MK Eagle
Bencher
Agree totally that we had a good run & playing Illawarra or Wests would have been a much tougher gig in the finals.
The fact is if you look at most premiership winners there is a gifted run with often the GF played a week earlier. A prime example would be Illawarra in 2010 who met Rooters in the GF who had burnt out & Melbourne were out by default yet they smashed Illawarra when they met in club game & I recall Manly touching Illawarra up by 20 odd points when at full strength bar Snake Stewart & still believe without injury & suspension would be on a hat trick going into 2012.
Noone can deny the earlier point made though - Cows with a disabled Thurston - Boncos without Lockyer & Warriors were def preferable to Illawarra & Cubs -No doubt. Opposition, injury & suspension all play a major part in premiership success.
The fact is if you look at most premiership winners there is a gifted run with often the GF played a week earlier. A prime example would be Illawarra in 2010 who met Rooters in the GF who had burnt out & Melbourne were out by default yet they smashed Illawarra when they met in club game & I recall Manly touching Illawarra up by 20 odd points when at full strength bar Snake Stewart & still believe without injury & suspension would be on a hat trick going into 2012.
Noone can deny the earlier point made though - Cows with a disabled Thurston - Boncos without Lockyer & Warriors were def preferable to Illawarra & Cubs -No doubt. Opposition, injury & suspension all play a major part in premiership success.