Top 4 beckons

[Spartan Eagle]

That concerns me Des should be concentrating on winning games not taking two bites of Cherry. I wonder how cherry feels about Des biting him
Even once

That's why he is paid the big bucks.

 

[HappilyManly]

If you ask Des he will 100% disagree. The week off is huge going into a GF.

Des can rest everyone for the Parra game

So long as Invincible Turbo gets to sit on the bench for 80 minutes , Manly will win

 

[BOZO]

After next week we should be in the Top 4, because Storm will smash Souths and we should beat the Warriors. Currently Souths for and against is only marginally better than our own.
And if we do get in, then all we have to do is keep winning. We have some hard games to come but this team has so much improvement left in them it is ridiculous.

Great post and Great positive attitude . That is the attitude that all winners in life have

We got this far through believing in our selves and we will continue to believe and continue to triumph

Wake up believe and conquer

Top four here we come and no bastard is going to stop us


Go the mighty Sea eagles !!!

 

[Terry Zarsoff]

Is that you, Norman Vincent Peale?

 

[QueefRichards]

We will have to be close to our best for the rest of the season otherwise we wont crack the top four. We won't do it playing like we did against the Knights.

 

[BOZO]

Is that you, Norman Vincent Peale?

God bless you and our mighty Sea eagles feathered friend

 

[madmax]

Why is finishing top 4 such a massive thing?

I get that historically it is an advantage, but this year, with a game at Brookvale, I would rather finish 5th, and play at home, than have to travel to Melbourne. Every game after week 1 is a sudden death anyway, and I'm not a big fan of the week off for Top 4 winners.

It's much the muchness this year in particular, with the policy change.

You only need a 4 game run to win a GF.

Mave........As far as I know 1 - 4 get a second chance if you lose your first game. 5 - 8....you lose you're out

 

[Tragic Eagle]

We are a chance to finish as high as third. There’s still a mountain to climb but our boys are in it up to their necks. Go boys!!!

 

[mickqld]

Hell, win all our games we'll finish 2nd and get the home final. The 2nd chance is only if you lose in week 1. We're not losing in week 1.

 

[Stuey Davis’s Socks]

Edit: I was wrong about 1995. Only lost 2 regular season games - Rd 16 v Rorters & Rd 18 v Sharks. Damn that 1995 Manly team was good!

They were, just a shame they weren’t having a 2019 style forward pass crackdown in the 1995 GF

 

[Under the Sticks]

Souffs shouldn’t be up there anyway, they have been gifted undeserved wins a few times this season

I thought Glen moved on years ago

 

[mave]

They were, just a shame they weren’t having a 2019 style forward pass crackdown in the 1995 GF

Counting to 7 was an issue that year as well.

 

[Rodo]

Toimmy's our lucky charm. He has not lost a game all season. Let's hope he can keep it it going and bring a home a premiership to Manly.

 

[ellakasmar]

Why is finishing top 4 such a massive thing?

I get that historically it is an advantage, but this year, with a game at Brookvale, I would rather finish 5th, and play at home, than have to travel to Melbourne. Every game after week 1 is a sudden death anyway, and I'm not a big fan of the week off for Top 4 winners.

It's much the muchness this year in particular, with the policy change.

You only need a 4 game run to win a GF.

The biggest advantage of playing Melbourne in week 1 is getting them out of the way. If we were instead to finish 5th, theres a chance we would have to play them in a preliminary final instead, possible down in Melbourne depending on how things go.

Although positives to both with the home semi as you've said - what an AWESOME atmosphere that would be at Brookie

 

[Blake]

I like the idea of finishing 4th and meeting Melbourne in Week 1. After already beating them twice in regular season, they will be very afraid and will get done for a 3rd time.
It will also take away their benefit of a Preliminary Final in Melbourne; making it much, much harder for them. By the time they limp into the Grand Final to meet Manly for the 4th time this season, they will be so physically and mentally destroyed 40-0 will look like a tight margin by the time we are finished with them.

 

[Luke_m]

Just heard on 100% footy from Gallen that even if the sharks earn themselves a home semi final they can’t play at there home ground, as the nrl have said it’s not up to nrl standard !! I heard the same about manly too !! What an absolute joke does anyone know if manly are trying to address this ???

