Scary lack of outside backs !!

[maxta]

The cupboard looks bare in that 3/4 line!!
Ok Manly gain Garrick , Elliot who are NSW Cup and hopefuls.....
On the flip side Kelly is gone....Walker a good chance to be out.....Taufu is an old favourite, but is out dated already by 2 years.....Suli is a young hopeful, but not a saviour....young Funa is a maybe for a spot, but you can’t say will be up to it with great confidence ....Hoppa jnr is a gun and WILL be a great player, but personally surprised to see him in round 1, though at this stage he is the young gun I am pinning hopes on to exceed expectations and make immediate impact.
In fact I would take that Walker money and bring Will Hopoate home and to fullback and put Tom T in the centres with Albert Hoppa with a fit Suli/Elliott/Funa/Garrick fighting for the other spot.

 

[The Who]

Yep. We can do better than Wanker, er, I mean Walker.

 

[Tomay]

If Walker goes it will free up some much needed cap space. I actually think Will Hopoate might do more for our team in terms of consistency and culture anyway AND be cheaper. Let's hope.

Edit: Don’t move Tom, Hoppa can play Centre. Also, Elliot might surprise a few, he is definitely capable of performing at an NRL standard under a good coach and is very versatile positionally.

 

[Harvies elbow]

The cupboard looks bare in that 3/4 line!!
Ok Manly gain Garrick , Elliot who are NSW Cup and hopefuls.....
On the flip side Kelly is gone....Walker a good chance to be out.....Taufu is an old favourite, but is out dated already by 2 years.....Suli is a young hopeful, but not a saviour....young Funa is a maybe for a spot, but you can’t say will be up to it with great confidence ....Hoppa jnr is a gun and WILL be a great player, but personally surprised to see him in round 1, though at this stage he is the young gun I am pinning hopes on to exceed expectations and make immediate impact.
In fact I would take that Walker money and bring Will Hopoate home and to fullback and put Tom T in the centres with Albert Hoppa with a fit Suli/Elliott/Funa/Garrick fighting for the other spot.

But we do have Brad Parker...

 

[Shoe1]

I said on another thread ..

How is Brett’s body after 2 years break? If he is recovered and fit Dessie could throw him s jersey and turbo to centre

 

[Ryan]

The cupboard looks bare in that 3/4 line!!
Ok Manly gain Garrick , Elliot who are NSW Cup and hopefuls.....
On the flip side Kelly is gone....Walker a good chance to be out.....Taufu is an old favourite, but is out dated already by 2 years.....Suli is a young hopeful, but not a saviour....young Funa is a maybe for a spot, but you can’t say will be up to it with great confidence ....Hoppa jnr is a gun and WILL be a great player, but personally surprised to see him in round 1, though at this stage he is the young gun I am pinning hopes on to exceed expectations and make immediate impact.
In fact I would take that Walker money and bring Will Hopoate home and to fullback and put Tom T in the centres with Albert Hoppa with a fit Suli/Elliott/Funa/Garrick fighting for the other spot.

Hoppa AND Gutherson
2020

01. Tom Trbojevic (local junior)
02. Albert Hopoate (local junior)
03. Will Hopoate (local junior)
04. Clinton Gutherson (local junior)
05. Jade Anderson (junior)
06. Kane Elgey
07. Daly Cherry-Evans (junior)

 

[Bubbler]

Bring back Jamie!

 

[Briza]

Hoppa AND Gutherson
2020

01. Tom Trbojevic (local junior)
02. Albert Hopoate (local junior)
03. Will Hopoate (local junior)
04. Clinton Gutherson (local junior)
05. Jade Anderson (junior)
06. Kane Elgey
07. Daly Cherry-Evans (junior)

That's a very impressive backline, imagin them playing behind our in form pack.

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

It’s going to be a VERY big hole to fill if both centres are gone.

One has already left the building, and the other might be leaving next Tuesday.

Big BIG shoes to fill for what are basically untried players that can fill in that are in our top 30 ( Suli excepted).

 

[robbiea]

I heard the judge told Walker
"C U Next Tuesday"

 

[Briza]

As stated in another thread Robert Jennings is unsigned for 2019, as the equal second highest try scorer in 2018 maybe worth a shot even as a winger.

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

As stated in another thread Robert Jennings is unsigned for 2019, as the equal second highest try scorer in 2018 maybe worth a shot even as a winger.

And wouldn’t be on anything like the rumoured $650k that Dylan is supposedly on.

 

[Briza]

And wouldn’t be on anything like the rumoured $650k that Dylan is supposedly on.

He is still training with the vermin atm as he wants to stay, but they have no room in their cap.
I've heard a few people say he'd make a good centre, unless Des has his eye on Hoppa he's worth an offer.
Can't see gutho leaving the slime considering the captaincy.

 

[davohan123]

And wouldn’t be on anything like the rumoured $650k that Dylan is supposedly on.

When you consider that amount of coin he is rumoured to be in next year just makes it more tha sadder the situation he is facing right now.
That sort of coin should set him up for life if managed properly
Still will wait until Tuesday when Dylan gets his day in court.

 

[MuzztheEagle]

I suspect we have a fair bit of talent available to cover positions but the bigger concern is the age and experience of our squad. Even though he is still fairly young Walker has 6 years of first grade experience...and that's probably above the average of our squad right now. It's something that really hurt us last year and I think it was a big part in our lack of mental toughness where games just fell apart.

 

[brad]

The cupboard looks bare in that 3/4 line!!
Ok Manly gain Garrick , Elliot who are NSW Cup and hopefuls.....
On the flip side Kelly is gone....Walker a good chance to be out.....Taufu is an old favourite, but is out dated already by 2 years.....Suli is a young hopeful, but not a saviour....young Funa is a maybe for a spot, but you can’t say will be up to it with great confidence ....Hoppa jnr is a gun and WILL be a great player, but personally surprised to see him in round 1, though at this stage he is the young gun I am pinning hopes on to exceed expectations and make immediate impact.
In fact I would take that Walker money and bring Will Hopoate home and to fullback and put Tom T in the centres with Albert Hoppa with a fit Suli/Elliott/Funa/Garrick fighting for the other spot.

Well put ole mate.

 

[40 years an eagle]

Will Hoppa in, Walker out, Albert on the wing. Will to FB, TT to centre.

There's a good start in the right direction.

 

[Mataiforever]

Would be stoked on this:
1 hopoate / trbojevic

2 garrick

3 trbojevic / hopoate

4 suli

5 funa / anderson
Hopoate to potentially come in later in the season to replace any underperformers

 

[KNUCKLES]

If walker gets the sack. We are sooo ****ed for next year.

 

[The Who]

I think Walker has been "all potential, little substance". While he is the best centre we have I would not be heartbroken to see him go.
How DESpicable would overcome our lack of backs would be interesting, but not insurmountable.
We could play a 'power forward' style, using Tafua and Suli as pseudo forwards, taking plenty of hit-ups and keeping our other forwards fresher.
We'd have no attack in the outside backs, except for cameos by Turbo. But as long as our three-quarters were strong defensively I could see us winning plenty of matches by over powering our opposition.
It would be anathema to the traditional style of Manly backline brilliance, which we didn't see in 2018. We'd have to reply on our power forwards scoring most of the tries, but this was the case last season anyway.
Bashing the opposition into submission. It seems like the best option we have until we unearth some three-quarters with pace, skill and flair.