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Quote from: Rambo1987 on Yesterday at 04:49:19 AM
These distraction have been coming and the club should be prepared - I hope. But 9th at best is still close to where will finish. Other teams are stronger and we gone backwards.
Care to nominate which 8 teams (at least) you rate as superior to Manly?


St George
Parramatta
Melbourne
Bulldogs

are the easy ones.

Then, I'd say:-
Tigers
Rabbits
Titans
Bronco's

are probably going to be there, or there abouts.

You usually get one or two surprise packets as well.

Remember, we will have a centre playing in the 1/2's in Lyon, and a half who is used to playing 5/8 and/or centre playing 1/2 back.

Then, we may have a player in prison, which means we go back to Robbo at fullback, who, while he busts a gut - just aint a decent fullback. Decent ENOUGH anyway.
 
Ryan link said:
Quote from: Rambo1987 on Yesterday at 04:49:19 AM
These distraction have been coming and the club should be prepared - I hope. But 9th at best is still close to where will finish. Other teams are stronger and we gone backwards.
Care to nominate which 8 teams (at least) you rate as superior to Manly?


St George
Parramatta
Melbourne
Bulldogs

are the easy ones.

Then, I'd say:-
Tigers
Rabbits
Titans
Bronco's

are probably going to be there, or there abouts.

You usually get one or two surprise packets as well.

Remember, we will have a centre playing in the 1/2's in Lyon, and a half who is used to playing 5/8 and/or centre playing 1/2 back.

Then, we may have a player in prison, which means we go back to Robbo at fullback, who, while he busts a gut - just aint a decent fullback. Decent ENOUGH anyway.
I agree that 7 of the above teams may well be stronger Ryan, but for me it's drawing a long bow to suggest the Bronco's are going to improve. The loss of khunt, Taylor and Clinton (to a lesser extent) and the injury to Hodges must make them somewhat more vulnerable.
 
If you think St George is stronger than last year you have rocks in your head, as well as Brisbane.  The Dogs will be weaker having lost their guaranteed max points per try.  Titans will win at home, though they will have the same problems re winning away.  Taylor and Burgess won't deliver the goods and there you go.  Brett will NOT be going anywhere but Brookvale (disgraceful prognosis). 
 
I can see Parramatta as a serious title threat. They will have some belief with their new signings and some hunger. Dogs & Storm will be in the vicinity.

Tigers could be top 8. Souths . . . maybe. Titans and Saints will make the 8. But I would not put too many ahead of Manly at this stage.

Don't forget - after the disastrous start the team fought very hard and no other team outperformed us over the remaining comp rounds. In fact from memory we had most wins of any team from round 8 onwards. That showed the character Des instills in his teams.

I realise we got belted by Storm in the semi but that can happen, nothing there to suggest we won't be strong contenders again - new halfback and all!
 
Competitions are never won on paper but more on how the team performs on the park over the season. Depth is a big factor as the confidence and hunger of a squad plus the manner in which they gel together. The bounce of the ball and adapting to the faster game are also factors. The old adage that success starts on the front office is a truism.

A few said here last year that there was not the same level of hunger, we struggled with the disastrous start to the season, the injury to Brett hurt us and the transition to the post-Beaver era was also hard. The horror start, partly due to legal proceedings and partly due to focus on the World Club Challenge didn't help us.

That all said, we did quite well to recover and come 5th, only two games off the minor premiership. We lost a few games we should never have given away and it was frustrating. If we had have lasted into week 2 of the finals, who knows what may have transpired, though to be honest we weren't the team we had been.

A clean off season, luck with injuries, the bounce of the ball, etc etc - who knows. We are capable of coming back and winning the comp, especially as we have been there and done it.

To me it will depend on how the half combination steps up into First Grade. If Hodkinson and Foran are the goods we can be Premiers!!!! We should make the semis!!
 
You know, im more excited about the coming season than i was when i knew we had a major shot at the title a few years back (06 - 09).

We got ourselves a brand new halves combo with a couple of kids who really could becoming anything in the game. Its really exciting to see manly finally taking some control of their halves future rather than buying guys towards teh end of their career. Guys like Choc, G Stewart, Snake all reaching the peak of their game. A decent forwards lineup new captains. Its almost like the club has a fresh paint smell about it.

We can carry on with doom and gloom this will be another 09 like season for the club but i just have an inkling that we're in for somethign special this year. I can just sence it, its a new feel manly with somethign to prove thanks to last year.
 
Ryan link said:
We DO have a great team on paper. We have great depth as well. The team I would like - that Des won't go for being risk adverse, is:-

01. Brett Stewart
02. Michael Robertson
03. Steve Matai
04. Jamie Lyon
05. David Williams
06. Keiran Foran
07. Trent Hodkinson
08. Jason King
09. Matt Ballin
10. George Rose
11. Anthony Watmough
12. Shane Rodney
13. Glenn Stewart

14. Ben Farrar
15. Josh Perry
16. Brent Kite
17. Joe Galuvao

The pushing for a spot in 1st grade:-

18. Terrence Seu Seu
19. Chris Bailey
20. Tony Williams
21. Matt Cross
22. Darcy Lussick
23. Daly Cherry-Evans
24. Jamie Buhrer
25. Vic Mauro

It's a very good team on paper and we've actually got a bit of depth for a change. All about attitude this year and I can't see why we can't do well this year if Foran goes well at halfback.
 
You guys are kidding.

Barring a heap of injuries and with our depth we should be in top 6. Everyone seems to forget that snake only played 5 or so games last year. Ox was terrible last year and killer will take control at 6 and we will have a far better kicking game.

As long as we go forward which has never been an issue in the past few years there are strike players everywhere.

Every coach in the NRL would love the manly squad.

My 8
Eels
Dogs
Storm
Coast
Manly
Dragons
Tigers
Souths (Who I hate, but they should make it)

Cheers
 
Agreed Shire Eagle, Orford was awful at times last year. He was no where to be seen when we really needed him (first 2 months) when we were struggling for creativity without Snake.
Who can forget our game against the Sharks at Brookie, season on the line and he turned in one of the poorest games of his career.

Also a query for Ryan, how can you rate the Eels so much higher than us, when in the other thread you basically rated most of our team better?
 
If Snake, Choc and Killer play the full season we make the 8 no problems. Whether we are a genuine premiership threat depends on how well Foran goes at 7 and whether the props find some mongrel. I'm quitely confident Foran will be the goods, and I'm hoping a year of purse carrying last season by Kite and Perry will freshen them up for a decent crack this year.
 
Team P W L PD Pts
3 3 0 48 6
4 3 1 28 6
3 2 1 10 6
4 2 2 39 4
3 2 1 28 4
3 2 1 15 4
3 2 1 14 4
2 1 1 13 4
2 1 1 6 4
3 2 1 -3 4
3 1 2 0 2
3 1 2 -5 2
3 1 2 -15 2
3 1 2 -22 2
3 1 2 -36 2
2 0 2 -56 2
3 0 3 -64 0
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