Manly 2023 - Pass or Fail?

[XV-1]

What do fellow Silvertails think overall about the 2023 season?

We had a great start but the difference between our best and worst is way too large.

Yes Tommy went down injured, however we were not in the top 8 when he got injured. We stayed about the same after that.

Seibold has been happy to drop some players, but keeps others like Woods in first grade. Not sure many players have grown under his coaching.

For me - disappointing FAIL.

Hopefully 2024 will be better.

 

[Under the Sticks]

Definitely a fail which I put down to poor performance of the forwards, no impact from highly paid number 6, lack of creativity from hooker, and of course absence of star fullback.

What I have liked from Seibold has been dropping players based on poor form and his risky strategies in the past 2 games whilst down on troops.

Another forward recruit, GCKT off the bench, Brooks to 6 and we should be on the way up.

 

[Eagles4Life]

Anything short of making the finals was always going to be a fail. Inconsistency killed us this year. Fail.

 

[Brocky]

F MINUS,
the signing of Woods Arthur and Schuster and signing tiger players is unbelievable, I see no upside next year, he has given us nothing to look forward too but more misery. How I wish toovey was coach, then at least I relate to the club.

 

[Waz13]

Until we can keep the Tommy T on the field for at least 2/3 of the season, our results will continue to fluctuate.

Results wise unless we make the finals it’s a fail for me.

Still feel if cards fall our way the squad should really be playing finals this year and last. Sadly we’ve not. In my best Donald Trump “YOU’VE FAILED!!!!”

 

[Tragic Eagle]

FAIL. I expected a well structured and consistent side particularly with our combined coaching brains trust. We got a couple of good games and a multitude of error ridden, I’ll-disciplined poor performances. Yes we got done over by the referees in a couple games and injuries were unkind but thee are common denominators for us and we should be good enough to rise above it.

 

[rj90]

Finals is the pass mark.
Anything less than that is a failure.

 

[JenEagle]

FAIL. I expected a well structured and consistent side particularly with our combined coaching brains trust. We got a couple of good games and a multitude of error ridden, I’ll-disciplined poor performances. Yes we got done over by the referees in a couple games and injuries were unkind but thee are common denominators for us and we should be good enough to rise above it.

Yeah considering the hype that the owners put forward in sacking Des and saying we have a premiership winning roster and we need the right coaching staff and then hiring Flanagan who is well Credentialed the season is a huge failure. Losses in either or both of the last two games would make a failure of a season worse.

 

[Once Was Brissie Kid]

After Rd 8 Manly were in 2nd place outright on the table.

 

[jbb/james]

I see it as a fail but without tom i didnt expect much else . without tom i thought pre season we would struggle to make the 8. That in itself is a fail internally i suppose that so much hinges on one player. As the season went on manly directed the play elsewhere which is a positive, even with tom it should make us a better side

There are some positive signs though moving forward. The last 2 weeks have shown they wont roll over and that has been part of manly over the last few seasons

but as the @XV-1 stated the difference between our best and worst is big

 

[Seagles68]

I guess its gunna have to be a fail but with strong mitigating circumstances. The injury list hurt us again coz we rarely had the same "spine" together. We're still missing that forward pack leader (and I still have reservations about Lodge but have to admit he brought alot of what we need) and then he also got injured. These next to 2 games are importànt in my mind coz the positive for me is that they havent tossed in the towel like they did last year. I hope they don't now against teams below them just coz their finals chances are gone. That would make it an F fail instead of a f fail for me if they do.

 

[Ryan]

@XV-1 mate, tbh, there's no point being truthful here (or realistic), because the positive people will claim it's just driving them away. We've literally been told what to say and / or think now through guilt tactics.

For that reason, let's all just say what a fantastic year, filled with amazing results. The roster looks beautiful, recruitment fantastic, we are a pleasure to watch (very entertaining).

Our coaching staff are all plugged in and committed. Our owner is active, focused and passionate. Our social media team are leading edge and forward thinkers, and I'm counting the minutes down to the 2024 memberships coming out.

