What’s really killing our 2025 season?

[Frogz]

The big weakness and it has been for a long time is we do not control or win the ruck area consistently, that puts enormous pressure on our halves especially.

Losing Paseka so early in the season was a hammer blow. His go forward is really missed. The failure of the club to retain young forwards like Samuela Fainu has left us in a vulernable position and the guys we have are mostly veterans and not mobile or agile enough for us to compete with a lot of teams.

We really need a dominant prop, an agile and versatile lock and a consistent hooker to turn this around.

I think this season is doomed as well while we have a captain who is not invested in club anymore and this needs to be resolved fast.

We need to reboot our salary cap and playing roster, making both more balanced.

The problem we have is our reserves our woeful, get lapped nearly every week and we do not have any quality of depth coming through.

And look at the NSWRL U16 and U 18 City squads...not one Manly player involved/selected.

 

[Budgie]

I thinks it’s a combination of dce and the forward pack. We are seriously short of front rowers atm. But on the motivation point, surely as a professional footballer you can put any resentment or negativity behind you when you run out onto the field?

Sadly, they're human. I guess when you see the highest paid player in the team not giving a damn and then you're expected to run full tilt into AFB, straight after said highest paid player and captain refused to attempt to tackle him, emotion may well get the better of you.

Another problem that'll be solved when we watch teams of AI robots playing.

 

[The Indian]

And look at the NSWRL U16 and U 18 City squads...not one Manly player involved/selected.

Yeah it's not my area of expertise I must add to be fair, but I worry about our junior production line going forward. When we were recruiting from outside the area and parachuting them in ( in the Fulton era ) we were at least getting good juniors ( yes we didn't make the most of them perhaps and there were some issues ) and it was up to us to develop them further. Yes I know it was not a perfect system.

Just seems now we aren't able to produce competitive junior teams consistently ( early days I know ) and it does seem there isn't a lot coming through in bulk.

 

[1967 eagle croc]

manly are not the first club to have a season disrupted by mid-season contract negotiations and signings. whether DCE is in a form slump or has a couldn't careless attitude or is saving himself for origin or the roosters, after last week's effort and stats a game or two in reserves might be the ticket. Give the young blokes a go

 

[TJ55]

I disagree with this, since the DCE announcement the Eagles have won 1 out of the last 5 games if that isnt enough evidence then you are blind Freddy, you can see he has checked out ans this is coming from a neutral non bias standpoint I may not be a Manly supporter but I always watch every Match they play

 

[Leighbra]

Leave DCE back in Sydney this weekend and let Jake Arthur play. DCE needs to reflect on his personal expectations for this year. I'd rather lose with a halfback willing to give his best than one who doesn't care if we win or lose.

 

[BOZO]

We need to reboot our salary cap and playing roster, making both more balanced.

After that we need a coach that is capable of rebuilding and inspiring a resilient winning culture
A coach that is capable of overcoming the adversities that are destined to come our way
No one escapes the unpredictable Beast Adversity as As adversity is a part of life

Over coming adversity and prevailing is part of a capable Inspirational Mentor that lifts his people
By instilling resolute character that the lethal fire of adversary will only challenge them and bring out the best in them and never burn them and turn them into a capitulating state of ashes .
All Leaders have a Vision of turning their club around to Greatness
But only the Great Capable ones have the ability to translate Vision into Reality
The Greatest Investment is any Organisation are the Great People an Organisation invests in
This is what all Club that have gone from Mediocre to Magnificence Have done

The Moral of the story is short and sweet ....
When you Invest in Incapable Duds
Your future is Doomed

 

[Ron E. Gibbs]

Is it because we're not very good at rugby league?

 

[sheridanstand78]

After that we need a coach that is capable of rebuilding and inspiring a resilient winning culture
A coach that is capable of overcoming the adversities that are destined to come our way
No one escapes the unpredictable Beast Adversity as As adversity is a part of life

Over coming adversity and prevailing is part of a capable Inspirational Mentor that lifts his people
By instilling resolute character that the lethal fire of adversary will only challenge them and bring out the best in them and never burn them and turn them into a capitulating state of ashes .
All Leaders have a Vision of turning their club around to Greatness
But only the Great Capable ones have the ability to translate Vision into Reality
The Greatest Investment is any Organisation are the Great People an Organisation invests in
This is what all Club that have gone from Mediocre to Magnificence Have done

The Moral of the story is short and sweet ....
When you Invest in Incapable Duds
Your future is Doomed

The current coach has no chance of success whilever he has a Captain who is not invested and wants out of our club. This season is rapidly becoming a right off!

 

[BOZO]

Is it because we're not very good at rugby league?

I think you are on the ball there feathered friend

Some Business people that take over a rugby league club are very good with the business that they have made successful
But they are obviously not very good at running a rugby league club that fails to have premiership winning success

 

[Brookie1973]

The current coach has no chance of success whilever he has a Captain who is not invested and wants out of our club. This season is rapidly becoming a right off!

Maybe the current coach should make someone else captain?

 

[Brookie1973]

Sadly, they're human. I guess when you see the highest paid player in the team not giving a damn and then you're expected to run full tilt into AFB, straight after said highest paid player and captain refused to attempt to tackle him, emotion may well get the better of you.

Another problem that'll be solved when we watch teams of AI robots playing.

We won’t be watching. AI versions of us will be.

