The race for the top 8.

[SeaEagleRock8]

I hope the club is clamping down on behaviours associated with Covid minimisation. Of course we don’t know how they picked it up, but maybe it’s time to stop them patrolling the fence taking selfies with the fans postgame.

Or apply strict instructions/strong encouragement to wear masks whenever they’re indoors in shopping centres, etc.

Couldn't believe the players run onto the field after halftime reaching out to touch the hands of hordes of snotty nosed kids. Both teams did it. (Missed the start, maybe they did it at the start too). Then trot onto the field and rub their hands over their faces. Does Manly have a doctor to advise about stuff like this? Are the players crazy? I'm surprised we haven't lost more players to Covid but a good bet we will lose more next week if that's how they carry on.

 

[ALinda]

No, only Manly is capable of having 3 out at once with Covid and of course our 3 best defenders. No chance any other team would attract that sort of sh*t and especially the week before playing us.

Ah think positive @mickqld, think positive. You never know what might happen..

 

[CryingEagle]

Covid rules are so dumb. These are professional athletes, if they aren’t physically affected, then it shouldn’t affect the game.

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

Covid rules are so dumb. These are professional athletes, if they aren’t physically affected, then it shouldn’t affect the game.

The rules are for everyone, not just footy players, and are to reduce the spread of disease so the health system isn’t overwhelmed (more overwhelmed). After 2 years it’s amazing there are still people who don’t understand this simple concept.

 

[Luke_m]

We missed Croker more than jake tonight hopefully he tested positive before Thursday so he can play against the roosters

 

[HK_Eagle]

FFS, Ben Hunt outplayed all our boys for Dally M points. DCE is an inconsistent myth. Turns up for certain big events and then disappears badly when needed at the coal face.

 

[The Indian]

This team isn't a top 8 team hasn't been all year. No use getting punchy about it as some people do when you point it out.

Roosters will lap us next week.

Onwards and upwards to next year. We are miles off. Have been all year. Tonight was entirely consistent with what we've dished up away from home all year.

 

[Terry Zarsoff]

Couldn't believe the players run onto the field after halftime reaching out to touch the hands of hordes of snotty nosed kids. Both teams did it. (Missed the start, maybe they did it at the start too). Then trot onto the field and rub their hands over their faces. Does Manly have a doctor to advise about stuff like this? Are the players crazy? I'm surprised we haven't lost more players to Covid but a good bet we will lose more next week if that's how they carry on.

Great opportunity to ignore the kids completely.

 

[Mitch]

FFS, Ben Hunt outplayed all our boys for Dally M points. DCE is an inconsistent myth. Turns up for certain big events and then disappears badly when needed at the coal face.

Mate, DCE was more than solid last night. Couple of repeat sets, got us the ball back from our own dropout etc.

Any blame thrown his way for last night is misdirected.

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

Mate, DCE was more than solid last night. Couple of repeat sets, got us the ball back from our own dropout etc.

Any blame thrown his way for last night is misdirected.

Agree, but couldn't really be bothered to raise an argument. It is traditional here to heap scorn and derision on DCE whenever Manly loses. Sometimes I wonder if he smoked and drank and played more pranks and spoke ungrammatically and had a guffaw style laugh he may be cut a bit more slack. We'll never know.
Meanwhile, though I expected Manly to win last night (because I pretty much always do) the reality of losing 3 workhorses before the game plus more injured early in the game was going to make it very difficult. Not to mention we didn't even have a specialist hooker.

Simple question for those who think Manly were a disgrace last night - which other team would do much better without 2 of their 3 highest paid players? No Tom, we can still win, no Tom or Jake, hmm maybe, maybe not.

 

[wombatgc]

Couldn't believe the players run onto the field after halftime reaching out to touch the hands of hordes of snotty nosed kids. Both teams did it. (Missed the start, maybe they did it at the start too). Then trot onto the field and rub their hands over their faces. Does Manly have a doctor to advise about stuff like this? Are the players crazy? I'm surprised we haven't lost more players to Covid but a good bet we will lose more next week if that's how they carry on.

My old man is a germaphobe. He’s not into footy too much, but watches the occasional game so we have something to talk about. Last week he was going off in one of his 79 year old rants. And some how I’m partly responsible for this action.Them actions being "snot rockets". A disgraceful act!.

How long has this being going on? Why aren’t they sent off for public safety hygiene? And the final one after I’d told him players have been doing it for years. " Then why haven’t YOU written (and yes he means paper, pen, envelope, stamp) to the powers that be and tell them it’s a filthy act, and another way Covid is spreading. I was surprised he didn’t want me to write to my local member and the ombudsman (for as long as I can remember, whenever there’s been a mistake/rort/allegations of an underhanded practice, apparently these two official officers are the go to team).
I told him I’d write an email to Graham Annersley alerting refs to penalising any one caught blowing "snot rockets". I’m not of course. But I guarantee you, I will be asked every convo with the old man from now on, it’ll be, "Have you got onto that bloke about that disgusting Covid spreading habit".
Guaranteed. 😱

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

Haha it's tough when parents get so old that there's no longer much point in arguing with them! Good luck 🙂

 

[davohan123]

Agree, but couldn't really be bothered to raise an argument. It is traditional here to heap scorn and derision on DCE whenever Manly loses. Sometimes I wonder if he smoked and drank and played more pranks and spoke ungrammatically and had a guffaw style laugh he may be cut a bit more slack. We'll never know.
Meanwhile, though I expected Manly to win last night (because I pretty much always do) the reality of losing 3 workhorses before the game plus more injured early in the game was going to make it very difficult. Not to mention we didn't even have a specialist hooker.

