Ok Harper - last chance

[HK_Eagle]

More upsetting than the lack of effort and commitment in defense was he didn’t even try and make amends by taking tough hit ups out of our end, it’s one of the first things you learn.

The only effort I saw himnake was sprinting up on. A player and taking the wrong man which lead to another line break, I’m convinced he did it just do he wouldn’t have to tackle talakai

I feel sorry that his confidence is shot, but he just ain’t that good even with his
Confidence and does not
Even deserve the perseverance

Yeah, I did have the thought running through my head last night when I saw him commit to the inside runner with Talakai running out the back for a 2 on 1 against Saab. I had a horrible thought at the time that Harper made that decision to avoid Talakai. Who knows, but it didn't look good.

 

[HK_Eagle]

Dce can be a good defender, but mostly he just arm grabs or slows down the defender always requiring those either side of him to finish off the tackle

That arm grab attempt on the Cronulla winger when he scored was one of the worst tackle attempts I've seen. Yes, the winger stepped back in, but DCE was there and picked up the step. It was dreadful to compound the dropped kick off. DCE looked like Kyle Flanagan in that early passage of the game. You would have sworn he was a young rookie overwhelmed and under pressure. Yes, he picked up his game after that, but it was much of the usual rocks and diamonds throughout.

 

[winnyason]

There’s no way anyone can defend Harper’s game last night. Regardless of what went on around him, it was one of the poorest individual performances I’ve seen in a Manly jumper. It was so bad, you almost feel like the right thing for Morgan to do is hand his license in and say ‘I’m not cut out for this and it’s unfair to do this to the club and our supporters.’ He was so far out of depth I felt sorry for him.

Harper must be dropped

 

[Bomb Voyage]

All his team mates are reposting a thing on Instagram basically saying how he responds is what’s important and backing him. Not unexpected but still… surely they don’t want to play with underperformers…

 

[Raffa]

Harper was a prime reason we were destroyed by Melbourne in the first round of the finals last year. Similar circumstance, albeit he had Olam running at him. The rest of the NRL agrees that he is the weakest link in the team - hence the reason the top sides have targeted him with great success.

Thank you for your service Harper, but this has happened too many times, there is absolutely no reasonable justification for keeping him in the side any longer. Particularly when we have somebody as good as Koula waiting in the wings.

 

[Brookie Bob]

Harper was a prime reason we were destroyed by Melbourne in the first round of the finals last year. Similar circumstance, albeit he had Olam running at him. The rest of the NRL agrees that he is the weakest link in the team - hence the reason the top sides have targeted him with great success.

Thank you for your service Harper, but this has happened too many times, there is absolutely no reasonable justification for keeping him in the side any longer. Particularly when we have somebody as good as Koula waiting in the wings.

Sad but true.
He has a young family - for his sake, I hope he sorts out his technique deficiencies, as there are people counting on him.

 

[winnyason]

All his team mates are reposting a thing on Instagram basically saying how he responds is what’s important and backing him. Not unexpected but still… surely they don’t want to play with underperformers…

It's not a one off for the blokes mental health and his development nsw cup for time being is where he should be

 

[Hotspur2014]

Harper must be dropped

Why has it taken so long to work this out ? He has been sh.t since mid last year , yet Des still picks him ????
Can’t imagine Bellamy doing something like this. As a fan it is really frustrating.
I am sure my boss would sack me if I made the same mistake so many times, so what is happening in Des’s head 😡😡😡

 

[Snake]

Bellamy drops anyone that’s not up to standard. Even if they’re winning. He booted Brodie Croft out of the club when they won the minor premiership

 

[EOL now nesting on the GC]

Des selected him and needs to take ownership of his stubborn poor judgment. Don't do a Barrett - Desmond!

Alright I'm going to play a bit of devils advocate here. There was so much space around Talakai from there forwards punching into our line and getting fast play the balls that I defy anybody (except Jake) to stop him every time. We needed a couple of our big boys on the field to dominate the ruck. Then it becomes a different story with the compressed defence.
I like Koula and I think he makes good decisions but can cover when he doesn't with speed of which Harper can't. I just don't think it was all on Harper missing tackles last night.

