Season Preview (need your help)

J

JLA

Rookie
For the upcoming NRL season, I plan to publish a season preview for every team on The Roar. To gain a deeper understanding of each team's prospects, I want to hear directly from the fans. I’m happy to accept multiple perspectives to capture a range of opinions.

Manly Sea Eagles 2025 Season Preview​

  1. Daly Cherry-Evans' Final Run?
    Club legend Daly Cherry-Evans is now 35 and still performing at an elite level. However, considering this could be his final season, does that add extra pressure on Manly to capitalize on their premiership window before it potentially closes?
  2. Ruben Garrick’s Best Position
    As an outsider, it seemed unusual that Ruben Garrick played at centre last season. Do you expect this to continue, and is this his best position?
  3. Lehi Hopoate as a Replacement for Tom Trbojevic
    In previous seasons, Manly’s chances of winning games dropped significantly when Tom Trbojevic was injured. With Lehi Hopoate emerging as a solid fullback option, do you feel he is capable of stepping in at times to manage Trbojevic’s workload?
  4. Closing the Gap on the Competition’s Best
    Manly appears strong enough to be a finals team but perhaps a step below the elite contenders. What do they need to improve or change to elevate themselves into premiership contention?
  5. Forward Pack Concerns
    While Haumole Olakau’atu is an elite forward and Taniela Paseka has shown flashes of being a top-tier prop, does the forward pack lack a consistent "meter-eater" to generate go-forward? Do you agree with this assessment?
  6. Squad Strength and Breakout Players
    • Who is a player poised for a breakout season?
    • Which rookie do you see debuting and making an impact?
  7. Best Addition & Biggest Loss
    • Who is the best signing for 2025?
    • Who is the biggest loss to the squad?
  8. Weaknesses and Areas for Improvement
    • What is the team’s biggest weakness heading into the season?
    • Do you see this area improving as the season progresses?
  9. Squad Depth & Injury Cover
    • How do you rate Manly’s squad depth?
    • Do you feel the team has adequate cover for key injuries?
  10. Strongest 17-Man Squad
  • What does Manly’s best 17 look like when fully fit?
  1. Season Expectations & Predictions
  • What would be considered a pass mark for 2025?
  • What would be considered a failure?
  • Where do you predict Manly will finish this season?
 
You...want to publish an in-depth preview of every team based on the fans doing the work for you?

Bad enough with woodsie's polls!!

Lucky this wasn't posted on another site I live on. Here's those rules on that forum:


Surveys

So you're doing a project for school/college/whatever and you need to do a survey. It's related to footy, so you think you'll just post it here and we'll fall all over ourselves in our enthusiasm to answer your questions.

Mmmmmmmm.... No. We get 2 to 3 of those a week, mostly from people for whom it's their first post -- and from whom we'll likely never hear again. So here's the thing:

If you want to post a survey (or anything similar - don't get all lawyerish) then you first have to post a short video introducing yourself, explaining the reason and rationale for your survey. Preferably entertaining. We will be the sole judges of whether or not you put enough effort into it to be acceptable.

If you think to bypass this requirement and just post your survey, think again. You have no idea what verbal abuse is really like until you've pissed off the people on this forum. Prepare to have yourself ripped a new one. (Normal rules of moderation do not apply when ripping said orifice)

And if it's not footy-related, and it's your first post, you go straight into ban-and-clean.

Obv - I put the word 'footy' in place so you all don't see I'm a member of the exotically shaped chocolate forum.


However - those aren't the rules here yet, so maybe people will help you out. good luck to you.
 
I'll try to answer these as seriously as I can because I doubt you'll get many serious people on here 😂

1. I think the consensus is that he's likely to stay on for 2026, unless we have an unceremonious crash out of the finals race. I think there probably is a bit of pressure for the next two years with Jake probably retiring around the same time as DCE.

