The Difference a Year Makes

[Canteen Worker]

Well I am totally gutted, starting the weekend in high hopes of us putting up a credible title challenge. We were very mixed in our form but there was always the hope that we would click in the playoffs and at least have a show of defending the title.

A lot went wrong, we were very ordinary at times and there was a horrible start to the season with distractions with the WCC and the boardroom stoush. The Stewart injury plus the loss of a couple of superstars didn't help us.

I was pleased with wins in 10 of our last 13 but it wasn't to be. Sad day for Manly!

 

[QldEagle01]

Sums up the year in one day!!

 

[Kiwi Eagle]

Strange year really

28 weeks ago, we sat here World Champions, and pretty confident of putting up a good show

1 week later, the side is turned upside down after a launch that goes as horribly as you could possibly imagine

8 weeks later, the club has been dragged through the mud in the media over Stewart and the owners stouch, and we are sitting on 2 wins and 6 losses, discussing how it would be a miracle to make 8th, let alone anything higher

From there, we take 12 wins from the next 16, narrowly missing out on the top 4, crush the side that has been running 3rd all year, and we seem back in the hunt

We then run out this weekend, play a red hot side, are down on form in a big way, and all of a sudden after 2 other sides falter we are sitting on the bench for the rest of 2009

Is a hard year to rate really

Ultimately, week 1 of the finals is a failure from this squad that we have. The 12/16 run to end the premiership rounds was an outstanding run really, the team showed plenty of character and ticker to get back to the position they did, but ultimately it was all too much

Momentum is the key for us, and at no stage of the season did we really get anything substantial going in that area

 

[Corso_Pete]

For all the reasons mentioned above the season was highly unlikely to end up like last year. Even during the 12 wins from 16 run had a number of lucky and possibly 2 dubious wins (both Cronulla games come springing to mind). The consistency of 2008 was just not there this year, why? I don't know but I am sure Hasler & Co will be spending the next 4 or 5 months doing just that.

Whilst I am bitterly dissapointed that our season is over, the reality is that even if we were to be playing next week or even the week after we would have been just making up the numbers. Our form over 26 weeks just didn't warrant us being the Premiers in 2009.

That's footy (and sport really) you win and celebrate, you lose and ponder why.

We spent 2009 celebrating being the Premiers, that cannot be taken away from us.

 

[Ryan]

Well said CW. Through all this, I reckon I have been pretty balanced as well ! LoL. Must be getting old.

 

[OneEyedEagle]

One thing is for certain.

Bring on 2010.

I can't wait for the season to start next year and hopefully better times ahead without the wrong type of headlines.

 

[Chip and Chase]

Inconsistency killed us this year. Also they looked like a team that lacked hunger, we weren't prepared to get down and dirty when necessary. They took the easy way out and thought about last October, instead of this October.

Too many players underperformed (Orford, Kite, Perry, Wolfman spring to mind) and the loss of Stewey was too much to make up.

Let's hope that some hunger will come back over the off season by the way of some fresh blood injected into the side.

 

[Ian Martin tragic]

Inconsistency yes. but there were structural problems for most of the year that go back to the losses from 08. Bell and menzies were not really successfully 'replaced'; this + the injuries and suspension/injury of stewart made it very difficult in the backs defensively and in attack in general. The Bailey experiment did not pan out, and wider out we looked very vulnerable for a long time at centre/wing.

and yes, wolfman had a classic post-rookie season, the other wing spot was a major drama, and not much decent ball was coming from orford/bailey anyway. farrar and later foran came to the rescue later in the season.

in the pigs we lost some penetration from menzies (18 odd tries in his last season), until watmough and g stewart (to some exent) kicked into gear (and georgie surprised some defence lines). the kite/perry show was not as consistent or powerful for most of the year, and it was lucky for us the rotation grunts had such good seasons.

for all that, the recovery and climb back up the ladder WAS very creditable, and some good work was done on blooding foran, finding bailey's best position, and adding farrar to the backline. so if stewart is clear to play next year, we should be very competitive next year.

 

[DSM5]

Orford's back. 

 

[Crusher_Cleal]

I think the stress and strain of needing to win so many games so early in the season after the 0-4 start probably had an effect on us come Finals time. In our biggest game of the year, we couldn't muster up the effort to come out firing. In hindsight, perhaps coming 6th to 8th would have been better - there might have been a tad of complacency knowing we were likely to stay in even if we lost Wk 1.