Manly v Roosters Rd 9 (pre game discussion)

[Oracle]

Walker at 6 was an obvious ploy to force the NRL to accept Suli at centre. Well done guys and a master stroke! Now let’s see how they ACTUALLY run on ...need a Narrabeen local to go to the rec centre and see how they line up. Any takers?

The thought also occurred to me of a dangling carrot to keep him at Manly ?

 

[BOZO]

walker just has to think run, similar to how crocker was playing first half against newcastle. will be up to api to get the ball to dce on the 4th and 5th tackle to make sure we get good kicks away without a heap of pressure. cause no one else in that team can kick!

All Walker has to do was what he did best in 2016 at 5/8 and we will be right ........ ......out of the game .
What a proactive coaching selection . We weaken one position at centre to fck another one in the halves .
Surely this selection is a smoke screen

 

[Woodsie]

Not certain winners, but at least we would look like a rugby league side not the mess he has named to take the field.

Get a grip Turbs ... the world will survive Walker playing 5/8 ....

 

[Woodsie]

At least I would pick a 5/8, and stop putting my own selfish agendas above the team.

"selfish agenda" .... you really need to stop listening to the voices ..... I think one of them is a spoilt brat that just took his bat and ball home .....

 

[Oracle]

Common Bozo cut the kid some slack,
After the way we have gone so far this year how come your not all over Croaka ? ...or dare I say it Dce after all they're playing behind a better pack now then when Walkz played 5/8.
The dynamics of the team is much improved now so I expect a Green like performance from Walkz

 

[Woodsie]

If he wasn't going to pick Hastings then Walker is probably next best option of what is available IMO. Prefer him to Api or either of the Wrights. Might even work out, who knows. At least we know we will be playing an adlib running game on both sides of the ruck - if the forwards play like they did on Friday they may just create enough go forward for it to work - crazy times

Walker will at least ask some questions of their defence ....

Who knows .... Walks has played about 40 games of NRL since he was last at 5/8 ... he is a more mature player now ... he may give us a more mature performance at 5/8 ..

Hope so ....

 

[Eagles2nv]

Has anyone been down to narabeen.

Is walkz even training in the 5/8 role.

Are we sure T Wright isn't training alongside DCE and this is all a smoke screen?

 

[BOZO]

Common Bozo cut the kid some slack,
After the way we have gone so far this year how come your not all over Croaka ? ...or dare I say it Dce after all they're playing behind a better pack now then when Walkz played 5/8.
The dynamics of the team is much improved now so I expect a Green like performance from Walkz

We will agree to disagree feathered friend . I hope you enjoyed our 2016 season

 

[BOZO]

Baz has never really been about smokes and mirrors from what I recall....
Reckon the 17 will be unchanged.

You are right ,Baz has never been about smokes and mirrors . I just wished he would be a bit more proactive and puzzle our opposition . Things may change this week . Wishful thinking

 

[Fluffy]

Lol... what Walker at 6 tells me is Barrett believes he is bigger than the team, and that picking an actual 6 would be the logical solution when you lose a 6 which is what a first grade NRL coach would do. Barrett made the wrong decision, not his first but certainly getting close to his last. Hopefully the club kicks him and picks up a coach.

or it could mean the team is bigger than Hastings

Bellamy dropped Croft for the same thing as well and didn't tell the truth about it either.

 

[globaleagle]

I'm hoping to see more second phase play this weekend.

I always thought we did well if Marty started the game off with a couple of big runs followed by successful offloads.

Saw some big runs last weekend but not a lot of support and/or offload attempts.

 

[BrendonStarr]

Expect Tom to chime in with his short kicking game. Walker is still a massive improvement on Crocker. He is faster and more elusive, better passing game and more experience. Crockers kicking game was non existent anyhow.

We are still capable of tearing the Roosters apart if our completions are high and our discipline is good.

4 tries should win this one for us so this is very possible i believe.

 

[BOZO]

Telegraph ......

MANLY must decide if they will upgrade the contract of Moses Suli before he is allowed to run out in the centres against the Sydney Roosters.

