Post-Game Discussion Manly V Sharks [Round 27, 2024]

[Nambawan]

Their dummy half and backrowers killed us. Not coincidentally the positions where we are weakest.

Happy to see Clayton bag a good try and look like he belonged out there. Disappointed that the other 16 looked like they were already planning their end-of-season trip.

Agree about the dummy-half situation. Manly will continue to NOT progress whilst it continues to stick with Croker - who is the least effective dummy-half, (which arguably is the most important position within an NRL side), in the competition. I am now of the view he actually holds the team back.

 

[LeonardCohen]

The most bizarre thing about Croker is his ruck recognition. There were occasions today when he ran smack bang into two markers and was wrestled to the ground. Then the next set, he’d play with width and throw a long pass nonchalantly to a forward, when the markers were still trying to get themselves up off the ground. He is all effort but he ain’t a hooker!

 

[BirdMan4ever]

Firstly, Our defence line waited and we did not move up , they got fast plays moving as a result we were back peddling the entire game.
Then come our poor decisions, discipline, broken spine, halves asleep, bad Bench rotation and yes crocker should be on the bench with simpkin starting. Hoppa should be our fullback on absence of turbo.

 

[Rosko]

Agree about the dummy-half situation. Manly will continue to NOT progress whilst it continues to stick with Croker - who is the least effective dummy-half, (which arguably is the most important position within an NRL side), in the competition. I am now of the view he actually holds the team back.

We have gone 5 years with zero creativity or class at dummy half. No wonder we cannot compete with the top 4. We have other weaknesses, but that is so glaring, it is incredible an NRL coach cannot see it - and we have 2 who couldn't.

 

[TheSoaringEagle2023]

Fualalo has all the makings of being the next 'Snoz' Michael O'Connor.

 

[Clivus00]

Sharks too strong and fast. Aloiai, Ben, Jake, and Croker are so anaemic in attack. We defend first 3 tackles well, then the opposition make the metres through the centre or run around us at the end of the sets.

 

[Waz13]

Croker and Jake are the bumbling/clumsy/careless elephant in the room.

Barely just toilers these days. We could have one of them in (Jake) and would be better balanced than having 2 tackle bots

Croker is just mainly woeful. Jake tries and cares but is blunt as all hell and does not have a $900 000 impact on a game - any game

We can’t carry both of them in the middle they are just too slow. Honestly Jake is so slow at clearing the ruck these days. And I actually don’t think he wins many tackles either. Love Jake but man I cringe every time he’s fumbling around the ruck trying to get back to marker.

 

[Pete W]

When the going gets tough...
Everytime I let myself believe, even for a moment, that this team can do something special, they wilt under the slightest of pressures. I knew Brailey would be a handful and that Nikora would carve us up, but I thought at Brookie, our guys would step up and really give them hell.

Has this team really improved? Early season scalps mean nothing if you can never step up when your competitors do. I'm calling it now, we will be knocked out next week. As we have been for a decade, bottom half of top 8 at the end of a good season, top half of bottom 8 at the end of the rest...forever mediocre

 

[ManEagle]

The Swan Valley brewery was “ Duckstein “ , I even bought four of their beers for another day.

Pity about your trip East , but regardless it’s great fun being at Brookie.

Might have to head there one weekend, never been, by all accounts you enjoyed...including the backpacker view 🤣

Thank Mark, at the end of the day, we will remember the enjoyable time spent together, and the atmosphere, even the after game sorrow drinks at the leagues, the game itself while dissapointing now, will be long lost when we look back upon it.
Wouldn't trade it for the world

 

[Captain Moondog]

You been looking over my fence captain
I don’t suppose you saw where I put the orchy bottle

Yeah, it's in the old fridge down in the back shed.

 

[manly al]

Second stanza of the i st half seemed to take a lot of edge off the side with so much defence but also seemed off their game from the early stages in general .
Sharks doing things that much quicker and Manly just not able to adjust ,
Have not seem much of the Sharks this season but from yesterday seem a well drilled , very mobile outfit .
Manly and especially defensively made life a bit easier for them but again just that bit of urgency and faster style play that Manly seemed to lack .
Manly still overall have the individual ability to produce a similar brand but too much of the pace yesterday

Need much better from D C E ,Brooksy ,Brown , Froggy in particular and somehow to lift the tempo all round The better defensive reads required are another matter .
Those good individual plays by Haumole and Koula at least some positives ,
Lawton has done well since reverting to an edge but may be inclined to go back to Burbo there . Lodge a bit pedestrian . always the Sipley option but probably will make not much difference at this stage .
How much Turbo in whatever state can help matters , would like to think quite a bit but that alone is not the answer .
Dismaying way to finish after many good home ground performances , but this loss was not on Seibs or the match officials , squarely on the team .
Has been a pretty topsy turvy season for a lot of sides even the better ones , not sure how much more or drastic improvement is needed but quite a bit on any calculation naturally to at least be finals competitive

 

[NYEagle]

I think this team is mentally and physically tired from the extra long season + Vegas experiment. I don't think they had it in them to lift for what was essentially a nothing game. Who cares where they play the Bulldogs.

Let's see if they can lift for next weeks do or die game. It will be fun to watch and my expectations are very low for a team that looks out of ideas.

Having Turbo back is the only X factor. Koula needs to come off the bench.

