to go with the players that give you the best chance of winning and if he can demonstrate that he is one of the best 17 then you pick him.

That said he has to be acquitted and then show that form so it may all be a mute point

Whether or not it's a mute point is a moot point.

 

[Disco]

Whether or not it's a mute point is a moot point.

Hahaha got me

 

[Snoz1976]

Off the bench at 14 - he should be right to handle 15 mins at the back end of the game

 

[Bearfax]

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]

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]

That’s part of the obligation to hear a few personal arguments, discussions on drugs and gangs, some puns concerned someone’s sex life, all to just hear about some footy stuff at the end.

That’s what Silvertails is for.

Especially the puns

 

[Shoe1]

Realistically after 2 years out and a new shoulder he will need half a dozen full games in reserve grade to get his mojo.

 

[Eagles4Life]

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.

 

[SeaEagle21]

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

 

[Disco]

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.

Why a full pre-season, he has been training with the squad

 

[Nordburg]

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

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

 

[Eagles4Life]

Why a full pre-season, he has been training with the squad

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]

This whole saga has been a pain in the arse. Fmd.

Man arse

 

[ManlyTragic]

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.

Gees if that was me I would take a couple of Panadols and have a good lie down!

just sayin’

 

[rmd]

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.

 

[eagleron]

Training with the team for ages since the op....had some infection's, but seems good now....just a waiting game...

19 days and counting

 

[eagleron]

Unl

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.

Unless there are injuries I don't want to see the make-up of this team change, we have great balance with every player working in unison right across the park, I have no desire to see Sirro, Boyle, or jetski in firsts again, we've moved on