Melbourne 2007 vs Manly 2008

We'd win of course 😉

They played 3 finals games in 2007 for results of 40-0, 26-10 and of course 34-8 in the big one. 100-18 F/A

This year we went 38-6, 32-6 and of course 40-0 in the big one. 110-12 F/A.

Two pretty dominant finals displays, although I think if the Manly side of 2008 had turned out in 2007 we'd have beaten them.
 
It would've been the GF that everyone thought it was going to be.
I'm not ruling out a best of three next year.

When you look at it, the Broncos & Warriors are the only ones looking likely to stop it happening. Unless someone like the Tigers, Dragons or Raiders come up with some kind of magic we're looking pretty close to a threepeat.
 
I think the team to watch out for most next year is the Cowboys. Neil Henry showed what he can do as a coach this year with the Raiders – he gives his sides freedom to show off their skills and play some seriously impressive football in the process. The Cows missed all of their big guns during the season - Bowen barely played, Thurston missed huge chunks of the year and wasn’t fit when he did play, their forward pack (O’Donnell, Webb, Southern) missed extended periods as well. You add a few extra forwards to that (Kaufusi, Manase Manukafoa) and Willie Tonga…you’ve got plenty of strike weapons and a team that is going to threaten for sure.

I’m picking them to be top four, no doubt. And a definite title threat.

As for Melbourne ’07 to Manly ’08….honestly I’d have to back against us unfortunately. Add Cam Smith and Hoffman into Melbourne ’08 and I’d still pick Manly, but Melbourne’s team last year (with the likes of Cross, Newton etc) and their ability to have Jeremy Smith, Crocker and Lima on the bench…they would’ve beaten us in a close one. Melbourne had a very good football side last year. In fact, I would go as far as saying our team from last year would’ve beaten the side that Melbourne trotted out on Sunday – not as emphatically, but it would’ve been a comfortable victory nevertheless.
 
Hard to measure as the loss last year made us the team we developed into during the semis. This year we were so clinical. One will never know, though it is good to speculate now that we are 1-all!!!
 

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