NYEagle

 

[Highflier]

As many have said and for me the 9 and the ruck speed generated by Cronulla ,was way to good for us .
I love Croker but we are nuts to have him on as a 80 min 9 .Again as many have said we looked a lot faster with Simpkin at 9 and it showed in pretty much all of the games he played .It would be a big call to drop Croker ,but we cannot play him for 80 as a hooker if we want to win imo.
Not sure what we do if we want to carry Koula on the bench as well next week ,but some serious calculations need to be made .
Also Bully needs more minutes and has the gas to do more all so bit disappointed in Aloai yesterday

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

Might have to head there one weekend, never been, by all accounts you enjoyed...including the backpacker view 🤣

Thank Mark, at the end of the day, we will remember the enjoyable time spent together, and the atmosphere, even the after game sorrow drinks at the leagues, the game itself while dissapointing now, will be long lost when we look back upon it.
Wouldn't trade it for the world

I saw some photos of you with my mate Lennie from Tamworth and it looked like you were having a great time.

Yes the Pork Knuckle was great , but we had 4 of us ( and you need it ) $108 for the platter , so $27 each.

And I hope fraulein is there for you but I think she might be heading home soon but who knows they might recruit a new one 😂😂😂

 

[Dee Why Eagle]

At least we are owning this loss & not blaming the ref

 

[Highflier]

At least we are owning this loss & not blaming the ref

yes I don't think the ref had too much to answer for ,yesterday ,we just weren't good enough.
we need more ruck speed to make use of our "weapons" and that all starts at the 9 and we just are lacking there .
Anyways Go Manly next week you are going to do it the hard way ,but just find the way to a win !!

 

[rmd]

I'd love to see the intercept numbers for DCE, as I am sure he has plenty, and unfortunately, that's what he is mostly looking for when he leaves the structured line. When it works, he is a genius, however, when it doesn't, he is left looking like a 'Goose' and it just creates issues for the outside backs of the opposition team as ours have to slide in to cover him.

It's not all doom and gloom after yesterday, just a wake up call after a great game against the Bulldogs.

At one stage in the first half, I am sure I saw the Sharks had 76% possession, and by the end of the game, our guys would have been completely gassed!

Nikora was fabulous against us and gee, I'd like him in our side, or someone similar.

My opinion is that Brownie was 'off' yesterday and that will hopefully inspire him for a better game on the weekend.

I think we all underestimate how much direction Turbo gives the team in both defence and attack from the back, and if he is somewhat fit, I'd put Koula on Right Wing, as while I think Clayton Faulalo will be brilliant in a few years, his defence at the moment is a major concern, as is Garrick at Centre.

Whatever happens, we made the Final 8 for the first time in a couple of years, so that's a good start, however, without a major signing in the 'pack', I can't see any change next year.

 

[Ron E. Gibbs]

It's not all doom and gloom after yesterday, just a wake up call after a great game against the Bulldogs.

My big fear is that we didn't actually play such a "great game" against the Bulldogs. Yes, we got a good win, but we still conceded way too many easy points and looked fragile whenever they threw the ball around.

Our defence has been borderline awful all season, and bad habits - bad structures, poor form - always get shown up at this time of year.

 

[LeonardCohen]

Cam Ciraldo said something interesting last week about his Dogs pack needing possession to be even to have a chance. He's identified that his smallish pack will get walked all over unless they get an even share of possession and stay fresh enough to manage the size of the opposition.

I see Manly as having a similar problem but for a different reason. Our pack is pretty big and cumbersome and lacking speed. If we don't get the lion's share of possession, we gas and we gas hard.

The rot set in yesterday when Brown gave away that dumb penalty on Trindall. We had one set with the ball in 10 minutes after that and you could see the Sharks start turning the screws. Every set, even those the Sharks started from deep inside their own end, were savaging the middle and we were literally hanging on at times.

Against average opposition, we can combat this problem because there will be a dropped ball to swing momentum or maybe a missed tackle and we'll get a nice purple patch with the ball. However, against a side like Cronulla, it doesn't quite work that way. Once they get a roll on, they complete their sets and use their speed. That was the story of the game yesterday; fatigue!

If we held the ball (Garrick and the touchline faux pas) and didn't give away cheap penalties (Brown), we could have stayed in the fight longer yesterday.

 

[LeonardCohen]

I'd love to see the intercept numbers for DCE, as I am sure he has plenty, and unfortunately, that's what he is mostly looking for when he leaves the structured line. When it works, he is a genius, however, when it doesn't, he is left looking like a 'Goose' and it just creates issues for the outside backs of the opposition team as ours have to slide in to cover him.

It's not all doom and gloom after yesterday, just a wake up call after a great game against the Bulldogs.

At one stage in the first half, I am sure I saw the Sharks had 76% possession, and by the end of the game, our guys would have been completely gassed!

Nikora was fabulous against us and gee, I'd like him in our side, or someone similar.

My opinion is that Brownie was 'off' yesterday and that will hopefully inspire him for a better game on the weekend.

I think we all underestimate how much direction Turbo gives the team in both defence and attack from the back, and if he is somewhat fit, I'd put Koula on Right Wing, as while I think Clayton Faulalo will be brilliant in a few years, his defence at the moment is a major concern, as is Garrick at Centre.

Whatever happens, we made the Final 8 for the first time in a couple of years, so that's a good start, however, without a major signing in the 'pack', I can't see any change next year.

Personally, I don't think he is rushing up to look for an intercept because it's so telegraphed that only an idiot couldn't see it coming. He is trying to avoid being passive in defence. I also think it must be a directive from Seibs because he has been doing it regularly the last few weeks. It seems it's a ploy to turn the opposition back inside. It would work better if his outside defenders moved up with him. As it stands, he is making the decision for the opposition, who are simply drawing him and passing and using a 3 on 2 to find points.