THIS IS NOT MANLY

[qldeagle]

The bulk of that side were in the struggling re-build period of 03-06 until we hit our straps. They could have all been nothing, but they bought into the culture installed by Hasler and were a 'team'.

That out there these days is not a 'team'. They're a bunch of blokes playing social touch and waiting for moments of individual efforts to lift them. It is a deep, dark place and someone needs to be accountable for this mentality on display.

You must be young coz the winning culture was installed way before Hassler became coach. The 70's is when it all started when it was our most successful decade. Hassler just bought into it along with Cliffy, Tooves, Beaver etc. Now they don't care about culture as it comes a distant 2nd behind the almighty $.

 

[Ryan]

It doesn't matter how good a coach is if you don't have the cattle you won't do much. Barrett has a much better team than Bennett did with the Knights. Bennett, Hasler or Bellamy would have this Manly side playing better than we are currently.

Hear, hear mate. Funnily, Melbourne had their Fullback (Slater), Centre (Chambers), and a few other ancillary players out (just like us) - came out, and bullied The Cowboys in QLD to a great win, but more importantly, an energetic, entertaining performance, where they all put in for each other. Arse holes 😉

It's just that we use excuses, whilst they don't.

 

[qldeagle]

I wonder if we were Manly when last year, at the same stage, we were 3 & 7...in fact we got to 4 wins in round 15.

Was it the coach?

Maybe the support staff?

No it must be the fitness coach......

Or the fact that, much like last year, we have had a massive injury toll which caused instability in the team. Are we a team that will win the comp this year? Not likely.

Is that unmanly like? Yes but lets not kid ourselves that this is a new problem this year and not one that arguably started towards the end of 2014

I tell you what started towards the end of 2014...... DCE started playing like crap. No strategic kicking game since then.

 

[Ralphie]

I live in Bulldog territory mate ! And i am so disgusted i was thinking of supporting the dogs just to get back at the Penns



The owners of the Club ! I run a small business mate ! I am responsible for my employee's retention and recruitment ! Penns have had ownernership for a long time ! They call the shots

The Penns have had control of the club for about 18 months. When you tip in $$$millions you can call it differently.

I'm not happy with where we are at, but the Penns are paying Bozo to rebuild the squad, it is Bozo who has stuffed this up.

 

[conanu]

I wonder if we were Manly when last year, at the same stage, we were 3 & 7...in fact we got to 4 wins in round 15.

Was it the coach?

Maybe the support staff?

No it must be the fitness coach......

Or the fact that, much like last year, we have had a massive injury toll which caused instability in the team. Are we a team that will win the comp this year? Not likely.

Is that unmanly like? Yes but lets not kid ourselves that this is a new problem this year and not one that arguably started towards the end of 2014

I am not expecting miracles and to be honest I didn't even expect to win last night. My problem is with the style of play we have. We are headless chook's with no direction. That is coaching not players" I just want them to look like a team that gets into the grind and has a plan of attack when opportunity presents itself. The defence has been pretty bad, not the worst in the comp by any means but it was something that Barrett put a huge emphasis on in the off season apparently and if you ask me we have gone backwards in that department.

 

[lsz]

I am not expecting miracles and to be honest I didn't even expect to win last night. My problem is with the style of play we have. We are headless chook's with no direction. That is coaching not players" I just want them to look like a team that gets into the grind and has a plan of attack when opportunity presents itself. The defence has been pretty bad, not the worst in the comp by any means but it was something that Barrett put a huge emphasis on in the off season apparently and if you ask me we have gone backwards in that department.

I do not disagree with any of that

 

[highlandeagle]

This is not a MANLY football product on show !

I can not remember a display of such rubbish since the Northern Eagles days !

Recruitment of staff and players has been a major failure !

I predict this Barrett experiment to be a major fail !!

Totally agree, sack Barrett now. Yes we have had injuries this year but we had them last year,the difference is we had structure and a semblance of potency last year. Under Barrett we a clue less in attack and are playing like everyone are strangers,what the hell were they doing in the off season? While we are at it sack Seibold this piece of Storm scum has added nothing to our defense in fact I'm calling him a plant to ruin our club. Our defense is not existent this year and no one knows what the next defender is no doing.Also sack Ferris the so called strength and conditioner coach, if you can call him that. All he has done is drag our proud club to the level of the coke coast. Till this happens get used to the pathetic displays like last night and being anchored to the bottom of the table

 

[Jerry1]

I am not expecting miracles and to be honest I didn't even expect to win last night. My problem is with the style of play we have. We are headless chook's with no direction. That is coaching not players" I just want them to look like a team that gets into the grind and has a plan of attack when opportunity presents itself. The defence has been pretty bad, not the worst in the comp by any means but it was something that Barrett put a huge emphasis on in the off season apparently and if you ask me we have gone backwards in that department.

Well said. Agree 100%

 

[Wombat64]

Even though we are in a better (all be it still not great) place than last year?

Maybe on the table we are better. Do you really think we are better though? I think we are playing worse. Last years we had excuses. This year with the "great rebuild" what are they? We play like **** every week and the disappointing thing is that there hasn't been a bit of improvement from week 1 to to week 9. IMO the best we looked all year was when DCE was out injured. Our forwards are hopeless plodders who would be lucky to run through a paper wall and our backs well what the **** are they doing? They play with no passion. Just nothing. I am finding this season more disappointing than last years.

 

[maxta]

Hear, hear mate. Funnily, Melbourne had their Fullback (Slater), Centre (Chambers), and a few other ancillary players out (just like us) - came out, and bullied The Cowboys in QLD to a great win, but more importantly, an energetic, entertaining performance, where they all put in for each other. Arse holes 😉

It's just that we use excuses, whilst they don't.

