Tony Mestrov, new CEO
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D
Deleted member 26876
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You are right (me being a Des fan) I am not willingly jumping aboard the Mestrov train anytime soon.
(but FYI I don't "hate" him)
Lots of change so far. But what about the quality of change? All his (or Penns?) solutions so far would've seemed pretty insane if someone had suggested them 6-12 months ago. Flanagan is our only logical signing, but apparently that was not part of the initial plan.
What about his early comments? He said he would come to the club and stop us "airing our dirty laundry out to the public". Well the entirety of his time it has only gotten worse. Also it seems weird our past CEO's were quiet and didn't last, but now all of a sudden Penn's got Mestrov in and he's running around with the keys, explaining internal views/discussions to media etc.
After the jersey thing **** well and truly hit the fan so people understandably are keen to buy into any change. But being brought in by Penn, overseeing even more leaks to media and parroting Penn's views so far makes me not trust him. In terms of tangible reasons why I don't trust him. Double-standards and Seibolds signing are big ones. Then the Fulton sacking could've been handled a million times better and he didn't need to publically mention Garrick would be guaranteed the centre role. And I hope his dce comment in this interview was not genuine because that's as delusional as it comes. Given Penn is delusional, the last thing we need is a CEO that also doesn't think straight. Or worse... a CEO that is his friend.
speaking of delusional management, did anyone see that the tigers are shopping Hastings to the Knights instead of Brooks?
That's bat**** crazy, I honestly don't know how their fans do it.
tookey
First Grader
Announce that Penn has sold the club the URM
That Manly will now play all home games at Brookie oval each year
Would be nice to hear him say we have signed several hard nosed prop forwards instead of re-signing flogs like Boyle and Keppie Oh and a first grade hooker would be good was well
Maybe apologise for Manly deciding to wear the pride jersey on the women in league weekend and that it was a major **** up
Confirm that Manly won't wear the pride jersey again until the NRL make every team wear it at the same time
Who are our strength and fitness trainers
Just for starters
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Honestly , he can only work with what he has.
The pipe dreams you’ve mentioned might be what you personally want but to think that these will happen , and he’ll announce them , is really just that.
A pipe dream.
PS: I do agree about fitness and rehab we should know these by now.
JenEagle
Bencher
Yeah its not as if we have completely fallen off a pedestal. 12 months ago we had just completed a top 4 season and had the dally m player of the year and were huge title contenders.
Tony says we are top 8 material and this is supposed to be an upgrade from Des !
Far out what a load of fluff.
Tony says we are top 8 material and this is supposed to be an upgrade from Des !
Far out what a load of fluff.
and don't forget the 1 Free 4 Pines beer voucher for members.
Do you mean this thread or the Manly club…?
D
Deleted member 26876
Guest
Yes
Ron E. Gibbs
First Grader
Yeah, the last time there was this much optimism around a pre-season was when we'd landed "The Best Young Coach in the Game", who turned out to be Trent Barrett. The media stories were eerily similar: how we'd surrounded T-Baz with experience (Bozo Fulton! John Cartwright! And some bloke named Anthony Seibold. What could possibly go wrong?) and would soon be back to winning ways.
Then there were all the stories about Bozo building a "premiership roster" in less time than it took God to create the world. And again, given the benefit of hindsight, we lost more talent (Clint Gutherson, Nicho Hynes, etc) than we gained. Marty Tapau had one good game and predicted we'd win the competition in his first year here. But that didn't pan out well either.
So really, this is all nothing but hot air. I want the new coaching team to gel and do well, but until we start playing and winning games of football, I won't be getting carried away. Right now we have achieved precisely nothing. It's best that everybody - especially the players - remembers that.
Agreed, there’s a long way to go BUT being optimistic is better for your soul than pessimistic!!
DUFFMAN
Bencher
I fall into the Penn haters, in the past he has run the club on a low budget and unrealistic KPIs.
It's looking like he has decided to open the wallet and is hiring people who can do the job.
I was a Des supporter and not really a Seibold fan but will give them a chance.
I don't expect a premiership in 23 but a pass mark is a top 8, or close to it as the draw is cruel for us.
This will go either two ways, we become a bottom four team for the next ten years or we become a powerhouse again and win a premiership or two in that ten years.
I’m positive , we’ll make the 8 or go close to it.
And with a couple of decent signings we’ll be back up there.
And if we can build an attractive destination to come to , that’ll happen in the years that follow.
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Terry Zarsoff
First Grader
They said he opened the wallet after Toovey’s forced departure, then again after Barrett’s noisy farewell.
Seems like the machine is on a repeat spin cycle.
I think the only thing that’s maybe different is ,
1) every club made a profit last year , the first time ever.
