Game Day: Manly v Penrith [Round 12, 2020]

[Dion Johnson]

We have the pathways process in place also, thanks to the Fultons and others that were involved we now have a wider selection of junior talent. One of the best nurseries in the comp.

How we manage, Schuster, Albert, Metcalfe, Titmuss, Saddler, Ben T, S Fainu and Tuitavake will be interesting.

Then you have Funa, Cust and Guacamole who have all made their debuts for the club needing more opportunities in games to prove themselves.

Can we replicate what the panthers have achieved let’s hope so!! The panthers added API and Capewell to their squad this season, other then that they are using their own talent.

 

[frank stokes]

And Koula...

 

[ricardo]

I don’t know what was worse, wondering how the fuuck you found that,
or the fact, I watched it all, and started to like it.😱😱😱

Just a couple of 12 year old Japanese girls hearing how their 14 year old sister discovered headbanging lol.

Here's one more to blow your mind:

 

[SeaEaglez]

Des is in the 2nd year of a rebuild.
He would aim to win every year, but it is not logical to be that successful.
Compared to 2004, he is way ahead of schedule.
Sure the commitment was not 100% last night, but the Panthers are developing into something very special. Agree our team has some weak spots, and that will be Des’s challenge, to plug those holes with better talent and recruit a couple of senior tradesmen to teach the team about playing for 80 minutes to 100% of your capability.
I like Pasekas development, he will challenge for starting prop next year.
Unfortunately Parker, Eliot and Croker are struggling and do not look like elite players to me.
They try very, very hard, but I hold my breath when the ball is anywhere near them.
Our hooker is also very willing, but he is a 14.
The position of hooker in the modern game is ultra critical. We had 2 great ones last year, and hopefully Fainu can return.
Without him, we are a very different team...with a much inferior capability.
We will probably win more than we lose this year and maybe scrape into the 8. Look forward to a turn around next week.

 

[Simonmyers11]

We have the pathways process in place also, thanks to the Fultons and others that were involved we now have a wider selection of junior talent. One of the best nurseries in the comp.

How we manage, Schuster, Albert, Metcalfe, Titmuss, Saddler, Ben T, S Fainu and Tuitavake will be interesting.

Then you have Funa, Cust and Guacamole who have all made their debuts for the club needing more opportunities in games to prove themselves.

Can we replicate what the panthers have achieved let’s hope so!! The panthers added API and Capewell to their squad this season, other then that they are using their own talent.

That is a good group of young talent. Hoppa Jr has to resign , can play full back cover which we desperately need! Other than Metcalf, all under contract for next year

 

[SeaEaglez]

We have the pathways process in place also, thanks to the Fultons and others that were involved we now have a wider selection of junior talent. One of the best nurseries in the comp.

How we manage, Schuster, Albert, Metcalfe, Titmuss, Saddler, Ben T, S Fainu and Tuitavake will be interesting.

Then you have Funa, Cust and Guacamole who have all made their debuts for the club needing more opportunities in games to prove themselves.

Can we replicate what the panthers have achieved let’s hope so!! The panthers added API and Capewell to their squad this season, other then that they are using their own talent.

Exactly! We are well ahead in that mission

 

[Dion Johnson]

Des is in the 2nd year of a rebuild.
He would aim to win every year, but it is not logical to be that successful.
Compared to 2004, he is way ahead of schedule.
Sure the commitment was not 100% last night, but the Panthers are developing into something very special. Agree our team has some weak spots, and that will be Des’s challenge, to plug those holes with better talent and recruit a couple of senior tradesmen to teach the team about playing for 80 minutes to 100% of your capability.
I like Pasekas development, he will challenge for starting prop next year.
Unfortunately Parker, Eliot and Croker are struggling and do not look like elite players to me.
They try very, very hard, but I hold my breath when the ball is anywhere near them.
Our hooker is also very willing, but he is a 14.
The position of hooker in the modern game is ultra critical. We had 2 great ones last year, and hopefully Fainu can return.
Without him, we are a very different team...with a much inferior capability.
We will probably win more than we lose this year and maybe scrape into the 8. Look forward to a turn around next week.

Yep I think Paseka should be starting, played his best game for the club against an inform Parra pack. He plays the structures well when starting.

Plus Marty off the bench adds more x-factor and better team balance.

 

[The Wheel]

Zorba was calling for change on BSB - Schuster and Funa and dropping Jorge

 

[manly al]

Just seemed to be constantly up against it even allowing for that near faultless display by the Panthers . Injuries certainly did not help with the then subsequent disruptions but just also seemed to give the Panthers too much room and the communication level very poor as well . Once players get sucked in , moist good sides will easily capitalize and those unforced errors just compounded the problem when the side was not going well in general . Would query how the Panthers got three initial repeat sets , would not have changed the outcome but just makes one wonder about the ref 's discretion factor . Certainly positive to see D C E stand out , Paseka looked strong and willing and some resilience at times but sadly overall the side was way too listless to give themselves any chance . Croker is O K in the middle, liability wider , maybe effective close to the try line but bringing players back inside like Siro , pretty limited . Like to see Haumole included for some wider running and just have to get Suli more earlier ball . Looks like Cust and Funa will come in for next week , Would not mind seeing Schuster and young Hoppa in the mix also , Pretty tough going last night and made it hard for themselves but just get the feeling that the team needs some new and fresh enthusiasm and talent to lift the tempo a bit

 

[Daddycool]

Looking at the Penrith team, I don’t see how they are a 30 point better side than us in terms of talent. Sure we had some injuries but we’ve battled on with injuries in the past and either won or at least keep the score close. Last night it seemed their heads weren’t in the game. I feel that whatever went on with Cust being dropped, effected them to the point, once Walker was injured many of them (not all, some players Cherry, Jake, Fonua Blake & others were great) dropped their heads.
Penrith were high on confidence and it showed in everything they did. Aggressive and fast moving defense is very much an attitude thing. They had it spades and we didn’t. If Cust plays we probably still lose, going off how well Penrith played but I don’t think we get smashed by 30 points.

