No negatives

[Poola]

Great game by both teams. We had the game well set until we let a drop kick turn us around and pow they got us. I still feel we can get there in September, however a few things need to go our way. Seriously we are not out of it just a bit jaded. Looking at the game tonight though I wonder how we can overcome them. We played well, yet lost. Any thoughts?

 

[The Who]

Big Red will come back next week. He will add punch; more than Buhrer who is just a little small for a forward.
It was a quality game. Souffs are good, but far from unbeatable.
Who do you think would have won had we won the penalties 10-5?

 

[Mal Cochrane]

manly aren't in the same league as Rooster, Souths and Melbourne. manly have a better team than Melbourne, but Melbourne, as well as Souths and Roosters have a better game

Foran is hot and cold and manly need him to be dominant near week in week out like, like Maloney and Reynolds. I look for Daly two dads for something to happen rather than Foran. Horo has been a sound buy, but again he is hot and cold.

Prove me wrong boys, but no premiership in 2013

 

[Fluffy]

we were the better team tonight so how are we not in the same league

 

[Budgie]

Don't forget we only had a five day turnaround while they had seven. Agree: no negatives.

 

[anthonyb1965]

manly aren't in the same league as Rooster, Souths and Melbourne. manly have a better team than Melbourne, but Melbourne, as well as Souths and Roosters have a better game

Foran is hot and cold and manly need him to be dominant near week in week out like, like Maloney and Reynolds. I look for Daly two dads for something to happen rather than Foran. Horo has been a sound buy, but again he is hot and cold.

Prove me wrong boys, but no premiership in 2013

Seriously???

 

[bob dylan]

I thought that was a super effort tonight.

If we had taken the shot from the penalty about 5 before half time, and if they had a better angle of Stevies try who knows?

Great performance from both teams.

 

[Mal Cochrane]

better team....and what was the score again? Better team for the first half maybe....

Even still, if you think manly were the overall better team, doesn't matter if you are the better team, it's who comes off with 2 points.

3 tries to nil in the second half.

 

[Technical Coach]

A more clinical attack and we can still win this premiership, once again not enough points scored against the top sides.

The effort was superb though you can't knock them in that department.

Like the recession we had to have this is the best thing that can happen to Manly in my eyes. The attack over the last 6 weeks against weak opposition was still hiding our flaws even though improvements have been made.

 

[Mal Cochrane]

Let's hope so!

 

[Captain Moondog]

The refs are biased, it stands out like dogs balls. Given a level playing field we can beat anybody, but we're not getting that at the moment.
I've thought for a while the NRL want a Roosters/Souths grand final and nothing I saw tonight has caused me to change my mind.

 

[mozgrame]

The refs are biased, it stands out like dogs balls. Given a level playing field we can beat anybody, but we're not getting that at the moment.
I've thought for a while the NRL want a Roosters/Souths grand final and nothing I saw tonight has caused me to change my mind.

Me too!

 

[NYEagle]

My instinct tells me I'm not worried at all after that game.

Manly played pretty well, but I agree with the post above, the 5 day turnaround made Manly a bit flat and unable to land the knockout.

I also noticed they dropped their shoulders noticeable after the Matia no try. By process it was ruled correctly, but I think it affected Manly noticeably as they probably felt they had the game then and there.

That's footy. At the end of the day, all of the top four teams, including Manly, are capable of winning the premiership, and that makes it very exciting.

I don't worry about crap like they havenever beaten a top 4 team. Means nothing. They were in every game and it just takes small tipping points to decide them.

NYEagle

 

[wedgetail eagle]

Big Red will come back next week. He will add punch; more than Buhrer who is just a little small for a forward.
It was a quality game. Souffs are good, but far from unbeatable.
Who do you think would have won had we won the penalties 10-5?

True. Come Finals time the Pinkerton's will be under more scrutiny so less likely to sweat the small stuff & let the game flow.
We can only hope.

 

[The Who]

Probably the difference tonight was the amount of ball Souffs had in the second half which allowed Isaac Luke to run from dummy half and give the team a roll on. We were defending for most of that half.

 

[Merdy33]

better team....and what was the score again? Better team for the first half maybe....

You acknowledge we were the better team in the first half, yet we're not in their league eh? Doesn't make sense.
With an even penalty count and Matai's try awarded, things would be much different.

 

[Mal Cochrane]

well, i said maybe, but yeah manly were better. But Souths were better in the 2nd half - that doesn't make it a draw, does it?

Souths were FAR better...and get Burgess back. Played souths twice and lost twice, having not beaten a top 4 team, whilst acknowledging the gutsy draw against Melbourne just gives me the opinion we are not up to their level. Maybe ' not in their league' was a bit dramatic by myself.

Losing Joe and King may well show in the finals and I'd say manly would be a different team if we didn't lose that depth in the forwards.

No doubt the backs are one of the best in the league.

 

[Evo]

Good discussion and great game.

The big stat for me:
Balin only 10m's gained,
Luke 90ms +....Mostly last third of game.

We have to give matty a break, and a fresh dummy half running at big buggered forwards for at least 20mins.

 

[Technical Coach]

Sick of all the comments off the back of commentators recently proclaiming "the best backline in the game" been said way too often this last 6 weeks against weak opposition.

Goes to show it is not always about having the best players but the best team and structures which is a positive in my eyes offers all teams hope.

 

[Ron E. Gibbs]

We played pretty well but so did Souths. As soon as Perenara said "no try" on Matai's effort I knew we were stuffed, despite it clearly being a try seven days a week. For all our dominance we got no reward.
Thought Reynolds was great for them. There is no alternate universe in which he isn't a better halfback than Mitchell Pearce.