report card - one third way in

[SeaEagleRock8]

We are 8 games into a 24 game regular season, time for a report card! Yes injuries and Covid have affected us but that is to be expected this year and we aren't the only side affected.

Attitude: B
Some great signs but lack consistency. Foran starting to make a real mark as inspiration

Application: B-
Again inconsistent but generally energetic and determined, need more attention to detail. Signs of improvement

Squad strength: B
Forward depth is being severely tested and is holding up but only just. Shortage of dummy halves may be exposed with no Lawton
Garrick has proved adequate as FB cover
Bullemor might take a bit longer than expected
Harper blew a gasket sadly and needs repair
Koula & Tuipulotu stepping up very nicely indeed

Religion: C
Footy gods clearly not thrilled with Manly at this stage, need to do better!

Overall rating: B
Sitting on edge of the 8, could do better. We have beaten teams below us and lost to those we were expected to lose to

 

[Woodsie]

Last night's loss will be a help .. nothing brings a side together more than grinding through adversity together.

I think some of these young blokes got a surprise and an invaluable lesson last night watching how Foran, Jakey and DCE responded to the send off.

Toopaloopa and Garrick just to name a couple rose to the call.

 

[JenEagle]

We are more than capable of making the top 4. Need some luck with injuries / refs and most of all if we play to our ability we will get there again. I think we are better than the sharks, Souths and roosters at our best.

 

[Remy]

We've taken tough losses, but our last two losses have been better than our round 1 and 2 losses. We learned and rejuvenated in that 4 game winning streak, and we are getting close to being able to compete and beat top teams again. We need to win our next 2, stay relatively fit and our biggest test will be the back-to-back games of Parra and Melbourne. As long as we are 6-4 by end of round 10, we are improving from last year, and then win one of rounds 11 and 12 or BOTh, and we can be an actual contender.

 

[NYEagle]

Top 4 might be a stretch but I see Manly running 5th to 7th. I think most important thing, and what might make Manly a premiership contender is the depth of the squad. I see good times ahead, hopefully this year while DCE and Foz continue their top form together.

NYEagle

 

[The Who]

I think these early rounds have shown us:
Koala is going to be a very good first grader
Tipytoes should now be considered for a regular spot
Kapow and Harpo are no longer in our best 17
Sandwich is a far better, and more valuable, player than we thought
We will be in serious strife if the much-maligned Froggy gets injured
Bully has not met expectations
Al is our No. 1 prop but is injury prone
We won't beat a top four side when missing Turbo, Guacca, The Shoe and Al.
Our oldest players, DCE and Foran, are our most resiligent

 

[Woodsie]

And we still have weekes to debut .. and I have a rap on him ..

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

Top 4 might be a stretch but I see Manly running 5th to 7th.

We are currently running around about that level but we can do better. Our draw pits us against more of the lower sides that we should beat and not so many of the top sides that beat us so missing the 8 would be a failure and a shock.

This side is currently laying a foundation of character. Also some young guns are getting the feel of NRL level, and the side is slowly adjusting to the new rules.

Over the next couple of months the focus might be on tightening defence and discipline, and improving consistency. The top sides are running at A+ or A level so we need to keep steadily improving as the season rolls on.

 

[Rocky]

I think these early rounds have shown us:
Koala is going to be a very good first grader
Tipytoes should now be considered for a regular spot
Kapow and Harpo are no longer in our best 17
Sandwich is a far better, and more valuable, player than we thought
We will be in serious strife if the much-maligned Froggy gets injured
Bully has not met expectations
Al is our No. 1 prop but is injury prone
We won't beat a top four side when missing Turbo, Guacca, The Shoe and Al.
Our oldest players, DCE and Foran, are our most resiligent

Nailed a lot of that.

Only thing was what was your expectations on bully? I thought the general consensus was a fringe first grader and a work in progress?

 

[jbb/james]

I see improvement in players that hasnt quite transferred to the team, yet
The squad looks stronger without sirro, jetski but With davey and another season of oku. I presume tipptoes and koula are mainstays by round 26

Dce has certainly changed his approach to kicking, where he stands in particular. This has helped a far bit and probably the biggest change in our game overall with good results

Not having tom raging in cohesion with this kicking game hasnt really given us a glimpse of what we could be. I hope we continue this approach and use tom less

Jakey is my favorite or close, but his first receiver role limits us IMO
At this stage i still wouldnt be surprised if we finished 4 - 10th, last year before tom when crazy i probably would have said 6- 10th

Hard to grade the team overall as there best and worst is still a considerable distance apart. Nothing new there

By seasons end our team will look considerably different to the start of last season, improved, but still the same in many ways

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

Fair summation.

I'd say a B-

To me our squad still isn't 100% right

No damaging big Prop (yeah Marty on $850K hurts)
No attacking Number 9, Froggy is defending well and getting better, but he's still average
We are yet to see Koula in space BUT he may well be the answer to the strike centre situation. otherwise we need to look for one for 2023.

Bloody injuries, they are killing us

And don't write off Bullemor yet, he's hardly been given much time in his preferred position.

And honestly, I'm a Tommy Turbo fan BUT jeez, he is like tissue paper at present and has been for 2-3 years.

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

poll added 🙂🙂

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

poll added 🙂🙂

I'm the one vote for B minus

 

[mickqld]

It's a C so far. Considering where we finished last year we haven't improved at all. We've been flogged by 4 top 8 teams , (wasn't even close in any game) same as last year at this stage and beat a bunch of also ran teams one of which is dead last and it took a field goal to win that. Defence is no different, attack is limp without Tom T. The only difference is that it'll take another Tom T masterclass to pull us up out of the sh*t that we're in and I don't think the new rules are going to allow that to happen.

 

[Will on the hill]

Positives
DCE and Foz turning back the clock and complimenting each other perfectly.
Guac quickly becoming one of the premier backrowers in the comp.
Tui and Koula barely putting a foot wrong in their fledgling careers.
Showing a never say die attitude

Negatives
Harpers regression
Saab being targeted by every team on kicks, not entirely his fault he needs some help.
Marty switching between trying to hard and not hard enough.
Silly errors from just about everyone
Up and in defensive system on the right, not working together and leading to most of our points conceded.

I went with B- but we definitely have it in us to get to an A

 

[XV-1]

C

We have gone backwards compared to last year, but more importantly against the good teams in 2022.

If Des continues to pick the same players, we will get the same results or worse.

We have several young guns - they need to be used to change the narrative.

 

[Snake]

F

Based off expectations from last year, we’ve been a basket case. I’m not doing the ‘context’ based appraisals with Manly anymore. Win at all costs is all I will accept with a side this loaded with talent. No more excuses and I made that clear last week.

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

It's a C so far. Considering where we finished last year we haven't improved at all. We've been flogged by 4 top 8 teams , (wasn't even close in any game) same as last year at this stage and beat a bunch of also ran teams one of which is dead last and it took a field goal to win that. Defence is no different, attack is limp without Tom T. The only difference is that it'll take another Tom T masterclass to pull us up out of the sh*t that we're in and I don't think the new rules are going to allow that to happen.

In essence we are royally ****ed !!

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

F

Based off expectations from last year, we’ve been a basket case. I’m not doing the ‘context’ based appraisals with Manly anymore. Win at all costs is all I will accept with a side this loaded with talent. No more excuses and I made that clear last week.

The Bulldogs are an F

We are bad , but we are better than them.

 

[Snake]

The Bulldogs are an F

We are bad , but we are better than them.

By Bulldogs standards, maybe, but by Manly standards, we have failed to start the year with performances that do our jersey justice. It’s been one disaster after another and I’m very disappointed.