Soft underbelly

[maxta]

This team is soft and has been for years
Zero killer instinct like any aspiring top 4 side
Always looking for the soft option and don't like to roll up the sleeves and when the going gets tough, the tough go missing
Even the Brown, Lodge aggression seemed missing and our big names in DCE and Tom lacked the leadership qualities most would expect from a team giving up massive leads to Eels, NZ and now Canberra.
And it's like the other players who hold these big names on a pedestal, stand back waiting for 1 of the big names to do something like an U12 team who just keep passing to the big fast kid.
Till they grow some killer instinct and lose the soft underbelly, this frustrating trend will continue.

 

[Dion Johnson]

I think the middles are very good, it’s when they stop playing up the middle and going to the edges when they are winning the middle battle.

DCE didn’t manage the game tonight with a 24-6 lead, that’s an area where he needs to get better, he has some magic touches than some very ordinary ones, that ball to Saab on tackle 1 was crazy.

They have been lucky the last 3 games not to be beaten, hopefully some stern words steady the ship this next 3 games.

 

[TokyoEagle]

This team is soft and has been for years
Zero killer instinct like any aspiring top 4 side
Always looking for the soft option and don't like to roll up the sleeves and when the going gets tough, the tough go missing
Even the Brown, Lodge aggression seemed missing and our big names in DCE and Tom lacked the leadership qualities most would expect from a team giving up massive leads to Eels, NZ and now Canberra.
And it's like the other players who hold these big names on a pedestal, stand back waiting for 1 of the big names to do something like an U12 team who just keep passing to the big fast kid.
Till they grow some killer instinct and lose the soft underbelly, this frustrating trend will continue.

I would agree wholeheartedly. While a loss is never good, on the plus side, it may put a rocket up the playing group with two games to go before the bye.

 

[The Who]

We are mentally fragile.
We lose when we are favourites (lucky to beat the 'Tits)
We lose when it's wet
There has been something amiss with Manly teams for the past decade. I'm much more confident of them beating a strong team than a mediocre one. How I'd love Manly to have the mental strength of Melbourne who never surrender a big lead.

 

[Terry Zarsoff]

Yes, they need to display a ‘tough old gut’ rather than a soft underbelly.

Where is ‘Smiling Albert’ Kesselring when you need him, to whip them into shape?

 

[BOZO]

This team is soft and has been for years
Zero killer instinct like any aspiring top 4 side
Always looking for the soft option and don't like to roll up the sleeves and when the going gets tough, the tough go missing
Even the Brown, Lodge aggression seemed missing and our big names in DCE and Tom lacked the leadership qualities most would expect from a team giving up massive leads to Eels, NZ and now Canberra.
And it's like the other players who hold these big names on a pedestal, stand back waiting for 1 of the big names to do something like an U12 team who just keep passing to the big fast kid.
Till they grow some killer instinct and lose the soft underbelly, this frustrating trend will continue.

Tonight the Raiders played for their coach and Played like their coach
They played the way Ricky played . They played a tenacious never say die resilient winning game .
The moral of the story
A coaches character rubs on his players

 

[effnic]

I would agree wholeheartedly. While a loss is never good, on the plus side, it may put a rocket up the playing group with two games to go before the bye.

Shouldn't the Dragons game done that?

 

[Terry Zarsoff]

Shouldn't the Dragons game done that?

They have short attention spans.

It’s called the ‘Watmough curse’.

 

[maxta]

Tonight the Raiders played for their coach and Played like their coach
They played the way Ricky played . They played a tenacious never say die resilient winning game .
The moral of the story
A coaches character rubs on his players

I think these big name "Superstar" Seaeagles on big $$$ should have got their team home against an inexperienced Raiders team, but do agree Stuart had his side hungrier than Seibold by a long way

 

[Forster eagle]

I think these big name "Superstar" Seaeagles on big $$$ should have got their team home against an inexperienced Raiders team, but do agree Stuart had his side hungrier than Seibold by a long way

Is it just me....and looking for excuses.
...or is the north/south downhill way of running a bigger influence this year than in previous years. All our good starts at Brookie (and the parra comeback) have all been on the back of running downhill. As has all the opposition comebacks. Is it time to talk about the North south way of running.

 

[Eagle 1]

We are mentally fragile.
We lose when we are favourites (lucky to beat the 'Tits)
We lose when it's wet
There has been something amiss with Manly teams for the past decade. I'm much more confident of them beating a strong team than a mediocre one. How I'd love Manly to have the mental strength of Melbourne who never surrender a big lead.