For starters Ryan, Munster is not far off Slater....not as dynamic but a little better replacement than Williame or Wright....
Chambers....solid but no superstar.
If you were to compare the injuries fairly to Manly - take out Smith, Cronk , Bromwich ....& when they lose by 20 make the "no excuses" call.
Or better still , blame Bellamy....
Manly has had a rough trot with outs....any team in the same situation would be doing it tough...my only gripe atm is the attitude - players are lacking enthusiasm & aggression....this is where the coaching staff need to improve...get back that desire that appears to be missing.

 

[lsz]

Maybe on the table we are better. Do you really think we are better though? I think we are playing worse. Last years we had excuses. This year with the "great rebuild" what are they? We play like **** every week and the disappointing thing is that there hasn't been a bit of improvement from week 1 to to week 9. IMO the best we looked all year was when DCE was out injured. Our forwards are hopeless plodders who would be lucky to run through a paper wall and our backs well what the **** are they doing? They play with no passion. Just nothing. I am finding this season more disappointing than last years.

Last year Tooves was on a hiding to nothing with the injuries we had. once he got the players back we went on a run and were one of the form teams for the back end of the year.

This year we have had a heap of injuries to a new team - what other result can you expect?

I am not happy about the results, I am not justifying it. All I am saying is that according to the table we are better off than last year....but still very underwhelming overall

 

[hozza]

Agree with everything everyone is saying on here.
So disappointing the coach Isn't filthy at the season we are having. And it's blowing my mind that he is persisting with walker at 5/8th. They seriously don't look coached. Barrett just seems like he has no passion.
And the players, fu$k have they even met each other before? Definitely not playing for each other, seriously heartbreaking to watch this absolute horrible garbage being dished up to us.

 

[Mals]

Last year Tooves was on a hiding to nothing with the injuries we had. once he got the players back we went on a run and were one of the form teams for the back end of the year.

This year we have had a heap of injuries to a new team - what other result can you expect?

I am not happy about the results, I am not justifying it. All I am saying is that according to the table we are better off than last year....but still very underwhelming overall

Yet we finished with 11 wins from 24 last year and the Penns' said that was unacceptable & we are in a results drive business. I'll eat my hat if Barrett can get 11 wins out of this rebuilt roster which many tipped for a top 8, some even said top 4 finish!

 

[BH72]

it's all been said ..

Sh_itting in your own nest is an understatement. Well done to those that contributed.

It's grim because it's not just about the players on the paddock. The clear out was totally pointless.

Strap in as it'll be a long three years.

 

[HK_Eagle]

it's all been said ..

Sh_itting in your own nest is an understatement. Well done to those that contributed.

It's grim because it's not just about the players on the paddock. The clear out was totally pointless.

Strap in as it'll be a long three years.

I would argue it would be more accurately described as political(?)

 

[NYEagle]

The one thing Barrett has gotten completely wrong is that he thinks by being a great bloke to everyone, and technically piecing together a team is going to work. No stirring up, no passion, no anger, no sense of entitlement for the Manly brand.
This is how they built Penrith up, or the Tigers, or Newcastle. Do we want to be like them?.
Trial and error works, making tough decisions works, making people accountable works, making the NRL accountable works.
OK well maybe that last one is wishful thinking, but let the NRL know when they screw up and put together an unbalanced draw, and stop saying everything will be ok.
NYEagle

 

[HoldenV8]

I have nothing against any player individually but for the team's sake I'm still trying to work out which genius decided Lewis Brown and Nathan Green were more important to us than Peta Hiku and Clint Gutherson.

When you think about it, Brown is our 3rd or 4th choice centre, 4th or 5th choice second rower and 3rd choice hooker/dummy half. In baseball terms he's a spot starter, the guy you start when others are injured or in need of a rest. He does well enough when he does fill in, but you wouldn't want to start him too often.

Even Des when he became something of a utility player in the 90's was good enough to be a regular starter at either lock, in the halves or even at hooker.

Green.....its no wonder St Merge fans were glad we signed the guy. Starting him in the back row backfired big time and he's basically spent the past 2 months in NSW Cup. He doesn't even seem to be in consideration for a fill in at centre or wing in the NRL side.

 

[sheridanstand78]

The big worry is the lack of depth we have and there is little pressure being applied by our reserve grade team.

This team is too undermanned to be judged right now.

Barrett needs to work on the toughness of the team because as soon as any acid is put on our defence it just crumbles. The good teams are exposing that, too many soft tries and too many metres conceded in the ruck, both of those things need to be addressed straight away.

 

[Ralphie]

The big worry is the lack of depth we have and there is little pressure being applied by our reserve grade team.

This team is too undermanned to be judged right now.

Barrett needs to work on the toughness of the team because as soon as any acid is put on our defence it just crumbles. The good teams are exposing that, too many soft tries and too many metres conceded in the ruck, both of those things need to be addressed straight away.

We are a mentally weak team and throw in the towel with a whimper as soon as the going get's tough. We need Ivan Cleary now.

 

[manlyfan76]

Im disappointed with Hoss Cartwright, he wasbuilt up as a great man manager with recent grand final experience under his belt. Watching the team they appear not to be happy and the effort is down generally. As mentioned in this thread as soon as we are down we give up.
Im disappointed in Seabold, he is meant to be the defensive mastermind and we leak points way too easily for big periods. We have some minor defensive improvments but not much different from last yer.
Im disappointed with Barrett, this topic has been done to death.
I tell myself to be optimistic for 2017, but right now im not looking forward to it.