Our centres and 5/8

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The Who

Journey Man
Do you realise that Walker, Parker and Suli are not in the top 50 tryscorers in the NRL this year?
The excuse that Dylan Walker is wasted at 5/8 looks lame when consider that the other Walker 5/8, Cody, has 15 tries and numerous try assists.
Our centres are well behind such others centres as Mitchell (18 tries), Xerri (12), Staggs (11), Jennings (9), Marsters (9), Kelly (8), Takairangi (8) and Naden (8).
We must look for 'strike' centres next season and a 5/8 who either scores tries or sets them up.
These positions are our weakness.
 
Do you realise that Walker, Parker and Suli are not in the top 50 tryscorers in the NRL this year?
The excuse that Dylan Walker is wasted at 5/8 looks lame when consider that the other Walker 5/8, Cody, has 15 tries and numerous try assists.
Our centres are well behind such others centres as Mitchell (18 tries), Xerri (12), Staggs (11), Jennings (9), Marsters (9), Kelly (8), Takairangi (8) and Naden (8).
We must look for 'strike' centres next season and a 5/8 who either scores tries or sets them up.
These positions are our weakness.
The fact Tom T is out exploits this factor big time, his potent attack which is prominently through the middle has taken emphasis of our lack of point scoring ability out wide, as when you are scoring points and winning games, no one cares where or how you get them, but when the points dry up, it exposes this glaring weakness....now its - "where are the points going to come from - we lack speedy outside backs?" ....
The fact is our strength all season has been through the middle and the X factor of Tom is now gone, so need the likes of Walker, Garrick to sniff around in support far more, Fainu will but he is freakish enough to make a few breaks himself and will again this Saturday.
So with our strength the middle third, to top off the missing Tom T as the strike here, missing our power front rower Kapow who bends the line, breaks tackles and can offload, got to hope that Perret can step up and young Keppie can just hit the ball up like a missile with safe hands and create some momentum.
Thing is, if Manly can somehow minimise Sharks points with gritty defence, could compete and make a contest.....already down and out on troops and against the odds, a few bad calls will really test the resolve.
A classic example of a game, where great effort can make you get lucky....built on desire and guts I anticipate a Manly team ready to fight.
 
I would have been happier to see Walker at right center and Tavita Funa at left with Cust at 5/8. The large but with that is their defense. I just think Parker and Suli are playing injured and can't give 100%. Their defense has been real bad last couple of weeks.
 
Re the original post we have played the game almost exclusively in the middle third all year and done well so those stats don’t mean much. Simply playing to our strengths.The only time the outside backs touch it are generally early shifts in our own half.A lot of Garrick’s tries have been opportunistic as opposed to finishing off a backline sweep.

Agree entirely though that we need much more potency out there going forward to match it with the big guns at the pointy end of the season. Hopoate Funa etc may provide that.

Wade Graham / Xerri v Moses battle will decide the night. Wade Graham and Xerri will go at him relentlessly , especially off quick Fifita play the balls. If that’s not the Sharks game plan on Saturday the coach needs sacking. In reality Morris’ inexperience is one of the few things in our favour but I can’t imagine he’ll miss this approach.

Time for young Moses to have the game of his life. I’m expecting him to surprise a few people.
 
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I’m pretty sure both our second rowers though would be leading for he forwards.

The ball doesn’t need to go to the centres of the second rower scores the try.
 
So we should have highly paid strike centres to cover us when our fullback and second rowers are all out injured?

I think the ones we have are perfect for the way we play. They make meters coming out of trouble and are reliable defensively (Suli has only struggled the last few weeks).

I’d rather us retain our stars in the forwards and at fullback and concentrate on tearing teams apart up the middle.
 
So we should have highly paid strike centres to cover us when our fullback and second rowers are all out injured?

I think the ones we have are perfect for the way we play. They make meters coming out of trouble and are reliable defensively (Suli has only struggled the last few weeks).

