New recruits...

[Loobs]

A desperation play for Sam Burgess is probably why Luke didn't get the tap. (Or his other brothers when they are off their deals after next year)

 

[Loobs]

It's a shame Tony Williams maybe could of been that man . Just a thought...

I remember when he first came over from Parra as a winger and there was a story in the Manly Daily about how he had stopped eating Maccas twice a day and was now raring to go and I thought... Here we go...

 

[Chip and Chase]

In Zorbas Manly Daily column

The in-season recruitment by Manly is a tribute to the club in troubled times.

Huge changes have been needed. Not all have been popular but they have been done in order to prevent the slippery dip fall from equal first to ninth not continuing into deep double digits.

Player recruiting over the past four years has been willy nilly.

Not so under the eagle eye of Bob Fulton.

It has been strategically controlled with an emphasis on players who can handle the vital positions of hooker, halfback and five-eighth. Thus the recruitment of Parcell, Koroisau and Brown.

Only the initiated and naive would believe Barrett wasn’t deeply involved in the signing of all three.

So according to Zorba we have recruited Parcell, Api and Brown to cover 1/2, 5/8 and hooker ??? I look at those 3 players and see two hookers and a utility that isn't particulalry good in any of those 3 positions.

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

Player recruiting has been willy nilly? I guess that's why they haven't re-signed Mason
Very foolish of Tooves to fail to recruit more halves in recent years, our cupboard has certainly been bare in that department...

 

[Chip and Chase]

Over the past 4 years ?? what changed 4 years ago ?? oh that's right Des left and Tooves was thrown in the deep end. So the not so subtle inference here is that Tooves has stuffed up player recrutiment and that's why Manly are in a mess. Just more dribble.

 

[Ryan]

Despite all the negativity and pessimism, I think we as it stands right now have more depth, quality and forward depth than many, many years.

Look at how many players may well be playing Reserve Grade here. I think wuth a good game plan, we'll be top 4 next season under Barrett (I mean, look at the quality of that bench ffs):

01. Brett Stewart (extended)
02. Jorge Taufua
03. Steve Matai (healthy)
04. Peta Hiku
05. Clinton Gutherson
06. Jamie Lyon
07. Daly Cherry-Evans
08. Jake Trbojevic
09. Api Koroisou
10. Nate Myles
11. Feleti Meteo
12. Tom Symonds
13. Jamie Buhrer

14. Lewis Brown
15. Darcy Lussick
16. Brenton Lawrence
17. Josh Starling

18. Tom Trbojevic
19. Jesse Sene-Lefeo
20. Blake Leary
21. Matt Ballin
22. Tim Moltzen
23. Matt Parcell
24. Luke Burgess
25. Nathan Green

26. Tom Wright
27. Addison Demetriou
28. Liam Knight
29. Riley Travers
30. Brayden Wiliame

and people are complaining? Jeez guys. We have heaps of first grade depth playing reserve grade.

Then, look at the other players in NYC I haven't even listed.

 

[double hoops]

A good big man will always beat a good little man... In saying that though lots of people saying we need a big edge forward.. I am actually finding it hard to think of a team with a big edge forward. None of the top four have one...

I would love a massive prop/lock though..One with a temper.

Cordiner, Josh Jackson, Thaiday even plays on the edge a fair bit, Tamalolo? If we don't resign Lui who is our best back rower we just don't have someone over 100kg that is good at running at holes. Mateo, Leary, Buhrer, Symonds, Brown are all locks and instinctively thick pass not run. JSL has this funny shuffle, he is all arms n legs but awkward, but he is the only one who I could see becoming that sort of damaging runner in the future. We need a different type of back rower for sure.

 

[rifraff]

Cordiner is the best out of those three but give us the roosters props and we wouldn't need anything other than Buhrer or Symonds

 

[Brothers manly]

You know looking at the Roosters who got Moa, Malagi and then Taukeiaho either midseason or when other clubs could have had them .
Would have been good to have had those three in our pack this year or even 2016. Have that go forward and mongrel only Jake T has for us.

