Recruiting mongrel

[Stewbojevic]

One criticism of our pack in recent years is it’s lacked mongrel and aggression. Since we lost AFB, Haumole has been the only guy who really takes it to the opposition.

Guys like Jake and Paseka are good players, but they’re too nice!

It seems we are trying to correct the balance with recruiting guys like Lodge, Waddell, and Brown.

I personally don’t think they’ll add much value, Lodge is injured, Waddell average at best, and Brown past his best.

But given what’s available on the market at least there is some method to the madness

 

[silvereagle]

One criticism of our pack in recent years is it’s lacked mongrel and aggression. Since we lost AFB, Haumole has been the only guy who really takes it to the opposition.

Guys like Jake and Paseka are good players, but they’re too nice!

It seems we are trying to correct the balance with recruiting guys like Lodge, Waddell, and Brown.

I personally don’t think they’ll add much value, Lodge is injured, Waddell average at best, and Brown past his best.

But given what’s available on the market at least there is some method to the madness

I think there is indeed method in this madness. Particularly given our cap and availability on the market. I believe these 3 "mongrels" will seriously complement our existing "nice guy" middles of Paeseka, Sips, Bulleymore and Jake. Not sure where the jury is at with Alio Olio but this guy could be an absolute wildcard next year (one way or the other). Add in young Aitasi James and it looks like a formidable pack of middles who can cover a long season and injuries. Given the circumstances, I think a very good re-balance of our middles. Certainly better than where have been last few years.

 

[Chunkytuna]

I reckon guac is too nice a guy too!!! Not enough mongrel. Not sure these new recruits are the answer mind you.

 

[Terry Zarsoff]

This will scare them:

 

[patorick2010]

Yup you definitely need some mongrel.

More than just one or two, so there's a balance in the squad and team.

Can see the logic.

 

[John Nicholson]

Wolfman's back?

 

[Blake]

Hopefully Ennis will niggle the nice guys constantly over the off season so they can take it out on the opposition once the season gets underway.

 

[The Who]

I thought this thread, 'Recruiting Mongrel', was going to be about Scott Fulton.

 

[jbb/james]

I still think we need an internal mongrel. someone to kick a few arses and set the standard far higher.

while our players have a dig we seem all too comfortable with a loss. . That internal mongrel will also show it on the field regardless. Tom has this aura and the team seems to be more alert like the teacher is watching when he is about, but his limited appearances means the team reverts to duster and chalk fights while he is in rehab

James Graham in his day would have been a great example

Maybe ennis in the coaching team can help instill that as long as seibs is along for the ride

Sam burgess obviously saw the same at souths but player power prevailed

 

[Brookie Bob]

Is there any way we can get Ben Kennedy back in an off-field role?

 

[Pete W]

Is there any way we can get Ben Kennedy back in an off-field role?

Unfortunately BK will never set foot at our club again. He, like many other champs who bled for our jersey, have been left disgusted with our administrators over the years. A recurring theme at Manly it seems

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

Unfortunately BK will never set foot at our club again. He, like many other champs who bled for our jersey, have been left disgusted with our administrators over the years. A recurring theme at Manly it seems

Didn't know about that.
Steve Matai is known to be determined to avoid the place. He had asked to leave early to take up a good deal at the Warriors, club refused, so maybe that was part of his beef?
Do you know how the club managed to upset Kennedy? Seems exactly the sort of person we'd want to keep close.

 

[The Wheel]

Didn't know about that.
Steve Matai is known to be determined to avoid the place. He had asked to leave early to take up a good deal at the Warriors, club refused, so maybe that was part of his beef?
Do you know how the club managed to upset Kennedy? Seems exactly the sort of person we'd want to keep close.

