Manly in Crisis (a mega thread)

[Mark from Brisbane]

Where are we heading? Pretty sure it's in the opposite direction to "up".

From here the ONLY say is up

 

[Jerry1]

From here the ONLY say is up

Even at full strength we are a fringe eight team on a good day. With the current roster minus who we're losing I can't see it getting any better.

 

[Ron E. Gibbs]

From here the ONLY say is up

Not sure about that, mate. I still think we might have a way to fall yet, at least for a little while.

Next season is looking particularly dim, with a lot of players moving on (with possibly more to join them) and only one so-so second rower on the way. Our only hope is that Tommy can somehow sacrifice the required number of goats to stay healthy enough to play more than a handful of games (and recent history would suggest the odds of that happening aren't good), and that the reserve graders and up and comers we sprinkle around him will do just enough to jag us the odd win here and there.

For all the talk about us not being a one-man team, he's the only ray of hope we've got. That's a lot of pressure on anyone.

 

[Eagles4Life]

The state of the club and where are we heading?
Everythings going to crap pretty much sums up our current state.
Utter crap seems to be the direction we are heading.

 

[Hibyemama]

Its been one tough old year to watch the team and its years like this that really show who the true fans are. To be frank its been a bludger of a season!

I went to Brookvale yesterday and it was a sobering day to see the state of the club in that we had 3 games to watch and after watching it you do question, Where the hell are we heading?

I will preface this post by stating that I am not interested in attacking individual players or officials. I want to give an opinion of what I have observed since our last great era ended at the end of 2014.

Yesterday had a touch of sentimentality to it as we said good bye to a host of players leaving the club at the end of the season.

I want to say that Kieran Foran in my eyes has redeemed himself after his unpleasant departure in 2015 and I wish him all the best in his new gig with the Titans. Marty has been a brave player for many years and maybe a change of club will revitalize him and Dylan did well off the bench over the last 2 seasons and improved. Jorge served Manly well over many years and the sad thing is we never saw the best of Andrew Davey who was injured for 2/3 of his time here.

The performances we saw yesterday were a contrast.

The Jersey Flegg boys played a great game and thumped the 4th placed Sharks, scoring 50 points in you dont mind. I always look for potential at this level and I saw some stand out performances and hopefully the club will retain as many of these quality kids.

Watching the Blacktown side is agony. It is evident that something is seriously wrong there as for them to record only 2 wins this season, be a distant last and concede up to 35 points a game is telling. Yesterday predictably the top team in Newtown put 50 on them. I context this by understanding that because our first grade is decimated with injury it has severely impacted this team. I believe that the Blacktown experience has run its course and that Manly must take over its reserve grade side as we cannot afford to have performances like this year and pretty much every year since we started our joint venture with them. The frightening thing for me is the Jersey Flegg boys who step up to the next level will be playing there and I have seen TOO many youngsters go there and end up leaving the system. I do understand that Blacktown was all about giving western Sydney juniors a chance to play for a club that is local and in our system. The club has to face facts that it is just NOT working!

The first grade is totally busted at the moment. Shorn of half the team basically and vital players out injured. This season never really got going and became terminal once Tommy was ruled out for the season. I thought the team coped quite well for about 6 weeks after that and put in some decent perfomances.

What is evident is that since the fiasco over the pride jumper our team has not looked close to winning a game! Its a sad reality because after the Newcastle game we were in the 8 and doing well. We faced Saints and covid hit us and then the jersey fiasco and subsequent boycott totally derailed the season.

I think it needs to be discussed, where the hell are we going?

Its obvious that we are not going to get any government money anytime soon to give Brooky the facelift it needs and I believe we will come under increasing pressure to take games to the new SFS over the upcoming years.

I admire the investment that the Penn family have put into the club and without them we would not have a club that needs to be acknowledged. What is also very evident is that we have been a dysfunctional basket case with a revolving door of CEOS and an owner who spends a lot of time living overseas. The club has been run on a shoe string budget and you can see how limited we are right now when it comes to our marketing and overall professionalism.

What we need in my opinion is a more hands on owner. Some investment in basic things like improving the customer service and communication to the members and fans. What was a red flag for me was the recent jersey fiasco where the playing group was not consulted and its caused such a rift that the team has barely functioned ever since. Every often we dont hear enough about things the club is doing. To get information about injured players for example is so difficult at times.

We also need to address our salary cap. Right now it is so unbalanced that we have 3 major players getting a combined third of it and it leaves us with little wriggle room for the squad.

