Manly stuff

[ALinda]

Recently I've posted items written by Adam Lucius in his sports column "Inside Back" in a local weekly publication "Northern Beaches Review". Usually I post them in a thread related to a specific player or subject but I thought I'd start a thread for all things Manly in general. (Hope this is allowed.) Thought they may be of interest particularly to those non-northern beaches Manly fans. Sorry I can't put a link in as I'm technically challenged.

Here's a story he's written in "Inside Back" this week:

"Manly's brainiest fan predicts star season
You don't have to be a rocket scientist to know Manly is the only team to follow in the NRL.
You can now add astrophysicist to the list. Bryan Gaensler may just be the NRL's brainiest fan. Born and bred on the northern beaches, Gaensler resides in Canada where he works as professor of astronomy at the University of Toronto.
The former Young Australian of the Year shot to worldwide prominence in the field of astronomy after discovering supernova remnants aligned with the magnetic field of the Milky Way like 'cosmic compasses'. We had to Google that last bit, but it basically means Bryan is the Tom Trbojevic of his profession.
So how the hell did he fall in love with rugby league? "I grew up in Frenchs Forest and started going for Manly in the early 1980's. My dad worked for Pioneer, who were the main sponsor at the time, and he would bring home lost of Manly swag." he told "Inside Back" on a freezing (-9C) afternoon in Toronto.
"I watch all the games online. Usually it's too early in the morning here to watch them live, so I catch them a few hours later after putting myself on an internet ban so I don't see the score. I keep up with club news through membership mailings and the Facebook group."
His work colleagues also cop a regular dose of Eagle Rock, with Gaensler draping a huge 'Manly Sea Eagles' banner in the office and covering his laptop and work area with Manly stickers. "All our computers at work have names so the IT guys can keep track of them. My two computers are called 'Turbo' and 'Snake'," he added.
And last month he planted a Sea Eagles Easter egg in the background to a live interview he did on astronomy for Canadian TV.
Gaensler loves being able to spread the word, but occasionally cops stick for being a Manly supporter even in remote Canada. "It's great to be able to wear a Manly jersey here and almost nobody notices or cares, but every now and then I still get someone yelling 'Manly suck!," he laughed.
As for the 2022 season, Gaensler doesn't need to consult the stars to predict another good year for Manly. "We need to work on the handling errors, ruck infringements and soft try-line defence," he said. "If Professor Des has dealt with all that in the off-season, maybe we can go all the way!"

I can't help but wonder if Gaensler might be @globaleagle?! In any case, good on him!

 

[Shoe1]

Bryan made the first ever sea eagles fan website, most likely the very first rugby league-related website. This was in the early days of the web, when it was dial-up. He hung it off the end of a University of Sydney server. This website has been archived by the State Library of NSW.

 

[Shoe1]

Now on a Toronto server:

Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles Home Page

 

[The Wheel]

Recently I've posted items written by Adam Lucius in his sports column "Inside Back" in a local weekly publication "Northern Beaches Review". Usually I post them in a thread related to a specific player or subject but I thought I'd start a thread for all things Manly in general. (Hope this is allowed.) Thought they may be of interest particularly to those non-northern beaches Manly fans. Sorry I can't put a link in as I'm technically challenged.

Here's a story he's written in "Inside Back" this week:

