Next week’s team and the rest of the season

[ricardo]

I want Funa at centre and Haumole at second row for the rest of the season. I'd love Jake at prop for 60 minutes a game. Lastly I'd love Cust to play 6 the season out

 

[Budgie]

Exactly who is available next week? I'm thinking out are: Turbo, Walker, AFB, Curtis.
What do we know about Parker, Marty, Joel?
Anyone else injured?
Hard to think about an ideal team when we have no clue of their health. I feel like our physio reports are a little fibby.

 

[mickqld]

We can chop and change personnel all we like. We have enough capable players to at least he in the 8. The whole problem is the structures and tactics that we are playing with. It's obsolete the way we're playing. Just go back to rd 5. We were only missing Sirro and Fainu. Yet we nearly got done by the most sh*t team in the competition and it was our defense. We don't slide. We haven't done for years and teams constantly kill us out wide with our compressed defense. We don't scramble now at all. Until that issue is solved and we play with a defensive structure then it'll be more of the same. Whose the defense coach. Is it Cartwright ?

 

[master blaster]

I will scream if I see media of any of our players saying stuff like, Friday cant come quick enough or we know can do better and other S..t like that. Boys , you dont win games in the media. Its time to stop talking the talk and start walking the walk. We have had enough already

 

[ManlyTragic]

The only thing that gives me any solace is we always seem to lose against lesser teams and beat better teams completely unexpectedly.

It’s a slim hope but if there’s life there’s hope !

Thats because we are “flying under the radar”
.....In fact I think we may have lost our compass
After next week it may be “ mayday..mayday...mayday!!”

 

[Dion Johnson]

Hopefully the penny has dropped and the team selection can move on from the fringe players and road test Albert and Schuster.

In the pack hoping Guaca holds his spot in 13 playing backrow along with Tent starting the game.

Thompson has not done enough this season to put Guaca on the bench.

 

[Simonmyers11]

I would like to see this side go around, or at least next year

Tom
Funa (Saab)
Suli
Hoppa (full back cover)
Garrick
Walker
DCE
AFB
Faniu
Marty
Siro
Quac
Jake

Cust
Paeska
Sipley
Shuster

Shuster to come on to replace Jake and ball play. Can also cover backline positions.

Hoppa can cover full back and would be a strong centre imo. Strong fast runner. Solid boy. Develop his defence.

 

[Simonmyers11]

I would like to see this side go around, or at least next year

Tom
Funa (Saab)
Suli
Hoppa (full back cover)
Garrick
Walker
DCE
AFB
Faniu
Marty
Siro
Quac
Jake

Cust
Paeska
Sipley
Shuster

Shuster to come on to replace Jake and ball play. Can also cover backline positions.

Hoppa can cover full back and would be a strong centre imo. Strong fast runner. Solid boy. Develop his defence.

Other option to leave Cust at 5/8 and walker to centre, Hoppa to wing but I do like Walker at 5/8 he was really good this year before getting injured. Straightened the attack, strong runner. Solid defence.

I think the key is Tom back (acts like a second 5/8) then Faniu with cause a lot more problems and work better with DCE and his forwards like Jake. Jake at the moment is a tired battering ram, when he played off Faniu and also Tom Jake was catching the ball with clearer space in front of him, busting more tackles and off loading more.

Plus you throw Shuster in at lock and first receiver occasionally or a wider running edge player who can put his outside backs into space

 

[ManlyArmy]

I would like to see this side go around, or at least next year

Tom
Funa (Saab)
Suli
Hoppa (full back cover)
Garrick
Walker
DCE
AFB
Faniu
Marty
Siro
Quac
Jake

Cust
Paeska
Sipley
Shuster

Shuster to come on to replace Jake and ball play. Can also cover backline positions.

Hoppa can cover full back and would be a strong centre imo. Strong fast runner. Solid boy. Develop his defence.

Funa is a centre. Not sure why you'd play a specialist centre on the wing, and then put a fullback in the centre position.

Funa at centre, Hoppa on the wing.

 

[Simonmyers11]

Funa is a centre. Not sure why you'd play a specialist centre on the wing, and then put a fullback in the centre position.

Funa at centre, Hoppa on the wing.

How many good full backs can also play centre. Tom? Australia, state of Origin. Have you even watched Hoppa play, could easily play centre. Good fend and strong, can get on the outside of a player.