 

[jbb/james]

@XV-1 mate, tbh, there's no point being truthful here (or realistic), because the positive people will claim it's just driving them away. We've literally been told what to say and / or think now through guilt tactics.

For that reason, let's all just say what a fantastic year, filled with amazing results. The roster looks beautiful, recruitment fantastic, we are a pleasure to watch (very entertaining).

Our coaching staff are all plugged in and committed. Our owner is active, focused and passionate. Our social media team are leading edge and forward thinkers, and I'm counting the minutes down to the 2024 memberships coming out.

the need to control the narrative by some is without doubt the biggest issue on this site these days. The lack of opinion or footy talk they provide when they address other posters who they disagree with just with adds nothing but an example of needing control and a lack of self control

 

[JakeyB789]

About as expected when Tom went down. Just before that happened we were in the 8 and trending upwards with massive wins over the Raiders and Dolphins, Schuster was combining really well with Tom and now he's set to be dropped with everyone wanting him out. Still think we were in the mix until recently but the injuries to Paseka (thanks Cronulla) and Lodge were too much to overcome.

Fail based purely on Seibold's poor team selections, and us being on the wrong end of player movements with the worst club in the last 10 years

 

[manly al]

Last two games have put a little bit of positivity back into the equation .
Just to largely show more then a bit too much one dimensional type game approach in attack for a good portion off the season and to be fair , there has been a more then reasonable level of gritty defensive effort for a good part of the season also .
Despite the disadvantage of not being full strength for the majority of the season .
Marginal fail overall when most things taken into account but full marks for general commitment and largely trying to hang in there for most games , even if the application and consistency was not always the best

 

[Harmless27]

Don't worry - you won't drive me away!

It is a conceded pass for me.

Everyone else is pointing out the flaws, so I won't dwell on them.

My personal positives:
DCE (as always - what a legend)
Garrick (geez he is worth every dollar)
Speed (Saab and Koula) I am really invested in these two. They give us a great x factor
Jake (what a man, what a tackler, what an inspiration, what a role model)
DECISIVE leadership. The only thing worse than a bad decision is no decision in my opinion. Both Mestrov and Seibold have been proactive, engaged, and trying their best to push the agenda forward. They have made mistakes, and they are learning on the job.... but they aren't dying wondering.

Results on the field were a real disappointment after a bright start. Tom's bad luck with injuries hasn't helped. Origin hasn't helped. Lack of composure hasn't helped. Forward pack hasn't helped. I think the win against the Storm at Brookie was the years highlight.... such a shame it happened so early and we fell away so badly.

But I have seen enough to get me coming back for next year. I am certainly a lot happier than I was this time last year with our club!

Here is to an offseason of recovery, no injuries, no off field drama or allegations (which we have been very good with this year) and a great start to FY24.

 

[Spartan Eagle]

We've exceeded expectations. Pass ++ I am very proud of the boys.

 

[The '47ers]

I guess only the Premiers get a pass mark as that's what it's all about! The rest just fall in behind.

 

[Eagle 1]

A bit of 50 50 for mine, a case of what could of been sadly. Turbo was the hammer blow, when he's playing we are the deadliest team in attack in the NRL. Again, so many injuries have once again cruelled our season at the business end of the year, surely we are due for a change of luck in this department. And lastly, the refereeing and the Bunker decisions have been the worst that I can remember, they don't seem to have any answers to this and how to fix it. As a club we can only hope for better days ahead.

 

[Ryan]

the need to control the narrative by some is without doubt the biggest issue on this site these days. The lack of opinion or footy talk they provide when they address other posters who they disagree with just with adds nothing but an example of needing control and a lack of self control

Spot on. Like I say, this site will get a boring vanilla me now, I'll just make positive comments (and I suggest everyone else does as well, give them what they want) , watch how boring it gets, very quickly.

We get beaten by the Bulldogs and Tigers , I'll just come on and cheer , and praise the effort. That's where I'm at now.

Hopefully people don't threaten or decide to "take a break" then. It can be all unicorns, balloons and flowers as far as I'm concerned from here.