NRL: Manly is Currently 14th in Power Rankings

[SeaEagle9413]

Fri 27 Jan, 2017, 7:00am
By Dominic Brock ‌, Production Editor , NRL.com

The 2017 NRL Telstra Premiership season is still more than a month away but with clubs making moves in the player market over the off-season and injuries already wreaking havoc on some squads, we look at how each team is shaping up ahead of the Downer NRL Auckland Nines and pre-season trial games.

...

14. Sea Eagles – The personnel changes continue at Manly with Blake Green, Akuila Uate, Jackson Hastings and Curtis Sironen among a host of new names at the club, while veteran stars Brett Stewart and Steve Matai appear to be on the outer. Daly Cherry-Evans is the new Sea Eagles skipper but can the halfback lead his team back into finals contention?

See all Power Rankings:
http://www.nrl.com/nrl-power-rankings-2017-pre-season/tabid/10874/newsid/103306/default.aspx

 

[bringbackbeaver]

How often do they get it wrong! They had us at 4th last year..

 

[Loobs]

How often do they get it wrong! They had us at 4th last year..

Rounding error.

 

[Eagleheart]

I think they are pretty spot on for us this year. We really have not recruited that well yet again.

I personally predict we will finish about 14th and it is my hope that we avoid the spoon at all costs.

 

[The Who]

On paper I think it's accurate. I'd imagine Illawarra would be 15th and Newcastle last. We have lost a host of superstars over the past two seasons and in many cases replaced them with off-casts from other clubs. Perhaps they will step up - but our squad is so different this year that to rate them any higher than 14th is, sadly, to put hope over previous performance.

 

[Bearfax]

We didnt have those superstars available in 2016 or they were on the slide, so their absence compared with 2016 will not make much difference. If we can avoid injury we'll just slip into the 8. There's some good talent coming through.

 

[Sheikheagle]

We didnt have those superstars available in 2016 or they were on the slide, so their absence compared with 2016 will not make much difference. If we can avoid injury we'll just slip into the 8. There's some good talent coming through.

I agree. I think the recruitment has been pretty good and we have a lot more depth this year. We were never going to replace 3 out and out club legends in one season this will take time and we are going to have to be patient. I imagine we will be looking for high quality next season.

 

[pjayz]

$1.3mill in the bank and a team flooded with youth and ability - the only way is up!

For you and me now....

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

14th about right, and in my opinion we will do slightly better and finish between 10th-12th.

But if injuries hit again, 14th or 15th very possible.

I expect much bigger things in 2018, this as I said last year is about a bunch of players who might step up , if they do they'll get a longer contract, they don't they'll be part of another big clean out in 2017 and then we hit the market for maybe 3 million in decent players, and I believe there's loads coming on at the end of this year.

Good times aren't far away but feel it's a bridge too far for 2017.

 

[Stuey Davis’s Socks]

Under the radar

 

[pjayz]

U know I had that song in my head but I thought the "my somona" thread already stole the limelight...

Yazz I thought the same thing 😉

 

[Danly Manly]

I think we will finish on 36 points!

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

So Mark, if we hadn't had so many injuries last year to Stewart, DCE, Walker, API and Parcell and we were able to keep the same spine and made the finals - would you still be saying you expect 10-14th.

I just can't see how you base this years prediction off such an injury affected 2016?

Not having a dig, just interested to hear why you think we'll do so poorly.

The way I saw 2016 was that we had a poor draw which was a main reason for injuries. That led to an inconsistency in combinations and didn't allow us to have our best players on the park.... didn't they say at one point last year we had 3.5million sitting on the sidelines...? And we still almost made the finals.

So I'm interested to hear why you think an injury free Manly will be 10-14?

Simple really , it's almost like a brand new team!

Chock full of players " hoping" to do well, Hastings , Sirronen , Uate ALL hoping none proven in recent times.

I'd expect they'll take some time to settle in, possibly even a couple of months, during which Id expect them to be only say 1/8 or at best 2/8.

And this is with most games at home.

We then go to a period where many games are away and it's much much harder to win away.

During this time ( up to about round 12) the pressure will be rising on the coach , and the players and nothings worse for them than being under pressure, and I believe it will start to show!

I however expect they'll do better in the second half of the year with the winning % improving but the horse will have bolted and they'll be pushing you know what uphill to make the finals.

I say 10th to 12th, that's an improvement on last year but I've also said we might be surprised.

An opinion only , and not everyone will agree but after more than 50 years watching the game let's see how I go!!

 

[Wombat64]

Under the radar

way under

 

[Wombat64]

So Mark, if we hadn't had so many injuries last year to Stewart, DCE, Walker, API and Parcell and we were able to keep the same spine and made the finals - would you still be saying you expect 10-14th.

I just can't see how you base this years prediction off such an injury affected 2016?