Funa needs to show better defence at centre, but yes could also turn out to be very good also.

I kept him on wing over Hoppa as Hoppa is quite small in height wise, but I think he would excel at full back, centre or wing.

Basically, I think that is the best 17 we currently have and they need to be on the field somewhere.

 

[mickqld]

Funa is a centre. Not sure why you'd play a specialist centre on the wing, and then put a fullback in the centre position.

Funa at centre, Hoppa on the wing.

Funa at center. Hoppa at fullback. Turbo will blow another hammy at some stage.

 

[globaleagle]

I will scream if I see media of any of our players saying stuff like, Friday cant come quick enough or we know can do better and other S..t like that. Boys , you dont win games in the media. Its time to stop talking the talk and start walking the walk. We have had enough already

We're hoping that some may say "I'm looking forward to my debut..."

 

[GrahamHughesHairHat]

Mickqld.......u hit the nail on the head, even at full strength we are scratchy in atttack, no smoothness in our plays and defence is a joke
Every team that plays us knows to attack either centre / wing combo and tries are a given

 

[davohan123]

Funa at center. Hoppa at fullback. Turbo will blow another hammy at some stage.

Sadly yes , I say give it 2 rounds into his comeback

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

Funa at center. Hoppa at fullback. Turbo will blow another hammy at some stage.

Probably his first game back ( sadly).

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

Mickqld.......u hit the nail on the head, even at full strength we are scratchy in atttack, no smoothness in our plays and defence is a joke
Every team that plays us knows to attack either centre / wing combo and tries are a given

We are easy to beat these days , they know exactly where to attack.

 

[globaleagle]

We are easy to beat these days , they know exactly where to attack.

I swear I saw a game dogs v manly when des was the dogs coach and all game long they just waited until Taufua followed his centre in...then lobbed a ball over the top to the unmarked winger.

try a thon.

I think that was when the dogs threw t-rex in a 5/8 for a game or someone big like that?

anyway... maybe des only noticed that tactic when he isn't the manly coach.



(international can't be bothered with capitals day)

 

[manly al]

Really like to see young Hoppa get a start even though the season is not quite over yet and the notion of some very questionable stability maybe is still given some priority . Would tend to think centre if not full back , would be wasted on the wing and probably an unfamiliar position for him in any case .Elliot has still been steady under the high ball and Parker reasonably reliable but both with limitations too . Jorge with even more limitations for some time now . If he was given a crack at full back , then Parker [ if available at centre ] with Funa on the wing [ even though he is more suited as a centre ] Hoppa at centre , then with Elliot still at full back until Tom returns and Funa still on the wing . Keep Haumole as a starting back rower with Siro and get Schuster on the bench . A F B will be out , Thommo on the bench for instance with Croker , Keppie [ or boyle ] , and Schuster . Give Jake some time at prop [ he is essentially just carting the ball up regularly now in any case ] to get Schuster on the field . Bit of an awkward prop rotation and present playing structures to take into account but manageable and for the sake of providing a lot more variety in attack

 

[Tragic Eagle]

Des identified the left side when interviewed by fox before the Riff game. I expect he thinks he can fix it with the personal that are there. It certainly does not look that way. I cant help feeling that Des is unhappy with the roster and may be making a point to those above him. Gotta say some poor decisions were made with some recent re signings / extensions. No point keeping reserve graders and parachuting in another reserve grader with first grade potential from time to time we already have plenty of those. We need first graders!

 

[ShanghaiEagle]

I swear I saw a game dogs v manly when des was the dogs coach and all game long they just waited until Taufua followed his centre in...then lobbed a ball over the top to the unmarked winger.

try a thon.

I think that was when the dogs threw t-rex in a 5/8 for a game or someone big like that?

anyway... maybe des only noticed that tactic when he isn't the manly coach.



(international can't be bothered with capitals day)

Never thought I woudl say this, but if its the same old Jorge on the wing and Elliot at fullback, I'd find it hard to watch the game (although I know I am incapable of not watching Manly). Love Jorge and what he has done, but time is up for all the obvious reasons. I like Elliot, but he has lost some of what he had last year and we just need to see someone else in the position - hopefully Hoppa.

Please Des - lets move to the future and use what we have.