Sea Eagles coach Trent Barrett moved Dylan Walker to the halves for the clash on Tuesday, but that is largely dependent on Suli being granted approval to play by the NRL.

Given his status as a development player, Manly were permitted to name Suli.

But, as they have other five-eighths and halves in their full-time squad, the 19-year-old will not be able to play unless he is upgraded to fill a spot in their top roster.

Barrett spoke last week about his desire not to be rushed into filling the final two positions in his 30-man squad, but that was before Lachlan Croker headlined the latest round of serious injuries at Brookvale.

The development is also the latest in a headline few months for Suli, who was released from big-dollar deals at both the Wests Tigers and Canterbury in the pre-season.

He has since broken through 22 tackles and scored two tries in four NSW Cup games for Manly’s feeder club Blacktown Workers.

If Suli isn’t upgraded, Manly have two other options.

They can either blood young star Tom Wright for his NRL debut at five-eighth or centre, or recall the exiled Jackson Hastings back into the team at No.6. Hastings hasn’t played for Manly since the club’s disastrous trip to Gladstone last month and has spent the past three games playing for Blacktown as the club’s woes continue.

He was named in the No.19 jersey, but appears unlikely to play given he did not train with the team on Tuesday before Wednesday’s day off.

Hastings’ plight continues to be the talking point of the league. Teammate and NRL state of mind ambassador Joel Thompson backed Barrett’s selections but said Hastings’ welfare had to be kept in mind.

“No one wants to see players that come under pressure from media and different stuff like that,” Thompson said.

“Myself and other players made sure we got in touch with him and made sure he was OK.

“I’m not best mates with Hasto but made sure he’s OK, made sure he had our support there if he needed it.

“He will come out of it. He’ll be fine and he’ll learn a lot from it.”

 

[Fluffy]

He lied about the team casting Hastings out, he refuses to pick him while the boys continue to turn up and support him, even going to games. Barrett refuses to speak about it. Its blatantly obvious Barrett has something against Hastings.

So what is the truth then?

 

[Fluffy]

I’ve seen two games. He is overweight and did not bust a single tacklie. Mitchell will destroy him.

He is weeks away from competing in first grade.

Must have snared the goat photos off Brown .

So that means his 22 tackle busts have come from just 2 games. Sounds like he is finding form.

Could be a great call then.

 

[Woodsie]

Sorry to depart from the Walker hysteria ... but I find it interesting that Lanky Lane has been named at 2nd row and Frankie on the bench. My initial thoughts are the reverse .... ?

PSS re Gojetski ... the kid has something .... but over 15 missed tackles in 3 games ... that is more than Frankie missed all last year ...

 

[HoldenV8]

I agree @Woodsie , I would have thought it better to leave Lane as the bench prop where he is playing better than to move him back into the back row where he is known to be lazy. I would rather see Frank starting in the #12 and Lane still as a bench front rower who can play back row when needed.

 

[Woodsie]

I agree @Woodsie , I would have thought it better to leave Lane as the bench prop where he is playing better than to move him back into the back row where he is known to be lazy. I would rather see Frank starting in the #12 and Lane still as a front rower who can play back row when needed.

And the one thing I like about Frank is he keeps the team well shaped in attack and defence ... something I think has gone backwards without him and Siro ...

Last week we made a gazillion metres in the forwards but didn't have the shape off the back of it to take advantage ....

 

[robbiea]

I see why Jakes cut lip hasnt healed over the past 3 weeks ,terribly unhygienic licking the Coach's arse...

 

[ricardo]

And the one thing I like about Frank is he keeps the team well shaped in attack and defence ... something I think has gone backwards without him and Siro ...

Last week we made a gazillion metres in the forwards but didn't have the shape off the back of it to take advantage ....

Agree, I’ve always liked Frank in the second row. I don’t get why he is maligned, he was integral to our 2017 campaign and I rate him higher than Siro in his role, although Siro provides more in attack. Nothing wrong with a tackling machine second rower!