Simple question for those who think Manly were a disgrace last night - which other team would do much better without 2 of their 3 highest paid players? No Tom, we can still win, no Tom or Jake, hmm maybe, maybe not.

Panthers last week lost 7 players and still won bit agree with your point

 

[Rocky]

Agree, but couldn't really be bothered to raise an argument. It is traditional here to heap scorn and derision on DCE whenever Manly loses. Sometimes I wonder if he smoked and drank and played more pranks and spoke ungrammatically and had a guffaw style laugh he may be cut a bit more slack. We'll never know.
Meanwhile, though I expected Manly to win last night (because I pretty much always do) the reality of losing 3 workhorses before the game plus more injured early in the game was going to make it very difficult. Not to mention we didn't even have a specialist hooker.

Simple question for those who think Manly were a disgrace last night - which other team would do much better without 2 of their 3 highest paid players? No Tom, we can still win, no Tom or Jake, hmm maybe, maybe not.

I'm pretty neutral on DCE. He's a great footballer but he isn't consistently elite when it comes to maintaining pressure on other teams. And last night I feel like he could have done more with his kicking game in such bad conditions.

That first attacking kick of his sums it up. It was only one kick, but instead of putting it in goal and maintaining pressure he puts in a low percentage one that turned over the ball straight away. Dragons go to the other end and the focus from Hunt is to earn repeat sets. That's how it should be done in the wet.

Its this type of lack of awareness from DCE that hurts the team when we need it from our captain.

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

Panthers last week lost 7 players and still won bit agree with your point

Yeah they are flying. Yet I can see them suffering a shock grand final loss. Or maybe that is just an image that's carried over in my memory from Manly's 3 years of dominance in the mid 90s.

 

[Ron E. Gibbs]

Generally, by the time the season has come to an end, every team finishes exactly where they deserve to. Injuries, dud decisions, close games, etc - it all evens out over time. Regardless of who we have on the field, who played well and who stunk, we have lost too many games that we should have won. Last night's was another one. St George are not a very good team, but they were still better than we were.

We are in the middle of the pack because we are a middle of the pack team, capable of playing extremely well when the stars align, but also prone to self destruction. We might limp over the finish line and grab a spot in the top eight. Then again, we might not. The only thing I'm confident of is that it'll be one of the two.

 

[Brisbane Tragic]

Agree, but couldn't really be bothered to raise an argument. It is traditional here to heap scorn and derision on DCE whenever Manly loses. Sometimes I wonder if he smoked and drank and played more pranks and spoke ungrammatically and had a guffaw style laugh he may be cut a bit more slack. We'll never know.
Meanwhile, though I expected Manly to win last night (because I pretty much always do) the reality of losing 3 workhorses before the game plus more injured early in the game was going to make it very difficult. Not to mention we didn't even have a specialist hooker.

Simple question for those who think Manly were a disgrace last night - which other team would do much better without 2 of their 3 highest paid players? No Tom, we can still win, no Tom or Jake, hmm maybe, maybe not.

Sorry guys - you and @Mitch are generally very well schooled in your thoughts and generally very good in your assessments of games. I love DCE and Foran - Foran is a warrior - DCE fabulous... when we are going forward but last night that second half attack was an abomination and that comes down to those two... nobody else. There was a total lack of direction. A total lack of organisation. As I said it shouldn't matter you don't have your experieced hooker - yes you might get the odd bad pass from Walker but it is not hard to organise what plays must happen or what pattern you are playing in what part of the field. That is all on the halves to organise and direct so that EVERYONE knows what has to happen - what part of the field we have to get on on what play and then what play is happening next. We kept having a win down that left side and we would make a half break... then nothing. The bombs were always too deep - I think only once Saab got a jump to compete for a high ball...especially with that pigmy MBYE at the back. Put it right on top of him and let Saab and Garrick jump over him. The loss of those three workhorses was huge but the Dragons really were average. The total lack of direction and organisation killed us... sorry to disagree DCE was not great last night. Foran's errors were killers. They were not the only average players though - there were a handful of others... we tried super hard - but yes the direction in that second half just destroyed our chances.

 

[47MVEagle]

Watching the Rorters (especially Teddy) taking selfies with the great unwashed, one can only hope that a nice dose of Covid takes place at Bondi throughout the week.

I was thinking the exact same thing lol

 

[47MVEagle]

Covid rules are so dumb. These are professional athletes, if they aren’t physically affected, then it shouldn’t affect the game.

My spidey senses are tingling!

Manly Turbro's announces he's leaving the forum just before kick off last night after spruiking anti-COVID measures & several other posters disagreeing with him then...🤔

 

[Pete W]

Next week v Roosters will be our last chance to make the 8. Literally. Not holding my breath, what is it with even number years and horrible luck/form/timing etc ? 2018, 2020, now 2022