Very good point.
First and foremost Harper needs to have a spell and see if he can improve his game. A bit like Jorge has had to do in reggies. He was at fault for some of the tries no doubt but the guys around him also matter. Saab is way down on confidence and his defence nest to him is also a concern.
We had no control in that first half and the outcome was 32 points to zip.

 

[PONTIAN SEA EAGLE]

Seriously if koula started the game we win.

 

[Terry Zarsoff]

So the Morganatic marriage of Harper to Manly’s first grade side could be over.😉

I hope he isn’t picked in the starting lineup this week. I like him, he can bring great energy to the team, however we appear to have a superior replacement standing by.

Meanwhile Des’s post-match comments were of course supportive, but they were deliberately vague on when Harper might return. The inference appeared to be that Morgan is obviously still a part of the team, but it might be awhile before he returns to first grade.

 

[Terry Zarsoff]

Seriously if koula started the game we win.

Quite possible.

I like Manly’s approach however. Let this Talakai bloke and his club bask in the glory of his first half performance, but don’t bring up how he was well-handled in the second. Other teams obviously saw what he did to Manly’s right side defence. They would also have noted how he was shut down in the second half. Get up in his face early and cut off his options. Fairly simple and be ready for him at Brookvale.

Talakai reminds me of a Cronulla player of yesteryear - Kurt Sorensen. He was one of the footballing revelations of the 1979 season. He carved up defences for a year or two, usually injecting himself out wide, but opposition defences eventually sorted him out and he ‘returned to the pack’ fairly quickly.

Sorensen was not much of a defender either - he just bumped into people with shoulder charges. Unlike his prop forward brother Dane. Now there was a great player.

 

[silvereagle]

Meanwhile Des’s post-match comments were of course supportive, but they were deliberately vague on when Harper might return. The inference appeared to be that Morgan is obviously still a part of the team, but it might be awhile before he returns to first grade.

I have never felt so bad for a Manly player as i did for Harper on Thursday night. I think the performance was there for everyone to see so not going to comment on that. I am sure Des's supportive comments in the press conference had Harpers mental and emotional well being in mind. Tough ask coming back from that but we have all had bad days at the office. Some time in lower grades hopefully might restore some confidence for the guy.

 

[ManlyTragic]

I will literally chop my genitals if he is named on Tuesday as starting centre.

Come on Des….pick Harper!

Just sayin’

 

[KaZa]

I have never felt so bad for a Manly player as i did for Harper on Thursday night. I think the performance was there for everyone to see so not going to comment on that. I am sure Des's supportive comments in the press conference had Harpers mental and emotional well being in mind. Tough ask coming back from that but we have all had bad days at the office. Some time in lower grades hopefully might restore some confidence for the guy.

His confidence has been smashed to pieces since the finals last season. He's been getting worse since. Des should have taken him out of the firing line by now. If he doesn't next week.. that's not protecting his mental and emotional well being.

 

[frank stokes]

Come on Des….pick Harper!

Just sayin’

I reckon those testicle are under serious threat...
Des was making excuses for young Morgan in the post-match presser...

 

[R3]

I hope Koula keeps that starting centre jersey for the rest of the year.
However, if anything were to happen to Koula prior to our next game agaisnt Cronulla then I think the best guy in our sqaud to mark up on Talakai would be Jorge Taufua!
If Koula could'nt be there for the rematch, I would love to see JT crunch him!!

 

[frank stokes]

I hope Koula keeps that starting centre jersey for the rest of the year.
However, if anything were to happen to Koula prior to our next game agaisnt Cronulla then I think the best guy in our sqaud to mark up on Talakai would be Jorge Taufua!
If Koula could'nt be there for the rematch, I would love to see JT crunch him!!

He may have his "short-comings" but nobody is swatting Jorge away like a mosquito...

 

[Disco]

I just watched the post game press conference - Harper will be back.

He may well be but I'm doubting it will be this week