Game Day: Manly v Cowboys [Round 13, 2018]

[Woodsie]

...... we need to turn up ...... (see ... you can teach an old dog new tricks) ....... coaches never told us that back in the day ...

 

[Sue]

Yep We need to turn up. Not many games in the world where being off your game by 5 or 10 percent means everyone will beat you but the NRL is just that.

 

[Woodsie]

Yep We need to turn up. Not many games in the world where being off your game by 5 or 10 percent means everyone will beat you but the NRL is just that.

I remember watching an interview by Jack Gibson back in the 70's ,,, he was asked what is the hardest thing about coaching .... he answered it was to continually give your team a reason why they "must" win this game .....

 

[Sue]

Yep Woodsie. Every side can not only beat you but destroy you if you are slightly off. How many comps in the world would throw up the 2 Parra/Manly results this season. None is probably the answer.

 

[Woodsie]

Yep Woodsie. Every side can not only beat you but destroy you if you are slightly off. How many comps in the world would throw up the 2 Parra/Manly results this season. None is probably the answer.

Agree .... but in most countries those 2 results would have seen the authorities move in and suspend all games pending an investigation ........ and I am not being flippant ... we see results every week that if they occurred in the EPL or in the states there would be righteous pandemonium .....

 

[Spartan Eagle]

We have injuries no doubt but I think it’s been overstated as an excuse , especially given our sweet draw playing 10 out of our first 13 games against bottom 8 sides.

The key positions in a footy side are your spine and props to eat the metres.

Other than two games where Dylan played 5/ 8 ( and we won!) and Api missing a game we have had our first choice spine in place( Barrett’s first choice that is) and our lethal starting props haven’t missed a game.

Our issues have come

1 in the back row where there is not a great deal between our options anyway, especially with Lane, Paseka and co stepping up along the way.Kalepi and Sironen May be a touch better but they are hardly champions as yet .The way Barrett uses backrowers it hardly matters whose out there as long as they can tackle.They almost play no part in our attack.Our best second rower Thommo has played every game as well.

2 at centre with Dylan but Suli has performed very well and Matt Wright has exceeded my expectations.

A lot of teams would love to have their first choice spine and starting props almost every week ( see Penrith, Warriors, Knights, Sharks etc) If you are going to lose players second rowers and outside backs are my pick every time.

It hasn’t been perfect for sure but a lot of sides have lost key players.Absolutely no excuses tonight.Their pack is there to be smashed and I expect we will win well.

If we get done it will be down to effort and game plan.Put it this way 4 from 13 after tonight will be ridiculous given our draw and I don’t think it will happen.

Some very valid remarks you make there. And I understand that we should be able to smash their forward pack and there should be no excuses. Injuries aside, my point was more on journos painting every opponent we face with a more sympathetic brush.. .. why mention cowboys affected by origin in the headlines when we are as well. It just irks me. It is very rare to find an outwardly positive article written towards manly without any mention of salary cap, Gladstone, Hastings, club for sale, etc.. or any other perceived drama. Perhaps I'm reading too much into it.

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

We have a shocking record when favourites. Absolutely shocking. So I have refrained from checking who is favourite tonite. (and I'm not even superstitious)
Go Manly, we will win well in a high scoring game.

 

[HoldenV8]

Now listen......we're stepping out [onto Brookvale]. We're going to turn them round.

Gonna turn them round [more than] once and we'll be doing the Eagle Rock.

Its sweet as day.

Manly by 20

 

[court83]

I'm confused.. Easily done I admit, but how can we Carry Tom Wright into a match a few weeks ago on the bench in a team that had Walker playing centre and Tom turbo playing fullback... Yet now, walkers injured, turbos got nsw duty, and Tom Wright can't make the 17... Makes absolutely zero sense

 

[Spartan Eagle]

I'm confused.. Easily done I admit, but how can we Carry Tom Wright into a match a few weeks ago on the bench in a team that had Walker playing centre and Tom turbo playing fullback... Yet now, walkers injured, turbos got nsw duty, and Tom Wright can't make the 17... Makes absolutely zero sense

I'm with you my friend

 

[Shells Eagles]

Mighty Eagles 13+❤️

 

[MuzztheEagle]

I'm confused.. Easily done I admit, but how can we Carry Tom Wright into a match a few weeks ago on the bench in a team that had Walker playing centre and Tom turbo playing fullback... Yet now, walkers injured, turbos got nsw duty, and Tom Wright can't make the 17... Makes absolutely zero sense

Parker and Tafua back and Hodko in. 2-3 = -1 and Tom gets cut.

 

[jbb/james]

every week its pretty much the same. To win we either need a good kicking game which is completely absent this year, or the other team has to want to lose more than us. Apart from the parra game , we havnt really outplayed teams this year. But if we do outplay them in effortt , we usually lose as the game management is ****

I hope hodko is confident enough to take control of the team and kick us into field position , and if he kicks to his abilities and is given the opportunity to do so , the team is competent in most other areas . But if not , we wont win many more this year unless teams like melbourne the other week , that desperately wanted to lose more that us. The footy heats up from here on in the season,

I look at players like kelly, lane, afb, and the twin turbos etc and i see trent having a great impact on the youth and then i hear him crap on about how unlucky cherry was to miss origin and think , he is kidding himself . Forget the missed field goal against canberra the 10 minutes leading to that was very dumb footy. Cherry is a superboot with no idea on how and when to use it.

Our next decade depends on him growing a brain to go with his undoubted talent.and to be honest so does his

Blondes man

 

[court83]

Parker and Tafua back and Hodko in. 2-3 = -1 and Tom gets cut.

Does Suli deserve an automatic spot over Tom?? (honest question, is Tom a long term option for the club or no? Cos if he is, ide rather see him given a go a centre than a "bad boy" blow in like suli

 

[Freagle]

I'm concerned

Thurston has played a year too long but I can just see this as the kind of night where they are under manned and he pulls something out

Well hopefully its in a “Donny McKinnon” kind of way, and he gets sent from the field...

 

[MuzztheEagle]

Does Suli deserve an automatic spot over Tom?? (honest question, is Tom a long term option for the club or no? Cos if he is, ide rather see him given a go a centre than a "bad boy" blow in like suli

There is at least 10 pages dedicated to the subject on the pre game thread. I dont think its a discussion we need repeated here

 

[court83]

There is at least 10 pages dedicated to the subject on the pre game thread. I dont think its a discussion we need repeated here

Havnt read the pre game thread
Usually 15 pages of crap in fighting and posts as productive as this one..

 

[MuzztheEagle]

Havnt read the pre game thread
Usually 15 pages of crap in fighting and posts as productive as this one..

My point exactly. Long story short i think the answer is; Suli was there first and the coaching staff believe thats the way it should be.

 

[Freagle]

There is at least 10 pages dedicated to the subject on the pre game thread. I dont think its a discussion we need repeated here

Does Suli deserve a spot over Tom...? Oh wait...sorry...

 

[Eagles2nv]

I'd really like for us to put a cricket score on them.

Not just cause I like seeing us win, but in the context of the season, we are still in the mix to scrape into the 8. It's a weird season this year where its sort of even on the ladder.

So for against is going to determine the 8, and of the bottom teams our F/A is actually not too bad.