Not having a dig, just interested to hear why you think we'll do so poorly.

The way I saw 2016 was that we had a poor draw which was a main reason for injuries. That led to an inconsistency in combinations and didn't allow us to have our best players on the park.... didn't they say at one point last year we had 3.5million sitting on the sidelines...? And we still almost made the finals.

So I'm interested to hear why you think an injury free Manly will be 10-14?

I'm same view as Mark, I can't see us improving enough to challenge the top teams, I can also see teams like Parra and Roosters improving significantly this year and I can't see enough of the teams that finished above us dropping that far back ..... which doesn't leave much room for us. We are just a few class players short of playing finals.

All is not lost though, these years in the wilderness aren't wasted. We'll be better to watch this year and we'll definitely be more competitive .... 2018 we'll be back up there.

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

Fair call Mark. Appreciate your view.

I just can't help but think that if we had less injuries (and a whole host of other issues) in 2016 we would have made the finals.... then who knows what could have been. We did beat the premiers last year 🙂

If we had made the finals and bought Green, Lane, Perrett, Sirronen, Hastings etc that these recruits would be seen in a much more postive light...

But because of the issues we had which resulted in our poor position on the ladder - these offseason recruits are seen as "hoping" to do well rather than "selected" to improve the overall outfit.

Anyway, I'm the enternal optimist when it comes to the Eagles. I hope (and I'm sure you do also) that the boys prove your 10-12 wrong. Happy to rule a line through 2016 due to the season that was.

Less injuries - I don't see why we can't make the finals...

Mate if we made the 8 I'd be very happy to bow to your superior knowledge.

I guess the other thing is that with my expectations low I won't be too disappointed with what happens, and the opposite I'll be over the moon if they do better.

Don't worry, I'm excited to see what the year brings and I'm hoping we do better than I think.

 

[maxta]

U guys r kidding Right???
Well....realistically probably should be on the money...
Always back the Seaeagles against the odds & recall a final against Canberra with 7-8 players out back in the 90's the boys went darn close.
Made me sick the 2nd rower Coyne scored 4 tries but that's the stuff that happens.
We have youth on side in 2017 that is often under rated imo...
Fact is...& you all know it....we lack a bit in a team that's had TIME to grow stability/Combination/Comradery....I guarantee there's a few things to enjoy in2017....Green to add stability & take heat off DCE who ppl will think has suddenly improved- forgetting he carried injuries all 2015/16....Hastings will become a fan Favourite- & I hated the F**ker....Lane to be a Massive X factor attacker on the edges...ohh & will add....Uate to come good & be our 1st or 2nd Top tryscorer..

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

U guys r kidding Right???
Well....realistically probably should be on the money...
Always back the Seaeagles against the odds & recall a final against Canberra with 7-8 players out back in the 90's the boys went darn close.
Made me sick the 2nd rower Coyne scored 4 tries but that's the stuff that happens.
We have youth on side in 2017 that is often under rated imo...
Fact is...& you all know it....we lack a bit in a team that's had TIME to grow stability/Combination/Comradery....I guarantee there's a few things to enjoy in2017....Green to add stability & take heat off DCE who ppl will think has suddenly improved- forgetting he carried injuries all 2015/16....Hastings will become a fan Favourite- & I hated the F**ker....Lane to be a Massive X factor attacker on the edges...ohh & will add....Uate to come good & be our 1st or 2nd Top tryscorer..

Agree mate, plenty to enjoy BUT getting them operating as a team, working together and defeating 60% of sides IS going to take time ( which is my point).

But love your optimism!

 

[EagleFlys]

10-14 sounds right to me.

+ youth - Lyon & matai + DCE fit - snake + 5 with a lot to prove - Plodder and Brown + BJ who looks beastly now = 10 - 14.

Lane - great 2015 cameo with the dogs behind a hugely powerful pack in the middle. Then nothing then warriors then nothing.

Uate - can't even figure this out tbh. Hope and a prayer?

Sirro Jnr - Good hands, good feet, biggish unit but his heads bigger or he is lazy?

Perrett - Soft at dogs, not sure that will change as he is still getting his 400k without having to put in for at least for another 2 years.

Hastings - This maybe good if he plays hooker. He was woeful leading the chooks around the park when the doggie ****er was banned though.

All in all a building year and we should look to 2018 to get a bit of quality to push back into the 8.

Always hope to exceed!!!!

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

Whoa whoa whoa. No one said anything about superior knowledge... 🙂

Only that using the 2016 season as precursor for 17 is near impossible given the extent of the issues we had.

But I hadn't considered that maybe the issues made us stronger in 2016 and therefor we'll be worse in 17... aaagghh my head hurts.

Go Manly.

We all have the same hopes and wishes buddy, and more importantly we are all experts!!

In our own minds!!