Why is the team consistently flat?

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Keep picking the same spine and a prop at lock then the spoon is in sight. We need GKT to start and Schuster to 5/8 if fit. Otherwise I’d be putting Tommy at 5/8 and Weekes at Fullback. Psychologically the side looked as though they thought when the game started they could not win. This apparent lack of belief is concerning.
 
probably the reason why a lot of us don't get carried away with the yearly "pre-season block buster, truck pulling, team bonding, nail eating, tree punching, mountain goat headbutting - we're the best" stories that come out each year.




(I mean we read them, but well.... sometimes they don't translate well).
 
4 wins in our last 17 games (with relatively the same squad to last year). 27 points on average against in that span (only Tuilagi / Johns being the new players).

That's what happens when you lack quality recruitment. As I said pre-season - worst roster in the entire NRL.

Can't turn a beat up Datsun 120-B (players) into a Porsche Cayenne regardless of the fuel (coaches) being injected.

In the last few years, these lumps have had Randall, Cartwright, Flannagan, Hasler, Monaghan, Dymock, Barrett, Hayles, Siebold & others (all different qualities and types - take your pick) all trying to motivate and improve them, and nothing has worked - hence it's not the coaches.

They are just garbage.
 
At the end of the day we are running 12th and ahead of three of the four teams we beat, and level in points with the team we drew with.

Perhaps we simply do not have the cattle this year and are exactly where we should be.

I don’t have the energy to criticise the team for their effort yesterday. Sharks line speed killed us, attacking speed killed us. We held the ball for 9 of the first 10 sets yet were still getting trampled on. We were completely fresh after a full 8 days between games yet looked gassed after 10 minutes.

Where to from here?

NYEagle
 
This Manly team plays with no intensity or desire....apart from DCE and Jake.
If we could bottle the enthusiasm of that Storm game every week, would be near top of table today, which is even sadder as it shows though we have an "unbalanced" roster, the team when switched on can beat "Most" teams in this comp, showing the reason we are playing so poorly is based on effort or lack of.
Really think there is no "quick fix" in bringing in a few younger, Hungrier players as will take time to adjust to NRL standards....but this is certainly a way to show players who underperform, will be punted back to Blacktown and also add players who will fight hard to retain a top spot, which is a far better spectacle than a bunch of blokes in Manly jerseys running around with this lack lustre attitude.
To be honest, Sharks were there to be beaten yesterday and were fairly ordinary....Manly were sadly so flat they could not cash in.
 
This Manly team plays with no intensity or desire....apart from DCE and Jake.
If we could bottle the enthusiasm of that Storm game every week, would be near top of table today, which is even sadder as it shows though we have an "unbalanced" roster, the team when switched on can beat "Most" teams in this comp, showing the reason we are playing so poorly is based on effort or lack of.
Really think there is no "quick fix" in bringing in a few younger, Hungrier players as will take time to adjust to NRL standards....but this is certainly a way to show players who underperform, will be punted back to Blacktown and also add players who will fight hard to retain a top spot, which is a far better spectacle than a bunch of blokes in Manly jerseys running around with this lack lustre attitude.
To be honest, Sharks were there to be beaten yesterday and were fairly ordinary....Manly were sadly so flat they could not cash in.
Spot on Maxta

Watch Jake and DCE light up the field in origin this year again with decent players around them.

We should use some of that extra cap space loosened up the the Aaron Woods deal which was probably a good one as he has performed well and at the same time we need to get a few player into Blacktown and add real depth.

NYEagle
 
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because no one apart from DCE gives a ****

they just turn up to get a pay check and that’s it

no heart, no pride, no desire

the old boys would have been laughing at this mob of pea hearts yesterday
That's if they weren't crying at where this once proud club has fallen to. It's now 12 years since our last premiership and our next one is nowhere in sight. This is the longest drought we've ever had since winning our first one in the 70s. It's time things change.
 
At the end of the day we are running 12th and ahead of three of the four teams we beat, and level in points with the team we drew with.

Perhaps we simply do not have the cattle this year and are exactly where we should be.

I don’t have the energy to criticise the team for their effort yesterday. Sharks line speed killed us, attacking speed killed us. We held the ball for 9 of the first 10 sets yet were still getting trampled on. We were completely fresh after a full 8 days between games yet looked gassed after 10 minutes.

Where to from here?

NYEagle
I agree that our recruitment has been underwhelming, but that doesn't explain how we can turn in a performance like we did against Melbourne. If we're such a **** team then how did we beat a pretty good storm team and basically beat the comp leaders the bunnies - if we weren't robbed by the refs?
 
