Game Day: Rabbitohs vs Sea Eagles [Round 3, 2018]

[Technical Coach]

The problem with Cherry, and this is probably why he won't be seen in a Queensland jersey again, is that the difference between his best game and his worst game is so humungous. Someone mentioned earlier that all that was missing from our attack was the Benny Hill theme music - that applies doubly to Cherry when things aren't going his way. Games like tonight, he looks so absolutely clueless that it makes you begin to wonder if his good games (like last week) are flukes. And if they're not flukes, maybe they're at least exceptions to the rule. Honestly, if you showed footage from tonight's game to a sports-loving alien who'd never seen a game of rugby league but was visiting planet Earth for a weekend lark, and then tried to convince that alien that DCE was one of the game's elite halfbacks, they'd fly back to their own planet thinking you were crazy.

Why is everyone praising DCE's game from last week, it was nothing special.

When it is a flat deck and all the cards in our favour, playing fast and direct through the middle with power and offloads i expect any half in the competition to capitalize in such a scenario.

It is the grind games and 24-16 scorelines that have been tight for the most part of the game that show you more positives than 54-0 scorelines. The clutch plays come out(not talking about swinging a field goal every once in a while) the game management skills of keeping the game in the balance(not letting things run away) where a half shows his composure and class.

Pulling off a well structured play at the right time or individual brilliance to break the deadlock, ramming home a victory to break the hearts of the opposition with a composed assist on top of just breaking the deadlock is where you show your true worth.

The try DCE scored against Parra should annoy fans not be applauded----yes he made the most of the situation he was in but it really was off the back of a spread that went wrong and poorly executed.

PS(didn't watch the Souths game due to F1)

 

[Ralphie]

Why is everyone praising DCE's game from last week, it was nothing special.

When it is a flat deck and all the cards in our favour, playing fast and direct through the middle with power and offloads i expect any half in the competition to capitalize in such a scenario.

It is the grind games and 24-16 scorelines that have been tight for the most part of the game that show you more positives than 54-0 scorelines. The clutch plays come out(not talking about swinging a field goal every once in a while) the game management skills of keeping the game in the balance(not letting things run away) where a half shows his composure and class.

Pulling off a well structured play at the right time or individual brilliance to break the deadlock, ramming home a victory to break the hearts of the opposition with a composed assist on top of is where you show your true worth.

The try DCE scored against Parra should annoy fans not be applauded----yes he made the most of the situation he was in but it really was off the back of a spread that went wrong and poorly executed.

Great to hear from you TC. Calling it as it is.

 

[Peter C]

Yeah

Don’t put Taufua in that category.Yes,he has the odd moment with his hands but he gets great metres,finishes well and is very good in defence.As for Uate,I said all last year that his true value will be shown this year when Manly have to pay his full contract.Great value last year because Newcastle were still paying most of his contract

Jorge is great coming off our line or when he gets the ball 20 metres out from the opposing goal line, but that is all, perhaps it's time to look for someone with pace and height

 

[Jerry1]

In Singapore and missed the game, glad I did by the scoreline. Looks like nothing's changed, still inconsistent with our performances

You could have watched it at muddy Murphy’s but I expect you were sluming it at the orchard towers.... 🙂

 

[MissKate]

Is Tom injured, I cannot believe how poor he was tonight, didn't even look interested, wouldn't take a hit up, couldn't tackle and don't get me started on the kicking

 

[Fluffy]

I disagree. Croker made some dam good hits in defence. As bad as he has been in attack, I would put DCE below him on today's performance given DCE's experience and expectations.

Sad to say but Croker was the best of our spine (starting spine).

 

[simon64]

That was beyond poor.
I switched over and watched Sydney FC.....who were sh*te as well in case anyone was wondering.

Both sides had to deal with dusty conditions but we had no idea how to adjust our game to the weather.

I guess one day you're the dog, the next day you're the tree.

I hope I don't have to watch anymore performances like that this year.

 

[Leader of the Flock]

To me,

We didn't adjust to the conditions; wet weather football needs a different attitude. It's a grind not a show, we didn't get down and dirty with them and out muscle them as the boys did last week.

As such, we didn't win the forward battle up the middle; in fact, on face value, we didn't compete with the intensity that needs to be there every week, not just when you're doing it in a canter like last week. The big forwards didn't seem to run as hard as last week and get a roll on through their middle. We let them dominate the ruck and slow us down.

We went wide to early before we'd earned that right.

There didn't seem to be any urgency in our play at times; again an attitude thing but it's desire.

