Very much the classic "danger game", especially if the players have been reading the recent press and are thinking that they're better than they really are. Hope Des has them primed for a genuine 80-minute performance. (Can probably throw a few more footy cliches in, but you get the idea…)
Completely agree with this. Examples on REG's comment around this week especially:
(1) Recent NRL piece claiming Manly as the most likely team outside the 'power-5' to both sneak into the 8, and make an impact in the finals as the 'Dark Horse' (largely contingent on Turbo remaining on-field though)
(2) All the 'Experts' tip Manly to win this week - and some of those same 'experts' are tipping Bulldogs to win, Tigers to beat Newcastle, Dragons to beat the Storm, Cowboys over Rooters, Warriors to beat Eels, Titans to beat Panthers - yet with some of those tips, not a single one of them think Manly can possibly lose to this Brisbane outfit?
(3) The hype pieces around Saab all week and his improvement, you'd think the guy was about to be in the Origin frame.
(4) The hype pieces around Turbo being the best Manly Fullback, the most team-influencing player, a certainty for Origin, the best current fullback in the NRL (arguably), the best ever fullback in the NRL (definitely!), the second coming of the messiah, he who discovered penicillin, invented the wheel...the list goes on
Whilst I don't expect the accolades will go to the head of more experienced guys like Turbo, there are younger guys there (Harper, Keppie, Saab, Guac, Schu for example) who might think it will just happen - because some washed-up prick like Hooper or drunk like Rothfield says something positive about the team.
Broncos ambushed us last year and we were down 18-0 before we even woke up - and we snuck home that time off the back of Broncs throwing it away. It was played at the Central coast too, not Suncorp where the partisan crowd will sway already impressionable and inconsistent Refs.
This will be a good test for the team on how they handle their status as a 'Hot' favourite - in 2019, the Titans smashed us at home when we were expected to win handsomely and they were bottom, had lost 4 in a row after also losing their first 4 of the season (were 2-8 and eventually ran last) - this was the first game we really started as a unanimous favourite and we just expected an easy game.
Really hope Des has used that game to enlighten the team on what arrogance and complacency yields in today's game.
Go Manly!
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