Memory is a bit hazy on this but it might have been when the CEO at the time sacked Zorba, Zorbs made a comeback however before being replaced by Cuzzo

 

[jbb/james]

On the topic of recruitment

a lot is said of who we are bringing on instead of what we are cutting

Much better than last season when we cut Foran and walker who were such a big part of what we did. Even now id take walker back. Foz too but his age says NO

losiing tuilangi, harper, keppie, boyle and more doesnt really affect much in the scheme of things . In fact there is more upside in losing those players than who they are replaced with, even if it is brown, waddell, talau and Lodge

this team needs a fresh start and an overhaul badly

 

[BOZO]

This will scare them:

View attachment 25420

This is a more Petrifying Beast
The Terrifying and 4 TIME ! Premiership Winning Enforcer
Terry Randall

 

[BOZO]

Memory is a bit hazy on this but it might have been when the CEO at the time sacked Zorba, Zorbs made a comeback however before being replaced by Cuzzo

The long serving iconic Zorba was Manly Passion Personified
And there could not have been a better replacement than the Great Cuzzo
Both Different but both Diehard (strongly , excessively ,devoted) Manly Men
I have had the pleasure to have dealt with both of them
And both seem to not only love but also live their role at Manly

 

[eaglebuzz]

Memory is a bit hazy on this but it might have been when the CEO at the time sacked Zorba, Zorbs made a comeback however before being replaced by Cuzzo

Probably the same rot behind the scenes that led to us losing Des, getting the Stewart bros offside, and sacking Tooves.

 

[manly al]

Maybe a bit overstated with some of the suggested or perceived grievances with former players to Manly .
Think in Matai 's case , was denied an early release for the Warriors offer but was then upgraded shortly after by Manly and was unavailable for a good part or latter stage of that new deal then .
Got the impression that he just preferred a much more private and detached life away from footy in general after leaving Manly and Sydney .
Recall B K was elated with Manly "s great 08 G F win and at the ground , after that not too sure with his Manly connection but was mainly based in Brisbane and quite distant after exiting the club .. Stewart brothers , pretty much back in the fold these days .
Tooves still seems to have the club"s best interests at heart .
Not all plain sailing at different stages but again would seem still some pretty solid Manly allegiance by all of them in the final washup

 

[jbb/james]

Maybe a bit overstated with some of the suggested or perceived grievances with former players to Manly .
Think in Matai 's case , was denied an early release for the Warriors offer but was then upgraded shortly after by Manly and was unavailable for a good part or latter stage of that new deal then .
Got the impression that he just preferred a much more private and detached life away from footy in general after leaving Manly and Sydney .
Recall B K was elated with Manly "s great 08 G F win and at the ground , after that not too sure with his Manly connection but was mainly based in Brisbane and quite distant after exiting the club .. Stewart brothers , pretty much back in the fold these days .
Tooves still seems to have the club"s best interests at heart .
Not all plain sailing at different stages but again would seem still some pretty solid Manly allegiance by all of them in the final washup

i know nothing about BK but the other era

Posssibly a bit simplistic

when you have a very happy camp that are happy to take unders and stay succesful and someone throws a big spanner in the works it has implications. DCE was under contract, in the words of choc watmough threatened to sit it out unless upgraded and we lost gifty.

Recently we have had the same thing with Tartak clients and the emotion was high

i would suggest only as i dont know that matai was oK with the status quo of accepting less but when it didnt work out as promised due to the cherry upgrade it affected his relationship with the club

Not withstanding that Brett stewarts last season has poor attitude all over it but a coaching gig under Des has helped mend that relationship somewhat

Foran, watmough left kicking down the walls and matai slinked off into the unhappy corner , something was up. They all should have gone out as champions of footy and cuturally a great manly fit. but hell No they didnt

Gifty left, all class but the fallout was obvious. Our succession planning took a hit and the des v penn, v tooves, well it took another toll

 

[Eagles4Life]

Memory is a bit hazy on this but it might have been when the CEO at the time sacked Zorba, Zorbs made a comeback however before being replaced by Cuzzo

In the end Zorba thought he was bigger than the club. Quite simply the promotion of his own agendas became more important to him than promoting the club's agendas. Zorba always had way too influence than his intelligence deserved. I wish we had got rid of him years ago.