 

[davohan123]

Just heard on 100% footy from Gallen that even if the sharks earn themselves a home semi final they can’t play at there home ground, as the nrl have said it’s not up to nrl standard !! I heard the same about manly too !! What an absolute joke does anyone know if manly are trying to address this ???

Can’t be true as Todd did say if certain temporary improvements were made both grounds could be used for finals football ( more change rooms, better more media boxes)

Would be crazy if Todd didn’t allow this to happen both we would have earned the hosting rights to final through playing tough football throughout the year.

 

[davohan123]

Just heard on 100% footy from Gallen that even if the sharks earn themselves a home semi final they can’t play at there home ground, as the nrl have said it’s not up to nrl standard !! I heard the same about manly too !! What an absolute joke does anyone know if manly are trying to address this ???

https://www.nrl.com/news/2019/05/10/finals-footy-returns-to-suburban-grounds-in-2019/

Finals footy is set to return to suburban grounds for the first time in almost a decade with relevant clubs to be given options on where they host week one qualifying finals.

The knockdown of Allianz Stadium and emergence of Bankwest Stadium as an elite venue has prompted the NRL to scrap its policy of Sydney finals being played at either Moore Park or ANZ Stadium, starting this season.

Not since 2010 has a suburban ground hosted a finals fixture, after thousands of fans were locked out of a sold-out Jubilee Oval when Jarryd Hayne's Parramatta carved up the Dragons a year earlier.

In recent years the edict that clubs such as the Sea Eagles, Sharks and Panthers must host finals games at Allianz Stadium or ANZ Stadium has delivered the opposite, underwhelming turnouts that the NRL now views as the greater of two evils.

Week one of the finals in 2017 drew just over 75,000 fans to four high-class games, and with Allianz Stadium not available this year, the NRL is wary of a side like Cronulla or Manly being forced to play out of the Olympic precinct.

As a result traditional venues including Lottoland (Manly), PointsBet Stadium (Cronulla), Panthers Stadium, and the home grounds of Wests Tigers and St George Illawarra will be available to home sides should they earn hosting rights in week one by finishing first, second, fifth or sixth.

Sydney clubs can also take games to the new Bankwest Stadium, home to the Eels, or ANZ Stadium or the SCG, where the Roosters are slated to host their home finals.

"There was an opportunity to change the way we think about the finals series venues with Allianz Stadium not available and further challenges ahead with the redevelopment of ANZ Stadium," NRL CEO Todd Greenberg said.

"Clearly Bankwest Stadium will be a great option for us for the finals series this year but it will also be wonderful to see the potential for our week one finals matches to return to suburban settings.

"This will be in place for the 2019 finals series. Once we have the full Sydney stadia network back online we will reassess again."

The NRL has also relaxed similar protocol regarding grand final qualifiers for Newcastle and Canberra, with both regional centres now able to host preliminary finals should either the Knights or Raiders earn the right.

Under previous rules both sides would have hosted week three fixtures at ANZ Stadium or Allianz, protocol that remains in place for Sydney sides.

Brisbane, Melbourne, Gold Coast and the Warriors can all still host finals fixtures as per usual, while North Queensland's new stadium also now allows the Cowboys home ground advantage in week one.

The new finals policy regarding suburban grounds is expected to remain in place until at least 2022, when Allianz Stadium's rebuild is completed.

Head office has included two caveats to a suburban ground hosting a finals fixture; that the playing surface be up to an appropriate standard, and that the home club cover the cost of any necessary infrastructure needed such as additional commentary boxes.

The move will increase scrutiny at Lottoland and the Dragons' Kogarah base Netstrata Jubilee Stadium.

Manly's Brookvale fortress has attracted criticism for several years now, with a pre-season game and A-League fixture shifted due to poor pitch conditions.

Six weeks ago the NRL commissioned an independent report into the Lottoland playing surface to determine if the Sea Eagles round four clash with Souths could go ahead.

That scrutiny prompted a $1.2 million investment from the Northern Beaches Council, who leases the ground to the club.

Kogarah's pitch also came under the microscope when the Dragons had to move their own pre-season trial at the 11th hour after several A-League and football fixtures placed extra strain on the playing surface.

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

Here is a detailed list of teams that were expected to do worse than Manly this year:
Canterbury

 

[Shoe1]

Top 4? Try first.

When Todd strips Melbourne of all its points as punishment for claiming 07 and 09 as embroideries on their jerseys.

And easts get caught with cap “irregularities”