The Trbojevic era is over

[SeaEagleRock8]

I haven't watched the last 20m but I think the composition of the squad has come back to bite us.

Jake, Crokes, Brown, Sips, TKO and DCE.... each can still play a decent role in an NRL side but all together in one team were badly exposed.

Des came up with the plan to spread the ball side to side and watch the gaps appear as our old stagers struggle to move side to side and up and back. Worked a charm.

(I actually thought Burbo was one of our best though admit I haven't seen the whole game)

(and Turbo - not writing him off, if Saab could catch better the game may have evened up a bit)

 

[LeonardCohen]

I haven't watched the last 20m but I think the composition of the squad has come back to bite us.

Jake, Crokes, Brown, Sips, TKO and DCE.... each can still play a decent role in an NRL side but all together in one team were badly exposed.

Des came up with the plan to spread the ball side to side and watch the gaps appear as our old stagers struggle to move side to side and up and back. Worked a charm.

(I actually thought Burbo was one of our best though admit I haven't seen the whole game)

(and Turbo - not writing him off, if Saab could catch better the game may have evened up a bit)

I totally agree. It was obvious the game plan was to shift the ball wide and Newcastle came alive the week before with the same strategy in the 2nd half. The only way to stop those shifts from being effective is with line speed in the middle (to shut the play down before it gets to the edge) and good strong contact; we had neither last night.

I also agree that as individuals, those older guys can play a role, but compiling half a team’s worth…yeah, nah!

 

[manlyfan76]

Hard to disagree, and I've been a supporter of Tommy this season. Could go alright on the wing in a roaming capacity. Saab needs a spell in reserves anyway.

Once tom is fit again, I'd have him in that role too.

 

[maxta]

Make no mistake about this 'New' tactic which the Knights exposed last week to spread wide.
It all comes down to losing the collisions throught the guts and the opposition blowing up the middle and creating massive momentum from "dummy half", add the inability to shut down 2nd phase play and your Gagai and Brian Kelly types will look like world beaters.
Let's not lose sight of the fact Newcastle actually attacked that edge so predominantly in the 2nd half due to the fact we had Ben T playing in the centres and got exposed terribly.
The inability to create numbers in a tackle and control the ball carrier is the issue.....I mean 80% of the time the Manly markers are last to their feet and if it was old school rules, these blokes playing the ball would be tapping and running and then we would see cricket scores and the need to go wide would be out the window and not needed....it's the middles and ruck defence....and on the other side of the coin it attack, Manly are slow to play the ball with the opposition defence set and this leads to their apparent line speed, as the advantage then is with the defence after winning and controlling that ruck area.

 

[Ron E. Gibbs]

I know the signs haven't been great for both Jake and Tom for a few years (I'm leaving Ben out of this for now), but their form this season has really fallen off a cliff.

Not sure what to put it down to (aside from age and injury, wear and tear), especially considering how good Tommy was for Australia at the end of last year, crook shoulder and all. But I wonder if DCE and his circus sideshow announcement/defection/retirement has affected them more than the other players in the team. It looks like they're playing with broken hearts as well as broken hamstrings, pecs, calves, etc.

 

[Once Was Brissie Kid]

Is this where the era ends?

Grand finals appearances for Manly's fullbacks.

Graham Eadie 6
Brett Stewart 4
Matthew Ridge 2
Bob Batty 2
Ron Willey 2
Dale Shearer 1
Ron Beaumont 1
Shannon Nevin 1
Tom T 0

 

[Disco]

The thing that is most frustrating is Seibolds continued insistence in playing Jake for long minutes.

Again 58 minutes last night.

40-50 has to be the go.

 

[Eagle 1]

The thing that is most frustrating is Seibolds continued insistence in playing Jake for long minutes.

Again 58 minutes last night.

40-50 has to be the go.

Mate. Maybe we had no choice. Sipley just doesn't have a motor and Jazz playing with a rib injury. It's all hands on deck and do your best old son.

 

[Disco]

Mate. Maybe we had no choice. Sipley just doesn't have a motor and Jazz playing with a rib injury. It's all hands on deck and do your best old son.

40 minutes for Bully, find it hard to believe he couldnt go 50.

Brown played 28....

If you dont trust your bench players to play more than 20 odd minutes then they shouldnt be in the 17

 

[skull61]

40 minutes for Bully, find it hard to believe he couldnt go 50.

Brown played 28....

If you dont trust your bench players to play more than 20 odd minutes then they shouldnt be in the 17

Was Brown even playing last night didn’t see him at all

 

[Eagle 1]

I haven't watched the last 20m but I think the composition of the squad has come back to bite us.

Jake, Crokes, Brown, Sips, TKO and DCE.... each can still play a decent role in an NRL side but all together in one team were badly exposed.

Des came up with the plan to spread the ball side to side and watch the gaps appear as our old stagers struggle to move side to side and up and back. Worked a charm.

(I actually thought Burbo was one of our best though admit I haven't seen the whole game)

(and Turbo - not writing him off, if Saab could catch better the game may have evened up a bit)

Throw in the telling injuries to Ailoi and Paseka and now Ola, and it's a perfect storm for failure.

 

[eaglebuzz]

I still think Tom and Jake are capable of playing first grade, we just can't afford to have them taking up so much of the cap. If both of them dropped down closer to $500k we could round out the squad with some better props and bench players.

 

[Eagle 1]

I still think Tom and Jake are capable of playing first grade, we just can't afford to have them taking up so much of the cap. If both of them dropped down closer to $500k we could round out the squad with some better props and bench players.

Jake, i fear I'm not sure off continuing, and Tom is fast approaching this conclusion also.

 

[Super Coach Eagle]

Tom and Jake don't want to play for anyone else.

The club won't be letting them go after the DCE fiasco this year.

As they dont want to look like they don't treat there legends with no respect again.

 

[Super Coach Eagle]

I think Tom is just busted and wont come back to anywhere near his glory days, or his contract value. Injury after injury, trips overseas for rehab. One injury away from a medical retirement, Sadly.

To medically retire you need a career ending that doesn't allow you to play again.

Not a hamstring or cork issue that heals in 4 or 5 weeks.

Onus is on Tom telling the club he wants a release to go to SL or 2026 will be his last year.

 

[GrahamHughesHairHat]

if we keep Tom move him to centre Hoppa to full back

 

[simon64]

Tom just can't seem to break tackles any more. And this has been the story with Jake for the last couple of seasons.

When he got pushed in to touch last night, the Tom of 2 or 3 years ago would have scored that try wearing a tuxedo.

Really sad to see.

 

[Frogz]

To medically retire you need a career ending that doesn't allow you to play again.

Not a hamstring or cork issue that heals in 4 or 5 weeks.

Onus is on Tom telling the club he wants a release to go to SL or 2026 will be his last year.

Its coming...I think.

 

[Ohgeez]

Other teams just don’t respect Turbo’s speed or tackle breaking ability anymore. A couple years ago if he was outside the centre he’d burn them or draw & pass to the winger. What I’ve noticed this year is opposing wingers hang out wide because they know Turbo is not a threat & allow the centre to come across to shut him down 1 on 1. He was an automatic lock for a try when he would take them on near the line at pace out wide, now he just gets thrown into touch a metre out.

 

[The '47ers]

Time to move on