2. Reuben's best position is a hot topic on here, but the consensus is that he's a good attacking centre, and mediocre defending centre. The right edge of DCE, Garrick, and Saab is in general very unorganised in defence, Garrick being the most glaring deficiency out of the three. That said, Garrick has improved dramatically in every position he's played, fullback probably the most notable, where he was rubbish in 2020, and became a great backup by the end of 2023. We've hired a new defensive analyst, so it remains to be seen if that edge improves this year.

3. Yes

4&5: Forwards need to step up considerably. How this occurs is really up in thin air. We have a few players who show some first grade potential including Caleb Navale and Chris Patolo, or the option is there to move Jake to prop and put one of Navale, Brown or Tevaga at lock. Sipley and Aloiai are often too injury-plagued to act as the partner to Paseka. Matt Lodge was quite poor defensively at times last year, but may possibly be the answer. Taukeiaho and Brown are probably a bit too old to last for the full season now. The backline is strong, the halves are great, but the forwards are what we need to build on.

I will say that Aloiai was a consistent performer for 75% of last year before his injury, and he was doing a "good enough" job as the starter. Also don't trip up like a lot of other journos, Bullemor is a must for the 17. He has the leg speed nearly all the other forwards lack.

6. We have a thread called "2025 Bolter" or something like that, that basically covers this topic. I think a lot of people are tipping Burbo to stand up, and Navale to break through into first grade.

7. Not a lot of other options, so probably Tevaga or Taukeiaho as our best signings. Patolo might turn out well. Lawton was a big loss, and Ben Trbojevic needs to step up to match his performance as a second-rower.

8. Forwards. If Paseka is out for considerable periods like often, it definitely weakens.

9. Quality depth, still lacking in forward depth and particularly in second row. Waddell and Chee Kam are basically the only two who can back up in the second row.

10. I have some hot takes, but this is probably the conservative option.

1. Turbo
2. Saab
3. Koula
4. Garrick
5. Hopoate
6. Brooks
7. DCE
8. Paseka
9. Croker
10. Lodge (When he is available)
11. Olakau'atu
12. Burbo
13. Jake
14. Talau
15. Aloiai
16. Bullemor
17. Tevaga

11. Success: Top 4 and/or Preliminary Final would be the goal, although another semi-final would probably be a pass mark, if we had a tough season with injuries for instance.

Failure: Missing the 8.

Prediction: 5th.
 
mave said:
Do you like conversing in meme form?

If so, this is the place for you.
Click to expand...

Celebration Wow GIF
 
I'll answer you ... just because that Canadian Moose @globaleagle is still grumpy and giving you a hard time ... he is still upset over the USA flogging them at ice skating.

1) I think it adds added pressure to DCE, not necessarily the team ... I believe the window is just becoming open now, and will be for viable for a couple of years ... some believe the retirement of DCE and the freeing up of a million will enhance our chances.

2) On past performance, wing ... but I don't write him off as a centre.

3) Hoppa will do a good job and reduce the bleeding ... but IMO is a couple of years from being at his prime.

4) IMO we have a 4th/5th quality squad ... a couple of forwards to take us to contenders.

5) Yes

6) No idea

7) No standout .. both TKO and Tevaga will play their roles ... Karl Lawton's versatility and energy will be missed .

8) forward POWER ... No

9) Good all round depth cover ..

10)

1. Turbo
2. Talau
3. Koula
4. Garrick
5. Hopoate
6. Brooks
7. DCE
8. Paseka
9. Croker
10. Taukeiaho
11. Olakau'atu
12. Burbo
13. Jake

14. Tevaga
15. Sipley
16. Bullemore
17. Brown

Expectations
Pass = 4th to 6th
Failure = 7th
Expect 4th
 
globaleagle said:
You...want to publish an in-depth preview of every team based on the fans doing the work for you?

Bad enough with woodsie's polls!!

Lucky this wasn't posted on another site I live on. Here's those rules on that forum:


Surveys

So you're doing a project for school/college/whatever and you need to do a survey. It's related to footy, so you think you'll just post it here and we'll fall all over ourselves in our enthusiasm to answer your questions.