"Manly's brainiest fan predicts star season
You don't have to be a rocket scientist to know Manly is the only team to follow in the NRL.
You can now add astrophysicist to the list. Bryan Gaensler may just be the NRL's brainiest fan. Born and bred on the northern beaches, Gaensler resides in Canada where he works as professor of astronomy at the University of Toronto.
The former Young Australian of the Year shot to worldwide prominence in the field of astronomy after discovering supernova remnants aligned with the magnetic field of the Milky Way like 'cosmic compasses'. We had to Google that last bit, but it basically means Bryan is the Tom Trbojevic of his profession.
So how the hell did he fall in love with rugby league? "I grew up in Frenchs Forest and started going for Manly in the early 1980's. My dad worked for Pioneer, who were the main sponsor at the time, and he would bring home lost of Manly swag." he told "Inside Back" on a freezing (-9C) afternoon in Toronto.
"I watch all the games online. Usually it's too early in the morning here to watch them live, so I catch them a few hours later after putting myself on an internet ban so I don't see the score. I keep up with club news through membership mailings and the Facebook group."
His work colleagues also cop a regular dose of Eagle Rock, with Gaensler draping a huge 'Manly Sea Eagles' banner in the office and covering his laptop and work area with Manly stickers. "All our computers at work have names so the IT guys can keep track of them. My two computers are called 'Turbo' and 'Snake'," he added.
And last month he planted a Sea Eagles Easter egg in the background to a live interview he did on astronomy for Canadian TV.
Gaensler loves being able to spread the word, but occasionally cops stick for being a Manly supporter even in remote Canada. "It's great to be able to wear a Manly jersey here and almost nobody notices or cares, but every now and then I still get someone yelling 'Manly suck!," he laughed.
As for the 2022 season, Gaensler doesn't need to consult the stars to predict another good year for Manly. "We need to work on the handling errors, ruck infringements and soft try-line defence," he said. "If Professor Des has dealt with all that in the off-season, maybe we can go all the way!"

I can't help but wonder if Gaensler might be @globaleagle?! In any case, good on him!

So come on Global? Yes or No.

I think no

 

[ManEagle]

So come on Global? Yes or No.

I think no

He's gone quiet, cover blown

 

[47MVEagle]

I can't help but wonder if Gaensler might be @globaleagle?! In any case, good on him!

I wondered exactly the same thing!

 

[globaleagle]

I'm much smarter than a professor of astronomy! The study of shiny dots in the sky..! Psssh, get back to me when you can bend the space-time continuum allowing for instant space travel. (I'm kidding, the guy's a champ!)

And he does have a PhD, so he wins.

You can buy his book!

Amazon.com

(Unless of course it really is me and now I'm trying to drum up book sales for myself)

(lol)

@Shoe1 has already linked Bryan's website and I did email him about 5 years ago and even back then he said he has still kept up with his season membership and that his Manly website was still getting about 30 hits a day. @Mark from Brisbane used to post on it!

So it isn't me, and I only went quiet because I was out 'having a drink or two'.

He's right about the Manly gear though. No one really notices it. Most people think you are talking about Union when you mention rugby league and I probably look older and grumpier than Bryan as not even aussies on holidays have yelled 'Manly suck' out at me. (yet)

Thanks @ALinda for posting the article (and for thinking I may be capable of reaching the lofty heights of a professor, much appreciated...!)

I mean, I am, life just took me on a different path.


edit: You can also see's Bryan's interview with his Manly's "easter egg" here: "Aboot" 49 seconds in.

CTV National News: Mysterious object

Astronomers are investigating after the discovery of mysterious object in space. Joy Malbon reports.

www.ctvnews.ca

 

[Briza]

Now on a Toronto server:

Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles Home Page

I remember it fondly.

 

[Terry Zarsoff]

I'm much smarter than a professor of astronomy! The study of shiny dots in the sky..! Psssh, get back to me when you can bend the space-time continuum allowing for instant space travel. (I'm kidding, the guy's a champ!)

And he does have a PhD, so he wins.

You can buy his book!

Amazon.com

(Unless of course it really is me and now I'm trying to drum up book sales for myself)

(lol)

@Shoe1 has already linked Bryan's website and I did email him about 5 years ago and even back then he said he has still kept up with his season membership and that his Manly website was still getting about 30 hits a day. @Mark from Brisbane used to post on it!

So it isn't me, and I only went quiet because I was out 'having a drink or two'.

