Pre-Game Manly v Storm [Round 7, 2023]

[Mark from Brisbane]

Word is Tom will play Friday and Woods will get picked in the 17.

Won’t the Silvertails faithful love that ???

 

[NREagle]

Wonder why Toff is out of favour?

 

[simon64]

Yep , it’s not wrist slitting time just yet !!

No it's not Mark.

But what concerns me is we seem to be unable to stop the opposition pack from making easy metres up the middle.

If we fix that, we are a chance of bouncing back. We don't, and sadly, we're toast.

 

[The Royal Soup]

how the fuk does this washed up flop Woods get a start over Toff??

this club is a joke

 

[mickqld]

Won’t the Silvertails faithful love that ???

Well I did say pick Woods and Sipley. Only to fire a rocket up the rest of them. Not that I think they'll improve us.

 

[TheSoaringEagle2023]

how the fuk does this washed up flop Woods get a start over Toff??

this club is a joke

Toff has been in fine form of late. I think they're trying to get more of that West Tigers secret sauce which has worked so well over the years.

 

[ALinda]

11+ yrs later Nine's 100% Footy tonight were dubbing Friday's game as the Battle of Brookvale. Replayed 'the fight' over and over and joked about DCE being in it even back then. Guess they're clutching at something to promote it...here we go again 🙄

 

[Budgie]

Olam always seems to destroy us. And where is our biggest problem at the moment? Centres.

Any radical thoughts to help with team list Tuesday? And I mean radical!

 

[rj90]

 

[Marto1970]

Harper to have a blinder and tackle Olam everytime he runs

Olam always seems to destroy us. And where is our biggest problem at the moment? Centres.

Any radical thoughts to help with team list Tuesday? And I mean radical!

 

[mave]

Maybe he could start by standing in front of Olam ?
And then defend by any other means, other than by running backwards.

Radical, I know.

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

Harper to have a blinder and tackle Olam everytime he runs

Most sides struggle with Olam, he’s a beast all right.

 

[madmax]

I think it's better than being all gloom and doom and I don't want to sound like I'm just being contrarian but I've heard him say this kind of thing before this last game and he/they don't seem to be able to back it up. I really hope he/they can this Friday.

I know what you mean mate but Josh seems to cop it a lot on here. I personally don’t think he’s played badly the times he’s been on the field. He tries….can’t do it on his own tho! The annoying thing is that he cops it whether he plays well or not.

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

I know what you mean mate but Josh seems to cop it a lot on here. I personally don’t think he’s played badly the times he’s been on the field. He tries….can’t do it on his own tho! The annoying thing is that he cops it whether he plays well or not.

The legacy of the rainbow nation I’m afraid , and I think wrongly maligned as well , he was the spokesperson only because he was the most senior in age, not necessarily the ring leader.

 

[Disco]

Sadly I agree. At nearing 59 I doubt I'll see another premiership the way this sport and especially this club is run. Until a proper draft comes in it'll continue to be like the EPL where only a handful of clubs can ever win it. We were once a super power club but now we are a shadow of those days, run by incompetence and being swallowed up by bigger fish.

Yep same in the UK, just a few ever win !!

We are nothing like the EPL. In the last 13 seasons (Since The Storm salary cap scandal) there have been 8 different premiers, including ourselves.

There will always be well run clubs who compete more than average, always be cycles where clubs have a run in the sun and then always be a few unfortunate basket cases but the NRL on a whole is pretty good for variety.

Some speak like they cant remember or forsee a time where Penrith aren't dominating. Well theyve won the last two but it was 17 years before that. And a lot of those 17 were making up the numbers.

Even at the other end weve had 6 different wooden spooners in the last 7 years

 

[Seagles68]

I know what you mean mate but Josh seems to cop it a lot on here. I personally don’t think he’s played badly the times he’s been on the field. He tries….can’t do it on his own tho! The annoying thing is that he cops it whether he plays well or not.

I think its partly coz he puts himself out there more often than most and not always in the most positive way. However, you do have to seperate the footy player from the social profile but sometimes thats not so easy. Once you get a rep (rightly or wrongly) your footy has to go to another level to compensate. If we get back to where the forwards started against the Bulldogs, then the criticism will probably subside. And I have to confess, I'm more of the "stop talking about it and get out there and do it" type. Lets hope they can this week coz they'll have to if they have any chance.

 

[Eagle 1]

I think it's better than being all gloom and doom and I don't want to sound like I'm just being contrarian but I've heard him say this kind of thing before this last game and he/they don't seem to be able to back it up. I really hope he/they can this Friday.

Yeah, the player interviews seem a bit repetitive to me. All seem to be talking up the good game that's going to come this weekend, good for the fan optics I guess, but talk is cheap, and need to put it out there this Friday night, come on Manly !!

 

[The Eagle Has Landed]

Rain predicted for next Friday. That will help us considering how well we play in the wet

Can't play in the wet. Can't play at night, can't play when the wind is blowing, can't play in the sunshine. Can play touch footy pretty well though.

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

We are nothing like the EPL. In the last 13 seasons (Since The Storm salary cap scandal) there have been 8 different premiers, including ourselves.

There will always be well run clubs who compete more than average, always be cycles where clubs have a run in the sun and then always be a few unfortunate basket cases but the NRL on a whole is pretty good for variety.

Some speak like they cant remember or forsee a time where Penrith aren't dominating. Well theyve won the last two but it was 17 years before that. And a lot of those 17 were making up the numbers.

Even at the other end weve had 6 different wooden spooners in the last 7 years

I was referring to the ESL not the EPL ( that’s a different game ).

Let’s look at the last 10 winners

Apart from the top 3 or 4 you have some one offs , and I well remember in those years discussing on this very forum how things were being “ geared and greased “ to get these sides to win.

South’s in 2014 , the “ Pride of the League “ back so let’s make sure they get there.

Cowboys in 2015, Thurston had done everything ( except won a GF)

Sharks in 2016 , after being busted for drug cheating ( or was that after , if so how convenient) , Gallen, again had done everything and Sharks had never won , so time for a fairytale.

So 30% were “ unexpected “ , 70% from what I now call “ the big 4”.

Next 10 years will ONLY be the big 4 , it’s just geared that way , we, along with the rest are largely cannon fodder.

The only thing that would change is if a Saudi mega billionaire suddenly decided to take an interest in Rugby League and bought a club ( Manly as an example ) and said “ rightio I’m throwing 500 million in to this , you get the best coaches , the best players , the best facilities , and we’ll create a dynasty”.

The NRL have it all covered with the big 4, Queensland , Victoria , western Sydney , and Sydney.

They all rate on TV, they all have excellent facilities , they can all get the best players , they are all superbly funded.

Get used to it I think , and occasionally they’ll allow a non top 4 side to win as it’ll just get plain boring otherwise.

Almost to a tee , identical to the English Super League.

This is how Super League was always meant to be , the ARL lost , the past is the past.

 

[Seagles68]

Can't play in the wet. Can't play at night, can't play when the wind is blowing, can't play in the sunshine. Can play touch footy pretty well though.

Ouch!