2) the NRL is awash with $$$$, talks of $5 million a side more to run their clubs as grants ( on top of what they get already ).
Now of course this is for everyone so others will potentially go a step further than us but I do see it as a different situation to what we’ve seen in the last 6-8 years.
manly al
First Grader
Not so much a deadline but some better indication when or how the pride jersey issue can be resolved or managed . Maybe to push the N R L to incorporate it into a whole round , all club event fixture occasion , They are hardly showing much empathy to Manly , despite the N R L proclaiming it a good concept [ inclusion ] Preferably when Manly are due for a bye if only
Terry Zarsoff
First Grader
The issue is a dilettante chairman, living half a world away (just to compound the issue!), who has apparently not wanted or allowed proper governance to be set in place - where (amongst other things) key people in the organisation talk to other key people - in an attempt to ensure everyone is on the same page. Not how much money they’re picking up from the NRL.
The drama we saw erupt back in July was the result of ‘stovepiping’ where the marketing gurus didn’t ensure the head coach was fully aware of what was happening. Leading to one of Manly’s greatest being shown the door.*
What if anything has Penn done (in all those years at the top of the ‘club’) to ensure the organisation worked as it should, a stable organisation? Not a shambolic ‘how not to do it’ joke?
*Of course eight years earlier a similar process was started against Toovey. Net result - another Manly great (with something to contribute) is lost to the club.
Vyssini
Reserve Grader
That's twice in three months that you have used a grown up word- stop it!!!!
It's going to take time, as Mestrov said, however, we have a good foundation to build on and I expect we will win another premiership in the 2020's and be the only club to have done so every decade since the 70's.
The Blacktown idea I do not totally embrace, however, the concept was twofold:
1) It is a rich nursery or NRL talent, specificfally Pacifica players at the junior level, whereas similar talent on the Northern Beaches has waned, as fewer kikds are playing NRL and, we have seen success from that in our juniors through this concept, however, maybe not so much in 2022
2) It saved the club a heap of money, as Blacktown Workers Club Group heavily invests in the team and its facilities and, this is probably why Scott Penn bought in on the concept
If you look at our current Top 30 squad, there are only five local juniors (3 x Trbojevic, Parker and Zac Fulton), whereas in the 80's and 90's, over half the squad would have been local juniors, born and bred on the Northern Beaches. Sure, quite a few have played for the club since Harold Matts, however, they have been recruited from outside the area.
This is the big challenge for Mestrov, as he has to stimulate interest and participation in the junior playing ranks, so more local talent eventually comes through into the top squad.
Sure, we have to look outside 'the box' and nurture some talent from Western Sydney, where Penrith and Parramatta and, somewhat Wests, have a massive nursery of talent and then you also include the QLD regions, which is what Melbourne does.
Whereas the 'pott' used to be significant on the Northern Beaches and for some other clubs, it's now shrinking for clubs like Manly, Cronulla, Roosters and Souths and unfortunately, most talent has to sourced elsewhere.
The NRL also has a huge role to play in this, as the rise of Pacifica players in junior rugby league is turning some mothers off their sons playing RL against boys significantly larger, with the fear of injury. Weight divisions are always good and I think the NRL has embraced that in some way, but needs to do more.
The Blacktown idea I do not totally embrace, however, the concept was twofold:
1) It is a rich nursery or NRL talent, specificfally Pacifica players at the junior level, whereas similar talent on the Northern Beaches has waned, as fewer kikds are playing NRL and, we have seen success from that in our juniors through this concept, however, maybe not so much in 2022
2) It saved the club a heap of money, as Blacktown Workers Club Group heavily invests in the team and its facilities and, this is probably why Scott Penn bought in on the concept
If you look at our current Top 30 squad, there are only five local juniors (3 x Trbojevic, Parker and Zac Fulton), whereas in the 80's and 90's, over half the squad would have been local juniors, born and bred on the Northern Beaches. Sure, quite a few have played for the club since Harold Matts, however, they have been recruited from outside the area.
This is the big challenge for Mestrov, as he has to stimulate interest and participation in the junior playing ranks, so more local talent eventually comes through into the top squad.
Sure, we have to look outside 'the box' and nurture some talent from Western Sydney, where Penrith and Parramatta and, somewhat Wests, have a massive nursery of talent and then you also include the QLD regions, which is what Melbourne does.
Whereas the 'pott' used to be significant on the Northern Beaches and for some other clubs, it's now shrinking for clubs like Manly, Cronulla, Roosters and Souths and unfortunately, most talent has to sourced elsewhere.
The NRL also has a huge role to play in this, as the rise of Pacifica players in junior rugby league is turning some mothers off their sons playing RL against boys significantly larger, with the fear of injury. Weight divisions are always good and I think the NRL has embraced that in some way, but needs to do more.
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