So Long & Thanks For All The Hits - RLW 23/6/16

[Wombat Legacy]

Sharing a moment with the MAN!!! 2008 GF

 

[Wombat Legacy]

We need someone like this guy

 

[Eric Galt]

The fact that we may well be losing Jamie Lyon, Brett Stewart and Steve Matai at season's end shows how bad our retention/recruitment was. We should definitely have kept at least one of either Gutherson or Hiku.

 

[Shoe1]

Both Eric

 

[ALinda]

I refuse to believe, and don't want to believe, all this leaving Manly/retirement talk - until it comes from Skivvi's mouth.
Saying 'so long and thanks' is premature, but should really be said at the right time, me thinks

 

[bones]

I refuse to believe, and don't want to believe, all this leaving Manly/retirement talk - until it comes from Skivvi's mouth.
Saying 'so long and thanks' is premature, but should really be said at the right time, me thinks

'So Long and Thanks For All The Hits' was the title of the article in RLW. I simply copied it word for word.

 

[ALinda]

'So Long and Thanks For All The Hits' was the title of the article in RLW. I simply copied it word for word.

And I appreciate that. My comments weren't to you, they were directed to the article and its writer.

 

[HoldenV8]

For a long time Steve Matai has been hated by opposition fans and has been called just about everything including grub and thug.

Yet 99% of those same fans who hate him would have loved to have him running around in their teams centres for the past 10 years putting big hits on opposition players and being one of the toughest going around.

Sometimes I wonder if they hate him because of the type of player he is.....or if its simply because he plays for Manly and not their club.

 

[Dan]

As a clubman he never put a foot wrong. He played his all and his hardest in every game he played. He was targeted for his ferocity. One of those players that I'm glad I got to watch debut and blossom.

Will never forget his haphazard first NRL try and game.

The guys deserves more accolades than he has received.

Sad his body had caught up and hopefully he is allowed the dignity he deserves!

 

[Killer03]

Hugely underrated player who has been unfairly labelled as a grub. He is nothing of the sort and his courage is never in question. Skivvi is not a huge guy, but has never shirked putting hits on players 20kgs heavier than him, and also knowing he has put a target on his own back by doing so.

I must say I was one who saw him as a fairly one dimensional player, and a few years ago I said to a mate that I was wrong. He showed that he has ball skills and footy smarts to go along with his warrior mentality.

 

[Woodsie]

For a long time Steve Matai has been hated by opposition fans and has been called just about everything including grub and thug.

Yet 99% of those same fans who hate him would have loved to have him running around in their teams centres for the past 10 years putting big hits on opposition players and being one of the toughest going around.

Sometimes I wonder if they hate him because of the type of player he is.....or if its simply because he plays for Manly and not their club.

V8, my mate boofhead is a dyed in the wool doggies supporter who hates Matai with a passion.

But will admit that he would be one of the first players he would have at Belmore.

Make no mistake, hate him they might, but respect they do.

 

[Woodsie]

So long and thanks for all the hits.

And don't forget your pillow.

 

[Technical Coach]

Leader by actions not small talk, covered for a lack of go forward and grunt way beyond what a centre should have to over the years to the detriment of his body.

Matai was and still is more a leader to this squad than other big name stars, always had confidence Matai would look to inspire and not go missing in the tight grind of a game---not happy to just sit back and wait for something to happen.

If Matai can recover from surgery and still have the confidence in himself to offer a nice balance of aggression and mature composure in his game i have no issues with a further 2 years---time will tell though, only Matai can answer that.