Mmmmmmmm.... No. We get 2 to 3 of those a week, mostly from people for whom it's their first post -- and from whom we'll likely never hear again. So here's the thing:

If you want to post a survey (or anything similar - don't get all lawyerish) then you first have to post a short video introducing yourself, explaining the reason and rationale for your survey. Preferably entertaining. We will be the sole judges of whether or not you put enough effort into it to be acceptable.

If you think to bypass this requirement and just post your survey, think again. You have no idea what verbal abuse is really like until you've pissed off the people on this forum. Prepare to have yourself ripped a new one. (Normal rules of moderation do not apply when ripping said orifice)

And if it's not footy-related, and it's your first post, you go straight into ban-and-clean.

Obv - I put the word 'footy' in place so you all don't see I'm a member of the exotically shaped chocolate forum.


However - those aren't the rules here yet, so maybe people will help you out. good luck to you.
Click to expand...
I love it when you are fired up feathered friend !
 
It's simple. If Manly want to win the premiership we have to be conceeding under 18 points per game. Panthers last year was 16.4, Storm was 18.7 points per game conceded. Defence wins premierships and if we don't improve dramatically , last year was 21.7 , then forget it.
 
All I know is manly last officially won a premiership 14 seasons ago in 2011. It is 12 seasons if the 2013 is counted. Anyway, since winning its first title in 1972:
  • this is now the longest premiership winning drought in the club's history.
  • this is now the longest time without being in a grand final
And Shannon Nevin has played more grand finals for Manly than Turbo has.
 
Woodsie said:
I'll answer you ... just because that Canadian Moose @globaleagle is still grumpy and giving you a hard time ... he is still upset over the USA flogging them at ice skating.
Click to expand...


this post aged well. lololol.


McDavid snaps overtime winner as Canada trumps United States in 4 Nations Face-Off final


www.nhl.com

McDavid, Canada defeat U.S. in OT to win 4 Nations Face-Off | NHL.com

Scores at 8:18; Marner has 2 assists in victory
www.nhl.com www.nhl.com

WOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
 
Forward pack concern for me is we are too old and too slow can’t keep pace with the other top teams so we have to hold on too long and give away penalties and six agains
 

Manly Sea Eagles 2025 Season Preview​

  1. Daly Cherry-Evans' Final Run?
    Club legend Daly Cherry-Evans is now 35 and still performing at an elite level. However, considering this could be his final season, does that add extra pressure on Manly to capitalize on their premiership window before it potentially closes?
I don’t think so, it places pressure on the recruitment and development teams to ensure there is a replacement that’s capable of playing 7 in first grade, Joey Walsh is the hope, outside of him there is no candidate currently putting their hand up within the club.

2. Ruben Garrick’s Best Position
As an outsider, it seemed unusual that Ruben Garrick played at centre last season. Do you expect this to continue, and is this his best position?

Left Wing… Would like to see him come good as a centre though I strongly doubt it, had a full season there in 2024 and struggled with reading the attacking team, he did ok against the lower quality opposition though against quality opposition struggled.

3. Lehi Hopoate as a Replacement for Tom Trbojevic
In previous seasons, Manly’s chances of winning games dropped significantly when Tom Trbojevic was injured. With Lehi Hopoate emerging as a solid fullback option, do you feel he is capable of stepping in at times to manage Trbojevic’s workload?

Yes, though there are other capable options in Koula. Though Turbo is a high quality player and he is always going to be difficult to replace.

4. Closing the Gap on the Competition’s Best
Manly appears strong enough to be a finals team but perhaps a step below the elite contenders. What do they need to improve or change to elevate themselves into premiership contention?
Need a dominant front rower to compliment Paseka and a hard edged backrower whilst Ben Trbojevic is developing.

5. Forward Pack Concerns
While Haumole Olakau’atu is an elite forward and Taniela Paseka has shown flashes of being a top-tier prop, does the forward pack lack a consistent "meter-eater" to generate go-forward? Do you agree with this assessment?

No, Paseka is a genuine meter eater and bends the defensive line consistently, Bullemoor is capable and needs more minutes, outside these two it’s doubtful.