I understood why the club kept the door open for Manase Fainu in the hope that he would beat the charge and be free to play and that also he has two outstanding younger siblings who will be a part of the future. The club took a gamble on this and its blown up in our faces. For 3 years we have not had a proper hooker and Lachlan Croker has worked miracles in a role that was not familiar to him. We need 2 x hookers if we are going to challenge for honours. Every top team at the moment has this.

I think there will be a big rethink about where we going on all levels at the club. I just hope that the decisions made are for what is best for the club.

The lessons learned from Where we are? and where we are heading? are vital for our future.

One thing I know, Manly have a capacity to hit back and defy everyone. We need to be real and this can happen.

Lets forget 2022, it was just not meant to be and focus on what we need to do to once again become a force in the game!

You are 100% correct. Great post by a very passionate Fan. Dont take it too seriously, Its just a game of footy. I am 62, so as you get older, you dont dwell too hard on it. Indeed its been the toughest year 2022. been supporting Manly since 1968.

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

Club is in a big hole and everyone is sick of using all the various excuses. Even though the excuses are real it's still no fun bombing out early yet again.

Yes it can turn around quickly next year, but only if we change things up. A few new quality players might do the trick (not fringe reserve graders). Seems we've already got Tuilagi, add say Klemmer and Best (or a couple of players of at least that level) ... make Turbo captain ... unleash a fit Schuster.

A number 9 wouldn't hurt either. Are there any more Braileys?

 

[G-land Express]

We need 2 hard heads like BK and Choc and make one of them captain. Ban social media during the season. Then bring back Tooves as Dessys assistant.

 

[sheridanstand78]

You are 100% correct. Great post by a very passionate Fan. Dont take it too seriously, Its just a game of footy. I am 62, so as you get older, you dont dwell too hard on it. Indeed its been the toughest year 2022. been supporting Manly since 1968.

Like you I am a veteran. I have supported the club since 1976 and I am as in love with them as I was as a 9 year old boy.

I try not to take it too seriously as I have seen worse seasons than this one and worse times than where we are right now.

I just wanted to vent in a fair and positive way and let others join in the conversation as we all have one common goal and that is to see our Sea Eagles strong and competitive.

 

[robbiea]

Time for massive shake-up.

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

It’s funny but I think the shake up is sort of happening anyway.

We have a LOT of outs this year and it will surprise me if Tuilagi is the only in.

We simply do not announce signings , never have , probably never will unless it’s a superstar ( highly unlikely ).

The make up of the team as it exists now , and how it will be come March 2023 will be different.

Note I say different , not necessarily better.

 

[ricardo]

Tigers’ shock $7m Munster play to blow NRL rivals away; ugly Dragons divide: Jimmy Brings

Rival ready to pounce on Hunt as Dragons divide revealed; Panthers cap squeeze laid bare: Hoops

www.foxsports.com.au

 

[ricardo]

Making up stories again ... probably on behalf of Braith to up Munster's $$ ... sickens me.

 

[globaleagle]

I'm sure asked about it on whatever 'show' he appears on he will say:

I'm confident that my source is correct and they have spoken to the Munster team. Obviously they don't want that made public so they will issues their denials.


-Or some such b/s they always say.

 

[The '47ers]

He's more than a liar liar, he's an outright complete and utter.... (censored)

 

[Tragic Eagle]

Surprise Surprise. Made up. Now that's journalistic integrity. Looks like just another desperate headline hunter.

 

[Nordburg]

I'm sure asked about it on whatever 'show' he appears on he will say:

I'm confident that my source is correct and they have spoken to the Munster team. Obviously they don't want that made public so they will issues their denials.


-Or some such b/s they always say.

You forgot to add “In the fair dinkum department”or any other of his jingoisms BS he likes to carry on with

 

[globaleagle]

You forgot to add “In the fair dinkum department”or any other of his jingoisms BS he likes to carry on with

To be faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaair - I haven't seen him on tv. (woohoo).

Didn't Wayne Bennett used to lie his butt off to journo's? - I don't mind that. ha

 

[Cameron]

And he's a tigers member. They should tear it up

 

[Woodsie]

Hold on ... we believing football coaches now? ... Didn't Sheens say Maguire was safe ... 2 days before he sacked him?

They are all fibbers ... but coaches can usually justify a couple of well placed fibs as being in the interests of the club or player ... but the supposed Journo's ... ??

 

[silver]

Hooper is a grub, how he in on TV is a joke, players cannot stand him. His journal mates covered up his drunken indiscretions, yet he criticises players for their social antics.