 

[Ryan]

Anyone see #8 for The Roosters NYC Billy Tsikrikas ? Very Jake Trbojevic like.

Will be 21 next season.

I would LOVE to give The Chooks some of their own medicine and flog him from them.

He and Jake to start, mobile, strong, young. Make it happen.

 

[Brothers manly]

Ryan you think that starting back row of Symonds, Buhrer and Mateo is a dynamic hard running, strong tackling trio of top first grade standard. Certainly disagree. Buhrer has not even recovered from his ACL yet.
As for Brown, Api and Parcell, if Ballin was fit none of them would be in my run on side.
Done think we have recruited well at all. Refer to last mail above.

 

[Ryan]

Ryan you think that starting back row of Symonds, Buhrer and Mateo is a dynamic hard running, strong tackling trio of top first grade standard. Certainly disagree. Buhrer has not even recovered from his ACL yet.
As for Brown, Api and Parcell, if Ballin was fit none of them would be in my run on side.
Done think we have recruited well at all. Refer to last mail above.

Get what your saying, but we'll never compete with The Chooks roster wise, because it's to the point its a running joke they cheat the cap.

They scoure the league, and just sign anyone they want.

Taylor, Lussick, JWH, Tasi who started with us recently as examples.

Our NYC team has some really, really good players. Fully fit, they can dominate the other teams.

Reminds me of when we had Tasi, JWH, Buhrer, Foran, DCE, Edwards and others running around.

Maybe this time we save cap space to retain some of these kids. Demetriou could be anything imo. Knight looks great. Trbojevic is probably the best player of that era. Ramien, Travers etc etc etc.

Buold from within. That's also how you build culture.

 

[Fluffy]

Mateo plays on the left, is well over 100 kegs and has been regularly chipping in with tough runs but somehow doesn't count to suit peoples argument.

 

[Fluffy]

Get what your saying, but we'll never compete with The Chooks roster wise, because it's to the point its a running joke they cheat the cap.

They scoure the league, and just sign anyone they want.

Taylor, Lussick, JWH, Tasi who started with us recently as examples.

Our NYC team has some really, really good players. Fully fit, they can dominate the other teams.

Reminds me of when we had Tasi, JWH, Buhrer, Foran, DCE, Edwards and others running around.

Maybe this time we save cap space to retain some of these kids. Demetriou could be anything imo. Knight looks great. Trbojevic is probably the best player of that era. Ramien, Travers etc etc etc.

Buold from within. That's also how you build culture.

You might need to re-think on Travers, he has been dropped to the bench for a while now.

Pearsell looks the best of the halves in that squad from the few games I have seen this year.

 

[Ryan]

You might need to re-think on Travers, he has been dropped to the bench for a while now.

Pearsell looks the best of the halves in that squad from the few games I have seen this year.

Not sure mate. I know Travers got injured, and by the time he got fit again, someone took his spot.

Good thing though....more quality the better.

I just think we have some awesome talent coming through. I hope we have the cap to retain them.

 

[Ryan]

Lussick will surprise everyone. I almost guarantee that. He was close to rep footy at one point.

Everyone who goes to Parra goes to mud. Look at Hopoate.

Player cemetery

 

[Nice Beaver]

A good big man will always beat a good little man... In saying that though lots of people saying we need a big edge forward.. I am actually finding it hard to think of a team with a big edge forward. None of the top four have one...

I would love a massive prop/lock though..One with a temper.

I would think Gavin Cooper at the Cowboys would be classed as a big edge forward?

 

[NickRobbo1998]

If Lussick finds some good form, he could be a big strong back rower, maybe, possibly, im dreaming, please, hypothetically speaking,

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

No chance. I suggested to him during 2012 that he might be able to step into T Rex's backrow spot but he said his backrow days were behind him. I doubt his leg speed and agility have improved since then.

 

[Budgie]

This time last year (actually a bit later!) all the talk was about how good our team would be this year, so stocked with talent that the problem would be who to leave out.
I've learned from that.
Will just wait and see what happens.