He's right about the Manly gear though. No one really notices it. Most people think you are talking about Union when you mention rugby league and I probably look older and grumpier than Bryan as not even aussies on holidays have yelled 'Manly suck' out at me. (yet)

Thanks @ALinda for posting the article (and for thinking I may be capable of reaching the lofty heights of a professor, much appreciated...!)

I mean, I am, life just took me on a different path.


edit: You can also see's Bryan's interview with his Manly's "easter egg" here: "Aboot" 49 seconds in.

CTV National News: Mysterious object

Astronomers are investigating after the discovery of mysterious object in space. Joy Malbon reports.

www.ctvnews.ca

Thanks Bryan.

 

[Will on the hill]

What a wonderful piece of history.

This was in the first few comments

Unfortunately I could not make it Brookie on Sunday to farewell that grand old gentleman Sir Cliff Lyons. Yes that's what I reckon they should add to his title, drop the Mr & add "Sir".

It is almost impossible to imagine a Manly game without Cliffy there setting up trys for Beaver Menzies (I just wonder how many of his career 88 trys were scored.....Lyons to Menzies who scores???????? ....it would be interesting to know?) And what about his efforts in the 1987 and all the 90's Grand Final's (hope there is one more there for you Cliff), truely unforgetable.

I watched from afar on Sunday and Foxtel did not show any of the post game celebrations and despite the wet weather I hope everyone at the game gave him the sendoff he deserves. Look I know everyone is sad to seem him go, and so am I, and yes perhaps he would have been a great fresh reserve for another couple of years but the game must go on as does life.

To Sir Cliff, you have been the heart and soul of the Eagles for the last 13 years, good luck in your retirement (but it's ok for you to play in the UK) and most of all,

"Thanks for the memories"
Mark from Moree

Way to be an early adopter @Mark from Brisbane. I was still in High School and had only just discovered the wonders of the WWW machine.

 

[globaleagle]

Thanks Bryan.

That's life...!

 

[Terry Zarsoff]

That's life...!

With Sanyo.

 

[globaleagle]

With Sanyo.

I was going for 'life of Brian' - but you've out 'olded' me, lol

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

What a wonderful piece of history.

This was in the first few comments

Unfortunately I could not make it Brookie on Sunday to farewell that grand old gentleman Sir Cliff Lyons. Yes that's what I reckon they should add to his title, drop the Mr & add "Sir".

It is almost impossible to imagine a Manly game without Cliffy there setting up trys for Beaver Menzies (I just wonder how many of his career 88 trys were scored.....Lyons to Menzies who scores???????? ....it would be interesting to know?) And what about his efforts in the 1987 and all the 90's Grand Final's (hope there is one more there for you Cliff), truely unforgetable.

I watched from afar on Sunday and Foxtel did not show any of the post game celebrations and despite the wet weather I hope everyone at the game gave him the sendoff he deserves. Look I know everyone is sad to seem him go, and so am I, and yes perhaps he would have been a great fresh reserve for another couple of years but the game must go on as does life.

To Sir Cliff, you have been the heart and soul of the Eagles for the last 13 years, good luck in your retirement (but it's ok for you to play in the UK) and most of all,

"Thanks for the memories"
Mark from Moree

Way to be an early adopter @Mark from Brisbane. I was still in High School and had only just discovered the wonders of the WWW machine.

Yes my first foray into the internet , long time ago.

 

[The Wheel]

Yes my first foray into the internet , long time ago.

What’s ever happened to Aaron Markie? OEE another great Sea Eagle site!

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

What’s ever happened to Aaron Markie? OEE another great Sea Eagle site!

Aaron and I remain friends all these years later, he works in the App development field.

Interestingly up until a few years ago he was employed by Telstra / NRL to develop and run the NRL app and the integrated club websites.

 

[ALinda]

Adam Lucius wrote in his column "Inside Back" this week:

"Sea Eagles season rated by the experts
The wait is over. The 2022 NRL premiership kicks-off this week, with Manly Sea Eagles up against defending premiers Penrith at BlueBet Stadium on Thursday. Coming off the back of a better-than-expected 2021 campaign, not a lot has changed at the Sea Eagles over summer - just the way Des Hasler likes it.
"Inside Back" asked four of the game's top experts their thoughts on Hasler's men.

