Its a reality check.
This team was never likely to be to a true premiership contender if injuries hit, and they have. Its not because of poor depth, our U20s are generally going great guns. In a sense this loss is good for Manly because Barrett now knows the limitations of what he's got. His top team is capable of top 4 ranking, but then there are about 8 or 9 teams in a similar situation. Have injuries at the wrong time and you're up against others sides capable of Top 4 aspirations.
St George almost had their top team on the field and I think Nightingale is a better fullback option that Dugan. We'll make the semis, probably between 5-8 but the hard work of getting us here has been done, Where we end up in the semis will depend on how few injuries we sustain. Its obvious we have some top level players like the two Trbojevics, DCE, Green, Taupau, Koriasau, Lawrence, Uate, Taufua, Walker and Kelly ( the last two will be much better next year). There are some rising stars in Sironen and AFB. There are some promising young players like Hastings, Cullen, Parker, Tom Wright, Anderson (the winger) who are either not yet ready or are not going to make it. A few solid support players like Winterstein, Wright who do their job but wont win you games. But at this stage unless we have our best side on the field we arent going to get beyond 5 this year.
Having said that I can see us coming back next week and beating the Storm. And I think we have to remember where we were last year and just as in Hasler's second year, Barrett has us on the rise. Unrealistic to expect Rome to be built in a day. The jigsaw is starting to make sense. There's a few pieces missing yet. Unless we have a real problem with the salary cap issue, which is nothing more than a Greenburg Witchhunt (he's a disgrace to be holding the position he has), Fulton and his spies will no doubt have a couple of first class names added to the side for next year. Maybe Roberts. Barrett's got the talent (a lesser coach would not have got this squad so far), and with the right personnel, he'll have Manly as a serious threat next year.
