The Manly pack we have waited for !!

[Will on the hill]

Solid, but your 17 doesn't cover the common event of an injury to one of our outside backs.

It'd be Lawton to centre Bully to an edge. Not perfect but good enough for emergency cover.

 

[manly al]

Unlucky for Burbo missing out against the Dogs as he has been really putting in this season and doing quite well in general
Very much doubt that he will be selected as a centre against the Sharks , maybe on the bench instead of Koula for that utility role and with Lawton to cover 9 if needed .
Sipley a bit unlucky as well .

 

[wombatgc]

Won the battle up front by KO tonight. and individual contacts
The front rowers ripped holes through the middle all night.
the Dogs were made to look ordinary by a team who physically owned them.
The players won their personal battles and controlled the ruck....which led to a rare thing in 2024....won the contest of controlling that play the ball and actually played the ball with speed that had the Dogs backpeddling and under the pump.
Also defensively pretty much monstered them most sets, where the Dogs were getting pummelled and often looked stung and shaken playing the ball very slowly and the ONLY time they looked threatening was that left shift to the Kikau - Xerri - Fox edge where garrick in particular looked in trouble missing a few 1 on 1's, but in his defence he made some great 2nd half tackles and in attack cracked them open also.
Great way to lay a platform and the props Paseka and Lodge deserve special mention, with Oka and Brown also lifting the energy when Manly needed to find something.
Special mention to a Super tackle by Aloiai on Burton around the boots 2m out to save a certain try at a vital stage.

Paseka’s average play the ball speed 2.76 secs! The only one from Manly who beat him was, take a guess?….Fli-hi Lehi 2.73 secs. That was the best game I’ve seen from Paseka. The speed of Lodge for a big bloke was awesome. The Manly pack absolutely destroyed the Dogs smaller mobile pack. The hit on Morrin by Ola was brutal and to Reed Mahoneys yappy dog protests completely legal. For a second there I thought Ola was going to do a TPJ and use Mahony as a shot put.

 

[maxta]

Paseka’s average play the ball speed 2.76 secs! The only one from Manly who beat him was, take a guess?….Fli-hi Lehi 2.73 secs. That was the best game I’ve seen from Paseka. The speed of Lodge for a big bloke was awesome. The Manly pack absolutely destroyed the Dogs smaller mobile pack. The hit on Morrin by Ola was brutal and to Reed Mahoneys yappy dog protests completely legal. For a second there I thought Ola was going to do a TPJ and use Mahony as a shot put.

I agree - Paseka made a statement last night - MASSIVE !!
I confess being worrying the back 20 mins both halves was those small forwards would create space, but after being bashed - they had nothing ....they lost interest as the Manly pack bashed it outta them.
Not sure how anyone else seen it, but I was only worried when Dogs shifted left to Kikau/Xerri /Fox....apart from that we had them covered