Greg Alexander
Rinse and repeat. When Alexander measures up Manly circa 2021 against this year's version, he doesn't see a lot changing. Same coach, same captain, same spine.
And the same old Tommy Trbojevic...with a slight proviso. "We might not see the point-scoring we saw last season, but I think Manly will have a very similar season," Alexander told us. "I particularly like the look of their young guys. Haumole Olakau'atu with a season under his belt was outstanding last year, (Josh) Schuster is a talent, Taniela Paseka is starting to believe in himself. Manly will be in or just around the top four."
Collaroy-based Alexander can see no reason why Turbo won't dominate to the extent he did last year, but saw a worrying trend in the finals. "At the end of the season when games were tight, there weren't as many opportunities and points scored," Brandy said. "The opposition sides did a pretty good job on Tom and kept him relatively quiet by his standards and that's up to his teammates to get him more involved. But he's an incredible player so you wouldn't put it past him to go as well as he did last season."

Matty Johns
Johns starts with a question when you ask him about the Sea Eagles in 2022. "OK, how many games have we got Tom playing?" he asked. "If you say to me right now 'Matty, Tommy Trbojevic plays 21 games' then I'm telling you Manly is in for a big season. And not only are they are in for a big season, he wins the Dally M again. I've got him at (odds of) $1.04 to do it. He's a 'can't miss' if he stays free of injury. It's stating the obvious, but he is just that important to that side."
Johns drifts off to other matters, like the price of a schooner at the Collaroy Beach Services Club, before the conversation returns to rugby league and, specifically, Manly. "Look, apart from Tommy, they've got a lot going for them. I like the halves DCE (Dally Cherry-Evans) and (Kieran) Foran, their wingers (Reuben Garrick and Jason Saab) can really motor, Josh Schuster is class and they've got some great young forwards coming through. But do you want to know their greatest asset? The bloke with all the hair, Des Hasler. He does not leave a single stone unturned in trying to win a game of football. With Des in charge, Manly will always be competitive."
So, with all that in mind, where do they finish? "Like any team, they will need a good run with injury and, if they get that, I expect them to be in that top four range," Johns predicted. "They are certainly in the conversation (for potential competition winners)."

Brad Fittler
Terrey Hills-based Freddy is not quite as excited about Manly's prospects as others. Last year's finals series still weighs heavily on his mind. "They got beaten easily in two games and won one easily. It shows you their defence hasn't caught up to the others (at the top)," he told us. "And compared to some of the other clubs, I'm just not sure how their next tier of players look. They've still got a lot of players who are inexperienced, like Olakau'atu and Schuster and their two wingers (Saab and Garrick)."
But they do have Turbo. "With the style they play, he'll be just too good for poor defences," Fittler said. "I think he will have a great year, but the finals showed good defences can stop it so they're going to have to come up with more."
So where do Manly finish? "They'd be extremely disappointed if they weren't top eight. A top four would be a great result."

Braith Anasta
Anasta has no doubt where Manly will finish and who will get them there.
He declared: "I really like Manly. They will be there simply because they've got too much strike-power with Tom. It's hard to match last season - it was superhuman - but if anyone can do it, it's him. He's just a natural freak."
Anasta also likes the lack of change at Brookvale. The Sea Eagles only lost one player they would have liked to have kept - centre Moses Suli to the Dragons - and brought workaholic Brisbane forward Ethan Bullemor to the northern beaches.
In theory, the combinations that were so good last year should be even more lethal this year.
"They will be in the top four with a real chance to win the whole thing," Anasta predicted. "They know each other's games inside out and there's simply so many quality players there for them not to be competitive."

Typical Freddy comments
This article isn't really telling us anything we don't already know (lol) but worth reading for some positivity.

