The Book of Albert

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Also John:
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I don’t think people realise how important it is to build a culture.
Manly had it until Des left...then bit by bit it crumbled.
I think he is looking at a long term plan to rebuild the club culture, and won’t let sugar hits get in the way of it. Could be wrong, but there is definitely something going on, and again, is Des starting to rail against the management for the betterment of the clubs long term future.
Watch this space
Unfortunately. Des is dealing with Barrett's culture still. Not sure these are Des types of players. Players that he can relate to or get through to. Letting Api go for Fainu is probably the biggest mistake this club has made. API is a leader. We lack them right now. Most of us would have agreed with that obviously not knowing what was to come for Fainu. It's all unravelling now.

Whether Des is the one to lead us forward I don't know anymore. I think we lack leaders from the top. Under the Penn's we have been a basket case. Time to sell up imo
 
Unfortunately. Des is dealing with Barrett's culture still. Not sure these are Des types of players. Players that he can relate to or get through to. Letting Api go for Fainu is probably the biggest mistake this club has made. API is a leader. We lack them right now. Most of us would have agreed with that obviously not knowing what was to come for Fainu. It's all unravelling now.

Whether Des is the one to lead us forward I don't know anymore. I think we lack leaders from the top. Under the Penn's we have been a basket case. Time to sell up imo
Unfortunately many good players come with big attitudes and pleasant chaps with few skills are useless to a footy team... if we wait for 17 guys with great skills and no ego it will be 2136 b4 our next premiership...
The coach gets paid a lot of money to develop systems and manage egos so that everybody buys into the culture... Bellamy, Bennett and Robinson have managed to do it and they have plenty of pac islanders and Roosters & Souffs probs have more latte gangstas too...

Blaming players is easy but managing players is hard... and possibly too hard for Des these days... maybe Des and Gould are cut from the same cloth...
 
Hoppa angry on Instagram this morning saying it's not about the money. I think it must be playing a big part, though. From memory, he was interested in leaving Manly at the start of the Super League war & later defected to Wests Tigers. He also encouraged Will to leave Manly for the big contract. Before his last farcical fight with Gallen, he was talked out of wagering all his entire $50,000 purse on himself. If this issue with Albert has anything to do with integrity, I don't know if I would be taking John's side. (By the way, I met him briefly during his early years at Manly - came across as very personable)
Instagram Hoppa.jpg
 
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A lot of angst being directed the coach’s way.

He has inherited a mess based on seven seasons of missteps during his absence that he is trying to resolve, on top of the unusual challenges posed by the 2020 season.

If these islander lads are so unhappy after all the opportunities the club has given them, well ‘there’s the door’.
Yep they can all go back to the western suburbs and enjoy the life of gang signs and church dances. This isn’t about Des it’s about the club and lack of respect for it. Ffs didn’t the club/Des single handedly get Suli in shape by delivering lean cuisine to him. Supports Fainu through court etc.
 
Hoppa angry on Instagram this morning saying it's not about the money. I think it must be playing a big part, though. From memory, he was interested in leaving Manly at the start of the Super League war & later defected to Wests Tigers. He also encouraged Will to leave Manly for the big contract. Before his last farcical fight with Gallen, he was talked out of wagering all his entire $50,000 purse on himself. If this issue with Albert has anything to do with integrity, I don't know if I would be taking John's side. (By the way, I met him briefly during his early years at Manly - came across as very personable)View attachment 15224

Perhaps John just wants his son to be given an opportunity to play first grade.
He has been given none so far.

The backs Des has picked so far in 2020 have not worked. Outside of DCE and Turbo, none of the backs would justify constant selection in other nrl teams.
 
It’s not about taking sides, it’s looking at the fallout and realising the contributing factors. Then managing and compromising if needs be on, the factors you can control and mitigating the factors you can’t.

Whatever had happened and who is to blame is inmaterial to the fact we held back a talented junior from getting a go in an underperforming team with inept players in the positions in question.

If hoppa, schuster and olakatu had got a go when Tom, walker and Siro were first injured we couldn’t be in a worse position than now anyways as we haven’t won a game, and there is a chance we might be going better. At the very least we would be better situated for the future.
 
I think it’s time for all of us to accept that Albert will never play a first grade game for manly. The club has lost him and the rest of the Hopoate family now for the way they’ve treated young Albert.

And just how have the club treated young Albert ?
By not playing a kid with 2 ACL's, never played against a higher age than 18, hasn't played in 2 years and was only cleared for full contact training 10 weeks ago ?
All the while paying his medical bills and supporting him financially.

Yeah they treated him so bad lol
 
I think it’s time for all of us to accept that Albert will never play a first grade game for manly. The club has lost him and the rest of the Hopoate family now for the way they’ve treated young Albert.

But the issue is aidos .... that we have absolutely no idea if Albert is being treated the way he deserves in relation to his fitness, ability or readiness .... or whether Dessie has for some bizarre reason ... after over 30 years in the game .... decided to not play the new messiah ...

I don't know which it is .... but the laws of probability would probably fall on the side of Dessie having a pretty good reason ..... as others have said .... the lack of information is what is driving this contention ....

It may be as simple as the fact that in giving his reasons ... Dessie would need to explain any negatives Albert has .... and I can see why he would be loathe to go public with such an explanation ....
 
I’ll back Des over Hoppa.

If it has anything to do with a group of young players who want to turn our club into some sort of islander gang than I hope he stamps it out. I don’t mind a few lean seasons to sort out culture if we have to. Not saying this is the case but if it is...
 
Hoppa angry on Instagram this morning saying it's not about the money. I think it must be playing a big part, though. From memory, he was interested in leaving Manly at the start of the Super League war & later defected to Wests Tigers. He also encouraged Will to leave Manly for the big contract. Before his last farcical fight with Gallen, he was talked out of wagering all his entire $50,000 purse on himself. If this issue with Albert has anything to do with integrity, I don't know if I would be taking John's side. (By the way, I met him briefly during his early years at Manly - came across as very personable)View attachment 15224
Well it is very clear that Hoppa has never dealt with his anger issues??? I think its a real shame that hes saying things like this as our club stood by him many times when everyone else deserted him. If he and his clan decide to play elsewhere then that is their decision!! BTW Hoppa you are your clan and NEVER bigger than our club!!
 
I think it’s time for all of us to accept that Albert will never play a first grade game for manly.
I think that is probably true.

But what happens if Funa is suspended & Suli is out injured for next week, the only outside backs with first grade experience in the squad (apart from ex winger Williams) are Miski & Harper. Would Des extend an olive branch & invite Albert back in the team?

I got the impression from last night's interview that he wasn't ruling out the possibility of Albert being recalled if the team is depleted enough. Other replacement options would be Schuster or Metcalf.
 
I think that is probably true.

But what happens if Funa is suspended & Suli is out injured for next week, the only outside backs with first grade experience in the squad (apart from ex winger Williams) are Miski & Harper. Would Des extend an olive branch & invite Albert back in the team?

I got the impression from last night's interview that he wasn't ruling out the possibility of Albert being recalled if the team is depleted enough. Other replacement options would be Schuster or Metcalf.
Call back Hoppa, then don't play him.
 

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