What does Manly need?

[Briza]

Need a Rep class #9
I think we have the players to cover all other positions from within our top 30 and development players.
I was Certain we needed a Hard Man like BK to lead us into Battle, but with our new found toughness I'm not so sure.

 

[alafua siaosi]

For me the only change will be for Saab to come in for Tuipulotu .If we manage our roster properly through out 2023 , the only reason we will not win is errors and injuries .Let's go Manly .

 

[bob dylan]

1 JFH
2 Reed Mahoney
3 Cameron Murray

 

[JBW]

Need to go back in time and stop Manese Fainu from being a dumb sh1t.

We need a forward that can offer second phase play. Thats our biggest weakness, creating second phase and defending against it. Get Jake popping passed like he did as a kid. Hes not going to bend the line, his focus should be generating second phase play.

I like our top 17, we can win it with the current crop. They just need to tighten up a couple of areas and be consistent week in week out*cough* Tent and Keppe.

 

[NYEagle]

Definitely hooker. I know everyone loves LC but we won't win anything with him playing 9. I think with a real quality hooker we would see more out of our big middle. I think the addition of Kite in the forwards in the 2000's was brilliant. But we had MB there to steer the ship from the front. I really think a really good 9 would be massive. Also centre. Probably moreso than Kite, killer changed everything for this club.

Gee I’d love for him to prove you wrong…

NYEagle

 

[voicefromthehill]

Definitely hooker. I know everyone loves LC but we won't win anything with him playing 9. I think with a real quality hooker we would see more out of our big middle. I think the addition of Kite in the forwards in the 2000's was brilliant. But we had MB there to steer the ship from the front. I really think a really good 9 would be massive. Also centre. Probably moreso than Kite, killer changed everything for this club.

Agree - but also MB was unfashionable at the time, he was a rock in defence and did provide solid service from DH, yes there were the mongrel tries in the GF, but rarely a "flare" try. He also set himself apart as a true clubman.

I remember putting up a post about when my then 4yr old boy got missed on the "high fives" back in the day of the team acknowledging the supporters. He (MB) noticed a trembling bottom lip of a young supporter and circled back to engage with him - so the point of this... We need a few more clubmen, no nonsense Parker type players. Those that truly are engaged with the team and community and not just the pay check

With that said I believe Seibold and Mestrov are working wonders in that space

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

Hi all,
Long time Manly fan , first time poster.
What does Manly need?
Imo GCKT to start as 9. Croker as much as he tries hard, is really struggling as a 9.
Sign Wiremu Grieg for next season. He is off contract after 2023. This guy is Warea Hargreaves 2.0
Manly hasnt had any props making the kind of metres Fonua Blake made when he was here.
I still think Tui can retain his spot. I cant think of that many bad games hes had.

Welcome aboard the misfit express !!

 

[Bearfax]

I don’t think removing parker would be good for morale and on top of that certainly dont think attack is really our issue.

It’s more defence for mine, and we have a few players that can clock off like none other in that area. I think it’ll improve if our side + trbo can stay fit. But seems like our squad’s major flaw. While Schusters attack is always great, I will be cautious watching him defend for the next few weeks

Defense is not one of Schuster's weaknesses by a long shot. OK he missed 3 tackles in this his first game back. But this is a player who was playing second row and with a tackle rate weekly close to 30 on average and a lower tackle mistake rate than most others in the team. Quite frankly he's a far better than average defender based on his record.

Just to get this last game into perspective regarding defense, Parker made 10 tackles and missed 2, Koula 15 tackles and missed 3, Paseka 19 tackles and missed 3 and Tuipulpotu 7 tackles and missed 3. Last week Foran, for the Titans against St George made 19 tackles and missed 4. Schuster 14 tackles missed 3

 

[eaglebuzz]

I don't mind Croker playing the first 20just to weather that softening up period but his service out of dummy half is so slow and so sloppy compared to top hookers in the game. It blunts our attack even when the forwards have a good roll going. We could have been a real contender this last few seasons if stabby hadn't been so foolish.

GCKT is our best prospect and once he is in the 14 jersey I think our forwards' efforts will really start to bear fruit.

Parker does enough, although his first 20 mins on Thursday night were quite poor. Tuipolotu has the athleticism to be a first grader but he really needs to work on his decision making.

I think we need a little more from our bench, but I'm hoping Burbo or S. Fainu will rise to that challenge.

 

[Brookie Bob]

Parker does enough, although his first 20 mins on Thursday night were quite poor.

Really?

 

[bob dylan]

Hi all,
Long time Manly fan , first time poster.
What does Manly need?
Imo GCKT to start as 9. Croker as much as he tries hard, is really struggling as a 9.
Sign Wiremu Grieg for next season. He is off contract after 2023. This guy is Warea Hargreaves 2.0
Manly hasnt had any props making the kind of metres Fonua Blake made when he was here.
I still think Tui can retain his spot. I cant think of that many bad games hes had.

Our props are ordinary. i wonder how they pick them each week.

Its a choice between Aloia, Paseka, Keppie, Sipley and Boyle. I doubt any of them would play regular 1st grade in a top 4 side.

The up side is theyd all be only minimum coin, id guess all 5 would take less than $1.5m of our cap.

This is why Jake is plays as a prop. What a player, absolute legend.

 

[double hoops]

I think the club needs to be a bit more calculated with rotating forwards in and out of the 17.

Players being in the best shape they can be come September, is just as important as making it to September.

 

[eagleron]

I’ve been looking at our list and wondering what we need to make the top 4/threaten for a premiership.

Looking for answers beyond, “nothing just play the kids”, so I’ll acknowledge you front, yes we have strong juniors, yes we should try and promote/retain them.

My question is what can we add beyond what we have already to lift another level? Our squad seems pretty strong across the park including solid depth. The only weakness I can really see is Parker - an upgraded replacement would improve us, but there’s no one all that compelling on the market.

In short, where do we need to improve and how do we do it?

Couldn't disagree more re Parker, without his defence our left would leak as badly as our right, swap him and Koula and our right side would tighten up immediately even though Koula's defence is quite good it's Parker's dogged desire to stop any raid down his side that makes his value to the team invaluable, Tui is our biggest weakness and the sooner Saab returns to the field the stronger we'll be, as was seen on Thursday night, to win games you need to stop tries as well as score them, in the end we got lucky

 

[Dion Johnson]

Get a loan of Uncle Nicks sombrero for a few days and announce some retention signings along with a few internationals that sign on for the culture at the club 😉

 

[Sidestep]

Must keep Fifita to add much needed thrust on the bench.

Croker is a hard worker but Cade Cust would have become an outstanding hooker if Des had given him the opportunity

 

[highlandeagle]

Hi all,
Long time Manly fan , first time poster.
What does Manly need?
Imo GCKT to start as 9. Croker as much as he tries hard, is really struggling as a 9.
Sign Wiremu Grieg for next season. He is off contract after 2023. This guy is Warea Hargreaves 2.0
Manly hasnt had any props making the kind of metres Fonua Blake made when he was here.
I still think Tui can retain his spot. I cant think of that many bad games hes had.

Mate your on the wrong forum!

 

[Uber Eagle 72]

I think we just need some more game time and subsequently more match fitness and with that will come better concentration and consistency.

I also think we need a more impactful front rower. We own the edges with Guacca but not the middle. If this comes from within, great!

 

[Tragic Eagle]

We need discipline and mental toughness in defence.

 

[double hoops]

 

[PONTIAN SEA EAGLE]

50% improvement in defence oh yeah & a manly nrl shop on the corso.