I though the first half of the press conference was very good. You could see Barrett was hurt by the loss and he focussed on how hard the players have been training and how sick of losing they are. Also he pointed out very well how massive this game was to Manly's season. He also clearly articulated where the team is breaking down and why they keep losing week after week.
Unfortunately in the second half he lost me. He started reverting back to excuses such as the value of the players missing and the adversity around the club. He doesn't need to say that. Trent, focus on the squad you have got and forget everything else.
With the players we had out injured today in that game, yes we win, and win comfortably. The problem is that there is no depth now and Manly are running out semi NSW-cup squads. Williame should never be playing first grade, and I don't rate Wright either - they were owned by the Penrith backs out there. Myles and Stewart are well over the hill, and Walker and Korisau are backup halves at best. We couldn't give contracts to Hiku, Mason and Horo, so now look what we are left with out there, and the lower grades are even worse.
If you ask me based on what I have seen this year, I would leave Barrett out of it when it comes to blame it is squarely on recruitment, which is still pathetic because on top of whom we offloaded in the off-season, now we have offloaded Symonds and who the hell is coming in now?.
Oh and one more big shout-out to that idiot Taupau - how do you feel now overseeing three consecutive losses from the sideline - you were brought in to be the enforcer of the pack and you are now less than the blokes who are toiling out there, and quite frankly your value so far this year has been virtually nil.
If contracts could be torn up Stewart and Myles gone today, and Tapau read the riot act.
NYEagle