 

[Budgie]

. Would query how the Panthers got three initial repeat sets , would not have changed the outcome but just makes one wonder about the ref 's discretion factor .

Gotta say it's driving me a bit nuts. The fact that you don't know what it's for and it's so fast that even the commentators don't mention it, means the refs are free to do as they like. And I'm not saying it's biased, just free of any scrutiny which is a real problem. Be interesting to see how it goes in the finals.

 

[Bearfax]

We had Turbo out for long periods with his hamstring issues last season as well as Walker suspended and other key players out and the same players made the top 8
The season is not over and I have not given up on our players yet

Bozo I haven't given up on our players or the team. I'm just as keen on them. They try hard. I would hate to be out there facing what they face. Its not a reflection on their effort. Its a reflection on their attacking ability in the backline. Slow and safe as we had with Barrett. I realise Manly did well last year, but statistically as has been revealed several times, Manly's win rate without Turbo is down around 30-40%. They rely heavily on Turbo and DCE in the backline, and if one is out they struggle. They need a spark in the backline, and its not happening with the players Des is using. Also note we are without Api from last year and he is a far better player than Levi

 

[susan]

Might be under 30 per cent now I think.

 

[Kalvin]

Do i dare say it... with 1 minute to go in the first half... if croker hits Waddell short we go into the sheds at 22-12 with a sniff (considering how bad we were)... instead he trys the hero long ball to Jorge and instead it's 24-6... game changer!

 

[Tomay]

That was a pretty tough game to watch. I don't think the sky is falling though. We were up against it early with all the 6 agains (late in the sets) and penalties, compounded by losing Walker early followed by Parker on the same edge. Penrith played brilliantly and you can't lose two edge defenders on Cleary's side. We were never going to win from there against such a classy outfit in good form, to expect us to is delusional. Our forwards were drained with the lack of rotation and the Panthers tore us apart.

Lachlan Croker was in the side as an impact dummy half - it is clear he isn't a five eight. You can't blame Des for that selection, especially when Dylan's injury was a new one - it could just as easily been Cust that went down. I do believe Cust should have been starting based on form, however, the injury was just bad luck.

Two things really worry me at this stage: Levi and Tafua.

Our forwards are struggling big time with the poor service from Levi. He fails to engage the markers or pass wide enough to take them out of the play. We had a few knock ons last night where he tried to engage them and just looked clunky. A lot of our go forward is limited by his poor service and I feel for our middle men, especially Jake. I really hate the little play where he flicks the ball straight from the ground wthout taking a step to an edge back rower on the short side off his shoulder who then gets drilled by the marker and their edge defender with a loss or minimal gain early in the set. On top of that he still struggles with taking the right options inside the 20.

I have been a huge Jorge fan for many seasons now. I think that he stands up with Nofoaluma and Mansour as the best winger coming out of your own end - a crucial part of the game. However, teams are targeting him and getting success. I think he still has something to offer the game but perhaps not in our team with our up and in edge defence. He just isn't mobile enough to turn and cover. Parker has been saving him quite often as well.

We can compete with the Panthers when we meet them in the finals. We just need our players to stay on the park and to get into the game early. If we can do that and allow Croker (I know but he's our best dummy half option in a team that needs to compensate for Levi) to come on and open things up late we can beat them. DCE had them really worried on that right edge last night. Chrichton was obviously coached to go low on Suli and take his legs, i'd like to see Garrick try and come inside for an offload and DCE/Turbo to wrap around to expose that tactic next game.

 

[susan]

When we meet the Panthers in the finals ? You could sell the stuff you are smoking for plenty Tomay.
That in all likelihood requires

1. Us to make eight
2. Us to win first semi away from home
3. Panthers to lose semi at home

Mmmmm

 

[mave]

when we meet them in the finals.

Big night mate ?

 

[Tomay]

Big night mate ?

When we meet the Panthers in the finals ? You could sell the stuff you are smoking for plenty Tomay.
That in all likelihood requires

1. Us to make eight
2. Us to win first semi away from home
3. Panthers to lose semi at home

Mmmmm

We are still easily good enough to make the finals and with Turbo back we will scare anyone we come up against. This forum has a tendency to over-react to losses. Nothing went our way last night against a quality opposition in good form. The August premiers rarely go on to win the comp. We will peak at the right time, go Manly!

 

[susan]

We have been ordinary all year. Won a few on guts and Turbot. Incredibly slow , haven’t caught up with the huge change in game post covid and won’t experiment. 8 tries from three quarters in 12 games! 6 from 19 year old panther in 1.5 games.

Parker has scored 13 in about 70 games! Suli has hardly scored since he got here a couple of seasons ago.Maybe 3 or 4. IGarrick has scored one try this year.Its hard to believe those figures. And when Turbot and Fainu not there it screams out at you how good they are and how ordinary the others are. Every other good team has tall athletic wingers and dangerous centres and we don’t. It’s not rocket science.

Gone. About time the obvious was recognized and plan for the future.

 

[mave]

We are still easily good enough to make the finals and with Turbo back we will scare anyone we come up against. This forum has a tendency to over-react to losses. Nothing went our way last night against a quality opposition in good form. The August premiers rarely go on to win the comp. We will peak at the right time, go Manly!

As Susan explained, the scenario required for us to see the Panthers in the finals is about as likely as me winning Lotto. And I don't play Lotto.