NSW Cup 2025

[ManlyTragic]

Interesting .
Our recruitment of old heads clearly hasn't worked as for the speculation of young guys not kicking on its hard to know as they don't get a crack anyway .
Hopefully it changes next year.
Do you think the forward recruitment has worked ?

I thought that we were clearing out some of the old guys starting with DCE

 

[Coops manly]

I thought that we were clearing out some of the old guys starting with DCE

Stoked about that!

 

[Highflier]

NSW Cup Match Highlights: Sea Eagles v Knights | Manly Warringah Sea Eagles

Catch up on the Round 23 highlights from Manly Warringah Sea Eagles v Newcastle Knights at 4 Pines Park.

www.seaeagles.com.au

Spoiler alert - I haven't see too many wins lately, so this is watchable.

Walsh looks the goods doesnt he ?Falua the 1 looks pretty good as well

 

[Dion Johnson]

Caught up on a few of the games and the most consistent player over the last 8-12 games would be Semisi Kioa, can break tackles and has decent footwork, he has a few errors in his game but if he can get a full offseason under his belt and be a full time player his game would go to another level.

Others that are playing consistently enough outside of Kioa..

Navale - plenty see upside in him, he can go quiet in games and is slow laterally from marker at times, he probably deserves a chance with Jake out and his game may improve at the higher level.

Walsh - surprisingly solid with his ability in defence, kicking game is okay, good footwork and turn of foot, creativity wise he has a bit to do. Would like to see him get a game or two in first grade.

Sykes - For me plays his best football in the middle, good defence and can make decent yardage, he has been one of the better forwards and he really deserves a chance at the next level. I would have him over Waddell on the pine.

 

[Leighbra]

 

[aidan]

The stats don’t lie – absolute workhorse, barely misses a tackle either. Sykes is another one who’s a real goer and hits hard in defence. Two blokes who wouldn’t look out of place in first grade and are definitely a step in the right direction when it comes to the modern-day type of forward.

I’m confident we have multiple players like this who could do a solid job in first grade if given the shot, including Dunford, who seems to be injured at the moment. Just a shame we’ve got an ultra-conservative coach who refuses to give young blokes a go, even with consistently underperforming players and injuries in the top squad.

 

[Stewbojevic]

Caught up on a few of the games and the most consistent player over the last 8-12 games would be Semisi Kioa, can break tackles and has decent footwork, he has a few errors in his game but if he can get a full offseason under his belt and be a full time player his game would go to another level.

Others that are playing consistently enough outside of Kioa..

Navale - plenty see upside in him, he can go quiet in games and is slow laterally from marker at times, he probably deserves a chance with Jake out and his game may improve at the higher level.

Walsh - surprisingly solid with his ability in defence, kicking game is okay, good footwork and turn of foot, creativity wise he has a bit to do. Would like to see him get a game or two in first grade.

Sykes - For me plays his best football in the middle, good defence and can make decent yardage, he has been one of the better forwards and he really deserves a chance at the next level. I would have him over Waddell on the pine.

Kioa was in our top 30 a couple of years back wasn’t he? Oddly disappeared and then has popped up again. They obviously rated him as a youngster

 

[Nambawan]

Kioa was in our top 30 a couple of years back wasn’t he? Oddly disappeared and then has popped up again. They obviously rated him as a youngster

Manly recently reminds me of Australian cricket in the 1950's when it was often said that it '..was harder to get out of the Australian team than to get in..' When I view what is happening at the clubs that have elite coaches - such as Easts, Melbourne, Souths, Saints, and a few others - where significant number of younger players get given opportunities - and succeed rather well. Whereas Manly is the opposite where young players like Navale, Sykes et al go on being ignored for older players who are not up to NRL standard. Because of the current negative selection policies I would not be surprised to see Manly continue to lose games and so end up well down near the bottom levels of the competition.

 

[Tragic Eagle]

I cannot for the life of me understand why these guys don’t get a shot!

 

[The Right Edge]

Maybe the fact that they have won 7 out of 22 and have the second worst defence in the comp.

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

I think Manly's attitude to lower grades historically was less about winning lower grade comps and more about developing a fairly small number of players identified as likely first grade talents.

Once players get to reserve grade it really should be on them to make a case for promotion. I doubt that successful coaches pick reserve graders in firsts just to see whether they'll suddenly become first graders 'when given the opportunity'.

Traditionally they either have to bash the door down, or else wait for injuries to give them a taste of first grade. At least these days multiple injuroes to NRL players are guaranteed 😱 so eventually most will get a shot. Even Matterson and Gordie have got a few NRL games up!

 

[Pete W]

I think Manly's attitude to lower grades historically was less about winning lower grade comps and more about developing a fairly small number of players identified as likely first grade talents.

Once players get to reserve grade it really should be on them to make a case for promotion. I doubt that successful coaches pick reserve graders in firsts just to see whether they'll suddenly become first graders 'when given the opportunity'.

Traditionally they either have to bash the door down, or else wait for injuries to give them a taste of first grade. At least these days multiple injuroes to NRL players are guaranteed 😱 so eventually most will get a shot. Even Matterson and Gordie have got a few NRL games up!

True, although maybe it's time Manly adopts the Gus Gould blueprint of streamlining from Mats to Cup coaching, skills, style of play etc to emulate what the NRL side is doing (or attempting to do). That way, there isn't such a big jump asked of a rookie when he gets his shot in Grade. More efficient way of getting guys up to speed, with the added bonus of not letting standards drop too dramatically when injuries take place.

Having said that, I'm pretty sure this extra investment is not something Manly/Penn is willing to make

 

[Nambawan]

Maybe the fact that they have won 7 out of 22 and have the second worst defence in the comp.

It is correct that the Manly Reserve grade side is poor. However, it does contain a few decent players, who deserve appropriate consideration. And BTW reckon one of the poorer contributors all season has been Chee Kam, 33 old, who of course got promoted last week!

 

[Dion Johnson]

Kioa was in our top 30 a couple of years back wasn’t he? Oddly disappeared and then has popped up again. They obviously rated him as a youngster

He was part of the Toyota cup side that had some good players in it, not sure what happened with him between then and now, watching him it’s easy to see the skill and talent he possesses, from what I read on him he runs a concrete business, if he could commit to playing full time he would have a few seasons in the top grade.

 

[Dion Johnson]

It is correct that the Manly Reserve grade side is poor. However, it does contain a few decent players, who deserve appropriate consideration. And BTW reckon one of the poorer contributors all season has been Chee Kam, 33 old, who of course got promoted last week!

Agree on MCK he has been no standout in Cup, though he did a decent job against the raiders, outside of Waddell the forwards all went well against a good pack.

On performances in Cup there are a few that have played well and consistently, injuries to Dunford and Patolo came at the wrong time for them as @aidan touched on.

Sykes has been around the club a long time and he could do a job similar to Vic Mauro but goes hard at it with high intensity, he could give 30 decent minutes a game in first grade.