Manly to come 4th in 2012

[puntpal.com.au]

This is an extract from PuntPal 2012 Season Preview.

The bombshell was dropped soon after Manly had won the 2011 Premiership ...Hasler was to leave his beloved Manly and go coach the Doggies in 2013 for a million a season! But before the dust could even settle, it was revealed that Dessie would be sent packing a year earlier. Club legend Geoff Toovey was swiftly handed the reins by the maligned and dysfunctional Manly Board.

Fans rightly asked “What the hell is going on here!?!?!”

Rumour has it the Stewart brothers are already looking to follow Hasler to Belmore and I don’t doubt that rumour for a second. Hasler was a loyal friend to Brett Stewart during his early 2011 sexual-assault trial and I think there is a massive chance they will both follow Hasler across in 2013.

In terms of their playing stocks, they have lost wingers Will Hopoate and Michael Robertson, but their squad is still very strong. Hopoate’s replacement (Michael Oldfield) also looks pretty damn good and David Williams will slot in nicely for Robertson. Michael Oldfield and David Williams are both fast, strong runners of the ball. They know how to finish a try and will relish playing outside Lyon and Matai. They have also recruited the plucky Ben Farrar, who returns to Brooky after a stint playing for Catalans Dragons in the Super League. He is a very handy player on his day and adds some much-needed depth.

Their forward pack is much the same as well, with the only noticeable player leaving the club being Shane Rodney. With Watmough, G Stewart, Buhrer and Galuvao in the back row, Manly still has plenty of depth in that department. Manly also welcome back Jason King, who missed a large part of 2011 due to injury.

King, who was captain of the side before being injured, would be devastated he missed out on the Premiership and I think he may bounce back to the form that saw him make the NSW Origin side a few years back. Liam Roach (son of Blocker Roach) also will be looking to make his NRL debut, but may struggle with players like Rose and Mauro already on the bench.

But the X factor for the Manly squad is the man-mountain known as the “T-Rex”. Tony Williams was finally told to toughen up in 2011 and leave the wing to become the menacing forward he was born to be. He was duly rewarded with an Australian jersey and even at the international level, he proved absolutely devastating with the ball in hand.

The reason I do not have Manly going back-to-back is because I think that the loss of Hasler will be too disruptive in the short-term. Toovey may have the respect from the players and the fans, but that doesn’t mean he will create the same ‘Us Vs Them’ mentality that Hasler was so famous for. Hasler also had Manly at peak fitness, as he was renowned for being the fittest player in the competition back in his glory days. Hasler once did nearly 100 chip ups in a row on a Kangaroos tour (legend has it!).

I also think that Foran and Cherry-Evans will be a lot more closely guarded in 2012, and I expect Cherry-Evans to have a tougher season now that he has played for Australia. He is a great player, no doubt, but he is not the toughest cookie going around and I think he will be targeted by the more physical defenders out there. Look for some late shots to really rock his confidence and make him worried about the defensive line.

I am not a believer in ‘second-season’ syndrome (i.e. as if it is some magical force), but I do believe small halves that carve in their debut season can expect things to get a little tougher in their second season.

Manly are always contenders, this year will be no different. BUt I dont think they can go all the way again

 

[Dan]

fair analysis, very fair

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

. . . Hasler once did nearly 100 chip ups in a row on a Kangaroos tour (legend has it!). . .

I heard Big Georgie has well & truly smashed that record for chips. He ate 150 packets in a row.

 

[PONTIAN SEA EAGLE]

I stopped reading after the 3rd paragraph.

 

[Berkeley_Eagle]

I stopped here

I think there is a massive chance they will both follow Hasler across in 2013

FMD do these ppl that write these things do any research at all

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

I don't agree with the comments about Cherry not being tough. I thought I heard that he took on the line more than any other half last year. Certainly it was a common sight to see him bumping & spinning away from would-be tacklers.

Foran already was very closely marked last year. Tagatese?? I wouldn't be surprised if Foran goes to yet another level this year. Quite nice to be tipped for 4th though, let someone else carry the favourites tag for while (say, until about half-time in the grand final).

 

[Masked Eagle]

I've said this before, but I think DCE is reasonably placed to avoid the second year syndrome. The reason why other boom rookies struggle big time in their second year is they are one trick ponies, they burst onto the scene because they do one thing very well, so it only takes a subtle change in the game plan to nullify those rookies. DCE has so many ways to play the game, he can play before the line, run to it, offload, put players through holes, kicking game, good ad lib, he's got it all!!!! Will he cop more attention? Absolutely, but becasue he doesn't just have to rely on one one thing to cope with with it, I think he's smart enough to know how to play things.

 

[DSM5]

Fourth will do, into the finals, and go on from there. And I really do think the 'us v them' was around long before Hasler came to the club. It's been there for ever.

 

[The Who]

I don't agree with the comments about Cherry not being tough. I thought I heard that he took on the line more than any other half last year. Certainly it was a common sight to see him bumping & spinning away from would-be tacklers.

You are spot on. DCE is plenty tough enough, and played every match last season. How many other half-backs did this? I first watched him play Toyota Cup and he was always in the thick of the action.
Frankly, I think he will be our leading player next season, regardless of how hard opposition try to mark him.

 

[Jatz Crackers]

let someone else carry the favourites tag for while

I hear the Bulldogs are outright favourites for the title this year.

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I've said this before, but I think DCE is reasonably placed to avoid the second year syndrome. The reason why other boom rookies struggle big time in their second year is they are one trick ponies, they burst onto the scene because they do one thing very well, so it only takes a subtle change in the game plan to nullify those rookies. DCE has so many ways to play the game, he can play before the line, run to it, offload, put players through holes, kicking game, good ad lib, he's got it all!!!! Will he cop more attention? Absolutely, but becasue he doesn't just have to rely on one one thing to cope with with it, I think he's smart enough to know how to play things.

Very true. Well said.

 

[jjai]

Fourth will do, into the finals, and go on from there. And I really do think the 'us v them' was around long before Hasler came to the club. It's been there for ever.

true....

 

[ManlyBacker]

Outside of Tooves being a rookie top level coach, the champs are almost unchanged. Hoppa is a big loss and Robbo, but they are out wide. We hopefully will have Wolfie and King playing at the right time and halves that offer so much I can see them dominating. For mine we are one of the top three. That means 12-1 is a VERY good bet. I haven't felt better about backing the boys before a season started for decades and at those odds I'm just smiling. Get on is my advice.

 

[mickqld]

If any team thinks they will target DCE and put him off his game then good luck. He is tough, skillful and can play the game many different ways. The other problem will be target him and you will get Foran,Lyon,Stewarts, carving you up. He could be targeted if he was playing for a lesser club and he was the only playmaker but there are 2 many otherplaymakers around him to target one man when you play us.I expect we will start slowly and probably struggle early in the season but as long as all the players minds are on winning and not on contracts elsewhere we will be right up thee by September. That is my only concern. ARE ALL the players minds on playing for us or elsewhere ????

 

[wombatgc]

I've said this before, but I think DCE is reasonably placed to avoid the second year syndrome. The reason why other boom rookies struggle big time in their second year is they are one trick ponies, they burst onto the scene because they do one thing very well, so it only takes a subtle change in the game plan to nullify those rookies. DCE has so many ways to play the game, he can play before the line, run to it, offload, put players through holes, kicking game, good ad lib, he's got it all!!!! Will he cop more attention? Absolutely, but becasue he doesn't just have to rely on one one thing to cope with with it, I think he's smart enough to know how to play things.

Well said ME.Having one of the toughest blokes to play the game as the coach is going to help him enormously through the second year phase as well.