I’d rather us retain our stars in the forwards and at fullback and concentrate on tearing teams apart up the middle.
I'm not sure how long you've been watching Manly play but Sea Eagles' teams over the decades have had scintillating backlines.
Just sayin' . . .
 
We dont have a game manager past the first pass, it all comes from the middle. Our halfback hates getting tackled so his distribution is poor, rushed, and half arsed, but we want the outside backs to take up the slack from the backfoot after the fact. Mmmmmm

If we kicked as a game plan rather than a last resort we might find our centres looking for more ball instead of recovering from head knocks from having to constantly take it out of our own red zone as battering rams. Field position is king and we are an effort team that regularly defies the easier more startegic route to field dominance. We simply have to try harder as we are not smart and always and we wonder why we are injured

our halfback sometimes should take the ball on the fly to create momentum to lead attack or kicking options but he does not, he just needs to have a go in attack and not defence . Week after week, same stuff,

Ps i was bitching about this last year as shaun lane topped our tryscoring list and kelly got sprayed

Just saying .
 
I would have been happier to see Walker at right center and Tavita Funa at left with Cust at 5/8. The large but with that is their defense. I just think Parker and Suli are playing injured and can't give 100%. Their defense has been real bad last couple of weeks.

Has this started since we lost Joel, he did a lot of work that side
 
Do you realise that Walker, Parker and Suli are not in the top 50 tryscorers in the NRL this year?
The excuse that Dylan Walker is wasted at 5/8 looks lame when consider that the other Walker 5/8, Cody, has 15 tries and numerous try assists.
Our centres are well behind such others centres as Mitchell (18 tries), Xerri (12), Staggs (11), Jennings (9), Marsters (9), Kelly (8), Takairangi (8) and Naden (8).
We must look for 'strike' centres next season and a 5/8 who either scores tries or sets them up.
These positions are our weakness.
What’s
Do you realise that Walker, Parker and Suli are not in the top 50 tryscorers in the NRL this year?
The excuse that Dylan Walker is wasted at 5/8 looks lame when consider that the other Walker 5/8, Cody, has 15 tries and numerous try assists.
Our centres are well behind such others centres as Mitchell (18 tries), Xerri (12), Staggs (11), Jennings (9), Marsters (9), Kelly (8), Takairangi (8) and Naden (8).
We must look for 'strike' centres next season and a 5/8 who either scores tries or sets them up.
These positions are our weakness.
i agree
I think Des would have more of an idea after these playoffs, semis, and finals get done
For me extra Edge forward, centre and Winger at this stage
I don’t know much about these Blacktown boys, all I know is the team was getting thrashed !
And Cust was 5/8 !!
And quite a few posters reckon Cust should replace Walker:wondering: :lipssealed:
 
The facts are we have always dominated when we had a dynamic centre or centre pairing.

Jamie Lyon and Steve Matai
Terry Hill and Craig Innes
Michael O’Connor
Bozo
etc
 
As well as Suli and Parker are doing , I can't see them being there long term . Walker will go back there in 20 and maybe Funa will be givin a shot . In saying that Parker just signed on again so who knows.
 
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As well as Suli and Parker are doing , I can't see them being there long term . Walker will go back there in 20 and maybe Funu will be givin a shot . In saying that Parker just signed on again so who knows.
Hopoate will get in somewhere if injury free - I have no doubt. Not to start, but his opportunity will come and once in, I think he will make it his own.
 
I would have been happier to see Walker at right center and Tavita Funa at left with Cust at 5/8. The large but with that is their defense. I just think Parker and Suli are playing injured and can't give 100%. Their defense has been real bad last couple of weeks.

I think you are spot on Mick and have thought this myself. Parker and Suli have defended well for a lot of this year but it seems both are struggling since coming back from injury. It doesn’t help that Thompson is out either as he tightens things up and really smacks in defence
 

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