Well said Who, you stole my thunder. Unfortunately the old frailties we had from last season are still with us, their just under the surface, they've never left us. So true about beating the good sides and losing to the bottom sides. Phins next week, just need to out score them I guess, as we've seemed to have put the defensive cue in the rack now.

 

[Rafferty]

Interesting thread tittle.

The Seibelly way?

The mentality way?

Watching that unfold last night has put a different perspective on things, definitely soft, our defence putrid, we leak points like a sinking ship, can we please learn to lock the ball up, show some pride in our own goal line, respect possession, we actually handed them that victory on a platter with our lack of respect for the ball, the hero plays are giving me the sh1ts.

20 nil up and dumb footy (yes Jake and Tom) (Daly) we just invited them back into the contest, we can play good footy for 20 mins, then ………. . Bit of an acid test coming up over the next 3 weeks, with the potential to make or break our season, I’m not liking it, guess the lads have a chance to prove to themselves as a group they can find that hunger or hear we go again, another season of the same old Sh1t.

 

[silvereagle]

Not sure it is a "soft underbelly" that is our problem. The main cause imo is that the individuals in the team seem to play to the standard of the opposition rather play to a standard. Subtle but massive difference. Penrith and Melbourne for example play to a level standard each week irrespective of who is in front of them. Until Seibold sets that minimum standard for each individual (mentally and commitment wise) and hence collectively as a team, then this issue will continue against weaker sides. Yes individual mistakes lost us the game last night but I thought our middle forwards just turned up to pick up their pay cheques. They did not turn up to bury their opposition. I thought they lacked any intensity with their runs and they allowed Canberra boys back into the game. Lodge and Brown were MIA and Sipley simply should not have been out there and looked really unfit. Paseka was ok but did not rise to any occasion while Aloiai seemed to go down with the ball almost instantly as he was tackled. Having said that, I also thought DCE and Turbo had really poor games.

The only good news from last nights game is that our defence out wide seemed to be much better. The other piece of good news is that irrespective of the result, I think we will likely beat most of the Top 4-8 teams. It 's the bottom 8 teams that will worry us. Seibold needs to clearly establish those standards of play expected for EACH and EVERY individual in the team.....for every game.

 

[Under the Sticks]

They have short attention spans.

It’s called the ‘Watmough curse’.

My ultimate The Chase panel..... Lodge, Brown, Watmough!

 

[Under the Sticks]

I think these big name "Superstar" Seaeagles on big $$$ should have got their team home against an inexperienced Raiders team, but do agree Stuart had his side hungrier than Seibold by a long way

Disgraceful for the so called Membership appreciation round at home in the rain. As a member at the ground I have never felt more dudded by this current team and particularly our high paid leading players.

 

[Under the Sticks]

Is it just me....and looking for excuses.
...or is the north/south downhill way of running a bigger influence this year than in previous years. All our good starts at Brookie (and the parra comeback) have all been on the back of running downhill. As has all the opposition comebacks. Is it time to talk about the North south way of running.

I was going to start a post on this fact as I would love to the see the stats.

We must have lost the toss last nigth as it is the first game in about 10 at Brookie where we haven;t run downhill in the second half.

I mentioned it to my sons at kick-off I was worried.

 

[Under the Sticks]

Well said Who, you stole my thunder. Unfortunately the old frailties we had from last season are still with us, their just under the surface, they've never left us. So true about beating the good sides and losing to the bottom sides. Phins next week, just need to out score them I guess, as we've seemed to have put the defensive cue in the rack now.

to be fair we couldn't beat many top 8 teams in '22 and '23

 

[Eagle 1]

to be fair we couldn't beat many top 8 teams in '22 and '23

Agree on that also UtS, was referring to how we get ourselves up for the big games this season ie; Panthers and Chooks games and so on, compared to the struggling sides that we play.

 

[Frogz]

I would agree wholeheartedly. While a loss is never good, on the plus side, it may put a rocket up the playing group with two games to go before the bye.

How many losses should it take

 

[sheridanstand78]

The warning signs were there for a while, this team consistently undoes its work by not managing games and having any game awareness, there were plenty of examples of this all season.

Our senior players MUST improve especially as their errors killed us last night.

Its a wet night and we gave up 12 unnecessary points by ignoring the rules of wet weather play.

20-0 up and an advantage of an extra player and we didn't play the percentage game.

Costly defeat and worrying trend coughing up big leads in games, they were punished again, that's 5 points dropped from winning positions!