 

[Eagles4Life]

The current coach has no chance of success whilever he has a Captain who is not invested and wants out of our club. This season is rapidly becoming a right off!

Already a write-off @sheridanstand78 Our Football Club management looks indecisive and incompetent from the outside in. We appear to be not only a team divided, but also a club divided. In other words a ****show at all levels.

 

[jbb/james]

Is it because we're not very good at rugby league?

The version that wins comps consistently

 

[maxta]

No particular order

• Lost key Big men - that's noones faul ##it happens
• The DCE circus - let us know before or after season - not during season
• The inevitable Tom injury - presence as important as his input
• Dummy half dilemma - though feel Simpkin is "clearly" the option here
• Too many "old/experienced over youth" - options slim but a must improve area
• The left edge Ben T has been ordinary
• Losing the ruck almost EVERY play ball - Attack and Defence
• Players look lacklustre when a game gets 'tough" - fine when it's a pretty game but lack grit
• Have at times stuck up for Siebold and I am 100% a bloke who feels players need to take accountability especially at NRL level....but he has made a few decent changes and has the side "at times" playing attractive fun footy, but does not seem to have the side aggressive or "Up" for many games and they don't seem to handle the grind in tough times, which is exactly why Manly if able to malke finals in recent years, dip out with a whimper...

Could go on, but see it a culmination of factors, which is why it's not an "Easy Fix" with multiple reasons combining to create the poor form.
Will stick by Manly even if the ship was to completely sink, but the rats are already scurrying and the buckets are out to clear excess water off the decks and at times, it seems the fans care more than the players and this is a sad and frustrating factor that's becoming harder to defend

 

[The Who]

No particular order

• Lost key Big men - that's noones faul ##it happens
• The DCE circus - let us know before or after season - not during season
• The inevitable Tom injury - presence as important as his input
• Dummy half dilemma - though feel Simpkin is "clearly" the option here
• Too many "old/experienced over youth" - options slim but a must improve area
• The left edge Ben T has been ordinary
• Losing the ruck almost EVERY play ball - Attack and Defence
• Players look lacklustre when a game gets 'tough" - fine when it's a pretty game but lack grit
• Have at times stuck up for Siebold and I am 100% a bloke who feels players need to take accountability especially at NRL level....but he has made a few decent changes and has the side "at times" playing attractive fun footy, but does not seem to have the side aggressive or "Up" for many games and they don't seem to handle the grind in tough times, which is exactly why Manly if able to malke finals in recent years, dip out with a whimper...

Could go on, but see it a culmination of factors, which is why it's not an "Easy Fix" with multiple reasons combining to create the poor form.
Will stick by Manly even if the ship was to completely sink, but the rats are already scurrying and the buckets are out to clear excess water off the decks and at times, it seems the fans care more than the players and this is a sad and frustrating factor that's becoming harder to defend

I'm one of many feeling your pain.
I put our inconsistent form down to the players, not Boldy, or any other coach for that matter. When you analyse all the clubs in the 2025 NRL all bar the two on top have been up and down. Take McGuire as an example: He couldn't make the Tigers competitive yet he coached NSW to a rare series win. He is rewarded by an appointment to coach a team with, arguably, the most talented roster in the comp yet Brisbane have been even more disappointing than us.
Can you blame a coach for not motivating/exhorting his players sufficiently, or should it be up to every professional athlete to take the field self-motivated?

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

Can you blame a coach for not motivating/exhorting his players sufficiently, or should it be up to every professional athlete to take the field self-motivated?

You certainly can blame the coach if you are a fan of a footy club that isn't doing as well as you'd like and you don't really understand the game much but you really need an easy scapegoat because the losses are affecting your self esteem and although objectively you don't understand the game much in your own mind you can make far better decisions than that bloody coach every single week! So it's definitely the coach's fault!

 

[swoop]

DCE not only blindsided the club but also the players. The players know that DCE is not a team player and puts himself above the club and the players. Just about every contract he’s turned it into a saga that drags

I can’t wait to see the back of him.

 

[Phobia]

I know these two are whipping boys on here but we are desperately missing Croker and Aloiai.

Say what you want about Croker, he at least wins the ruck in defence. He doesn't miss many tackles, and the tackles he makes are absolutely perfect. He takes pressure off our lethargic middles in defence, and particularly allows Jake to do a bit more elsewhere. I don't think it's coincidental that Jake is having a notably bad year, even by his recent standards, without Croker.

That said, I'll make it clear that I don't think Simpkin is bad, we're just missing the defensive intensity of Croker. Hence the Jazz at hooker, trying to imitate that resolve unsuccessfully.

On Aloiai, he at least has some go forward. From what I can tell, he's put in this off-season, and was playing great until his injury. I think he was playing similarly well last year, and once again, only until his injury against the Roosters. He is underrated on here when he is playing, but is overpaid given how many games he plays. Adds to the Paseka loss.

The only silver lining is maybe if Muagututia and Navale get some game time, and are NRL-ready for next year. If we get say Steep, imagine next year's pack:

8. Paseka
9. Muagututia
10. Lodge
11. Olakau'atu
12. Burbo - overhated
13. Jake
14. Navale
15. Aloiai
16. Bullemor
17. Steep

That is vastly superior. We would be far better on the field, and we'll have less silliness with Fogarty. Laiafi might even become available next year to replace Lodge.