 

[Tragic Eagle]

I don't care what the journos and commentators think. Anything can happen the players just have to want it bad enough. We were run over by a truck on Friday night. We need to become a truck.

 

[ALinda]

In Adam Lucius's column 'Inside Back' this week:

"Hostile Welcome
Trent Barrett will return to his old home ground for the first time as a rival head coach when Canterbury take on winless Manly at 4 Pines Park on Sunday night.
Barrett split from the Sea Eagles in acrimonious circumstances four years ago, taking his garden furniture and plenty of bitterness with him.
Manly fans enjoyed watching Barrett struggle last year, taking particular delight in their side's 66-0 walloping of the Dogs in round 16.
But the Canterbury boss heads back to the northern beaches with a spring in his step after two solid performances, including a first round win, from his side.
As for Manly, well, they sit rock bottom after disappointing back-to-back losses to Penrith and the Roosters. Barrett would love to add to the misery.
"It's always a challenge going to Brookvale, particularly with them losing their opening two games and the opening of their new stand," he told Inside Back.
"We're under no illusions at how difficult that will be, but we will be OK."

"Hostile Welcome" - really? lol
"...taking his garden furniture and plenty of bitterness with him." - lol
"...but we will be OK" - but I'd like to think Manly will be more than OK!

 

[Cameron]

Recently I've posted items written by Adam Lucius in his sports column "Inside Back" in a local weekly publication "Northern Beaches Review". Usually I post them in a thread related to a specific player or subject but I thought I'd start a thread for all things Manly in general. (Hope this is allowed.) Thought they may be of interest particularly to those non-northern beaches Manly fans. Sorry I can't put a link in as I'm technically challenged.

Here's a story he's written in "Inside Back" this week:

"Manly's brainiest fan predicts star season
You don't have to be a rocket scientist to know Manly is the only team to follow in the NRL.
You can now add astrophysicist to the list. Bryan Gaensler may just be the NRL's brainiest fan. Born and bred on the northern beaches, Gaensler resides in Canada where he works as professor of astronomy at the University of Toronto.
The former Young Australian of the Year shot to worldwide prominence in the field of astronomy after discovering supernova remnants aligned with the magnetic field of the Milky Way like 'cosmic compasses'. We had to Google that last bit, but it basically means Bryan is the Tom Trbojevic of his profession.
So how the hell did he fall in love with rugby league? "I grew up in Frenchs Forest and started going for Manly in the early 1980's. My dad worked for Pioneer, who were the main sponsor at the time, and he would bring home lost of Manly swag." he told "Inside Back" on a freezing (-9C) afternoon in Toronto.
"I watch all the games online. Usually it's too early in the morning here to watch them live, so I catch them a few hours later after putting myself on an internet ban so I don't see the score. I keep up with club news through membership mailings and the Facebook group."
His work colleagues also cop a regular dose of Eagle Rock, with Gaensler draping a huge 'Manly Sea Eagles' banner in the office and covering his laptop and work area with Manly stickers. "All our computers at work have names so the IT guys can keep track of them. My two computers are called 'Turbo' and 'Snake'," he added.
And last month he planted a Sea Eagles Easter egg in the background to a live interview he did on astronomy for Canadian TV.
Gaensler loves being able to spread the word, but occasionally cops stick for being a Manly supporter even in remote Canada. "It's great to be able to wear a Manly jersey here and almost nobody notices or cares, but every now and then I still get someone yelling 'Manly suck!," he laughed.
As for the 2022 season, Gaensler doesn't need to consult the stars to predict another good year for Manly. "We need to work on the handling errors, ruck infringements and soft try-line defence," he said. "If Professor Des has dealt with all that in the off-season, maybe we can go all the way!"

I can't help but wonder if Gaensler might be @globaleagle?! In any case, good on him!

Theres a blast from the past. The first unofficial manly website back in 1997-1998 was run by Bryan. For its time it was a great website even if it was on dial up