That said, I was pleased to see a few bright spots; Jake is a beauty who'll lead the team for years; our two young centres are going OK, some good defence and glimpses of good attack; our rookie 5/8 is a very solid defender and will improve each week I believe.

Generally, an off day by the whole team, I'm sure the coaching staff will get into their ears about consistency each and every week.

I still believe we'll be there in the finals and I'm pleased Marty is talking about a Premiership this year, if it's a shared belief, even if they aren't all talking openly at present, it shows that he/ they believe in their ability and their team mates. I'm not sure of a Premiership this year(lucky I'm not playing) but another year or 2 and we'll be definitly be in contention.

Now the worst part for me, I have to listen to my vermin supporting brother rub it in until we thrash them later in the year.

 

[double hoops]

2nd game in 3 outing and this team beats itself. I can cop Rusty. I can cop just not meshing. I can even cop a bunch of blokes who don't quite have the skills and do their best. But i can't cop the lack of effort on display today.

 

[MuzztheEagle]

To me,

We didn't adjust to the conditions; wet weather football needs a different attitude. It's a grind not a show, we didn't get down and dirty with them and out muscle them as the boys did last week.

Well said. I think a lot of you need to calm down. It's round 3 FFS and the team had a sh*t game, I think we can all move on.
For me, either we well and truly over did it last week or we simply weren't prepared for a wet game. The team will learn plenty from this and it's only round three, we can still recover .

 

[HoldenV8]

Jeez, I'd hate to be the Sharks or the Eels playing on that field after the sh*t we left out there.

Funny story.....footy related, well, AFL at least.

At a game a Princess Park in the early 90s, Carlton ruckman Justin Madden (at the time the equal tallest ever AFL player at 206 cm) ran onto the ground with his team mates for a game. It was wet and anyone who knows that ground will know it used to turn into a bog when it rained.

Anyway, Madden reached down to grab some mud and rub it on his arms and legs to get used to it as they were jogging around the ground, but pretty soon his team mates started giving him a wide berth. It turned out that the boys in blue were on horseback that day and what Madden had actually rubbed on himself was manure lol.

 

[COMMANDER]

That's up there with the worst effort by a Manly team I've seen. DCE's first half was worse than Hitler.

 

[Ange]

Just got back from the game and they look flat in the warm ups and from the 1st minute we knew they would not win. They were not just on.

 

[40 years an eagle]

Just got back from the game and they look flat in the warm ups and from the 1st minute we knew they would not win. They were not just on.

Yep, nobody turned up to play today except Parker, Kelly, Horge and Hastings and Perrett of the bench.

Some f#ck#ng TEAM.
Pathetic.

 

[manly al]

Manly just seemed to allow themselves to be out enthused and out played . Admittedly not much went their way but their lack of direction and having no shape in attack was really telling . Really can not see the point in having D C E so wide of the ruck when game management and attacking structure were so lacking tonight and Croker can only be partly responsible for that . Manly are not traditionally good in the wet but that was no excuse for the overall under performance and particularly poor communication in defence . Still some good triers and in particular such as Jake and Parker and Hastings will really have to be in the 17 somewhere but again the over all lack luster effort tonight is a bit hard to cop .

 

[Budgie]

Watching Ricky Gervais' Humanity on Netflix.
It's helping.

 

[ALinda]

The minute Manly ran onto the field, down came the rain and the writing was on the wall. It wasn't predicted and we weren't prepared 🙁

I can't understand why one of our best in Hastings was taken off after he scored the try, and didn't seem injured!?!

 

[double hoops]

This "they are a young side excuse." From the Coach is really pretty poor form.

Souths had plenty of young kids out there today. Wasn't there half 19? He out played all of our experienced blokes in the spine.

Call a spade a spade. Our team just didn't show up. It's either acceptable or it's not. The coach set the standards. Come on mate, are you suggesting that up and down performances will always be ok until another few years goes by.

If your saying the likes of Turbo, Slane, API, AFB, Siro etc aren't that experienced, and we need to expect up and down performances? Wow. By the time they are mature season campaigners we will have a new set of inexperienced rookies to blame.

The Coach needs to take some concrete and stop trying to be a player friendly coach. Just not good enough. Is just not good enough. #TooSoftTrent

 

[Terry Zarsoff]

Add ‘Sirro the donut king’s son with the eyes (oddly) too close together’ to the list of players I haven’t warmed to.

 

[double hoops]

Manly just seemed to allow themselves to be out enthused and out played .

It bloody hurts dosen't it. To not even see one forward tuck the ball under the arm, pin the ears back and get past a jog. I can't remember seeing such an overt display of lethargy. Has to be more to this. Surely our boys have more of a spine than that?