6. Squad Strength and Breakout Players
  • Who is a player poised for a breakout season?
Jake Simpkin, if they back him in and give him the opportunities they have given Croker he can succeed.

  • Which rookie do you see debuting and making an impact? Zane Dunford and Navreen Willett
7. Best Addition & Biggest Loss
  • Who is the best signing for 2025?
Onitoni Large!!! Biggest loss Jamie Humphries, after watching the trial games the club is short on capable halves.

8. Weaknesses and Areas for Improvement
  • What is the team’s biggest weakness heading into the season?
Leg speed in the middle of the ruck. A large part of the squad are proven fringe players, relying on quality youth to shine as genuine first graders that have spark and can have a say in the result of a game.

9. Squad Depth & Injury Cover
  • How do you rate Manly’s squad depth?
Forwards are a concern, though some promising younger players who could force their way into consideration.

Halves, a worry if DCE goes down and Walsh hasn’t been given time to develop.

Outside backs, some quality depth players and some highly talented and promising young players.

  • Do you feel the team has adequate cover for key injuries? No
10. Strongest 17-Man Squad

1. Turbo
2. Garrick
3. Koula
4. Talau
5. Hopoate
6. Brooks
7. DCE
8. Paseka
9. Simpkin
10. Taukeiaho
11. Olakau'atu
12. Ben T
13. Jake

14. Tevaga
15. Sipley
16. Bully
17. Lodge
  • What does Manly’s best 17 look like when fully fit?
As above.

11. Season Expectations & Predictions

Expectation = Top 4
Prediction = 5-8
  • What would be considered a pass mark for 2025?
Major preliminary final.
  • What would be considered a failure?
Not making the top 8
  • Where do you predict Manly will finish this season? 5TH
 
JLA said:
For the upcoming NRL season, I plan to publish a season preview for every team on The Roar. To gain a deeper understanding of each team's prospects, I want to hear directly from the fans. I’m happy to accept multiple perspectives to capture a range of opinions.

Manly Sea Eagles 2025 Season Preview​

  1. Daly Cherry-Evans' Final Run?
    Club legend Daly Cherry-Evans is now 35 and still performing at an elite level. However, considering this could be his final season, does that add extra pressure on Manly to capitalize on their premiership window before it potentially closes?
  2. Ruben Garrick’s Best Position
    As an outsider, it seemed unusual that Ruben Garrick played at centre last season. Do you expect this to continue, and is this his best position?
  3. Lehi Hopoate as a Replacement for Tom Trbojevic
    In previous seasons, Manly’s chances of winning games dropped significantly when Tom Trbojevic was injured. With Lehi Hopoate emerging as a solid fullback option, do you feel he is capable of stepping in at times to manage Trbojevic’s workload?
  4. Closing the Gap on the Competition’s Best
    Manly appears strong enough to be a finals team but perhaps a step below the elite contenders. What do they need to improve or change to elevate themselves into premiership contention?
  5. Forward Pack Concerns
    While Haumole Olakau’atu is an elite forward and Taniela Paseka has shown flashes of being a top-tier prop, does the forward pack lack a consistent "meter-eater" to generate go-forward? Do you agree with this assessment?
  6. Squad Strength and Breakout Players
    • Who is a player poised for a breakout season?
    • Which rookie do you see debuting and making an impact?
  7. Best Addition & Biggest Loss
    • Who is the best signing for 2025?
    • Who is the biggest loss to the squad?
  8. Weaknesses and Areas for Improvement
    • What is the team’s biggest weakness heading into the season?
    • Do you see this area improving as the season progresses?
  9. Squad Depth & Injury Cover
    • How do you rate Manly’s squad depth?
    • Do you feel the team has adequate cover for key injuries?
  10. Strongest 17-Man Squad
  • What does Manly’s best 17 look like when fully fit?
  1. Season Expectations & Predictions
  • What would be considered a pass mark for 2025?
  • What would be considered a failure?
  • Where do you predict Manly will finish this season?
Click to expand...
To come on here @JLA you at least need to give us your YART first.

If you can’t then I’m sure @Ryan will lend a hand.
 
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