In keeping with this thread....it was never more apparent how flat we are than yesterday when Keppie absolutely ironed out the Sharks ball runner, at least twice in quick succession.

There was no back slapping from the 2nd marker, no using the moment to fire everyone else up, no nothing.

That said it all really.
 
It's easy to strut around all week like alpha male wanna-be's measuring your biceps in the weight room, but unfortunately the weekend rolls around and you have to get out on the field and do some work.
Yes this where the real footballers shine. Players like Jake Turbo, Munster, John Bateman etc. they don’t look like muscle
Men but they can play footy for 80 mins each week.
 
We arent trained well in slowing down the ruck, cronulla was light years ahead in the play the ball.
And when has Manly EVER been good at slowing down the ruck! I mentioned in another post how we consistently have a tackler left on the ground and out of the following play. It happens regularly and it is a sign we are not applying strategic ruck management, IMO.
 
And when has Manly EVER been good at slowing down the ruck! I mentioned in another post how we consistently have a tackler left on the ground and out of the following play. It happens regularly and it is a sign we are not applying strategic ruck management, IMO.
You my friend have nailed it !
This is the most vital part of the game and if you have no energy in the ruck.....give yourself little chance of competing.
Controlled thr ruck vs Storm and this was a combination of solid initial contact and numbers in tackles.
This happened also in our game vs Souths, both our best 2 performances of 2023 and the only 2 games where we had control in the middle by winning the ruck.....
 
You my friend have nailed it !
This is the most vital part of the game and if you have no energy in the ruck.....give yourself little chance of competing.
Controlled thr ruck vs Storm and this was a combination of solid initial contact and numbers in tackles.
This happened also in our game vs Souths, both our best 2 performances of 2023 and the only 2 games where we had control in the middle by winning the ruck.....
Even if we are not matching line speed with the opposition, we should still be getting three to the tackle and controlling it with well-drilled wrestling and peeling off technique... I understand those times where we are literally running back after a break and the technique breaks down, but just because the opposition is getting over the advantage line should not stop us from applying technique in tackles.
 
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Our defensive effort is poor and our technique worse, we have no line speed, defensive structure or commitment, we can’t seem to submit the attacker to win control of the oppos ruck speed.

It shouldn’t be that hard, wrap up the ball, turn the ball carrier around and put him on his back, have 3 in the tackle and peel off 1x1 to gain control or slow their ruck speed down, legally, that’s the general concept at present.

The Warriors have worked out how to do it and it’s half the reason their playing so well, apart from being super fit and plying for 80mins (which we aren’t) if you watch their defensive work, (primarily the middle) they’re almost always 3 in a tackle, it’s the 3rd man in, who’s wining it for them, instead of playing the standard legs tackle, they have worked on grabbing the one leg, lifting it, which enables them to work the attacker around 180 degrees with limited resistance, the first 2 tacklers easily rotate the ball carrier and put him on his back facing his own try line as the 3 defenders pile on, too easy, they then work within the rules peeling off one at a time, fairly simple right.

Where to busy trying to win the ruck with big hits, it’s not working and where knocking ourselves around as much as we are the opposition, message to our coach watch some Warriors games, adapt or die, we are team of plods as it is, we lack the leg speed and fitness to play like several of the top teams, least we can do is adopt this common sense approach into our game and try slowing the ruck speed of the opposition down like the Warriors do.
 
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4 wins in our last 17 games (with relatively the same squad to last year). 27 points on average against in that span (only Tuilagi / Johns being the new players).

That's what happens when you lack quality recruitment. As I said pre-season - worst roster in the entire NRL.

Can't turn a beat up Datsun 120-B (players) into a Porsche Cayenne regardless of the fuel (coaches) being injected.

In the last few years, these lumps have had Randall, Cartwright, Flannagan, Hasler, Monaghan, Dymock, Barrett, Hayles, Siebold & others (all different qualities and types - take your pick) all trying to motivate and improve them, and nothing has worked - hence it's not the coaches.

They are just garbage.
Spot on mate they also play like they don’t know each others game and for a team that’s had minimal changes over the last 2 yrs you have to wonder
 
In keeping with this thread....it was never more apparent how flat we are than yesterday when Keppie absolutely ironed out the Sharks ball runner, at least twice in quick succession.

There was no back slapping from the 2nd marker, no using the moment to fire everyone else up, no nothing.

That said it all really.
What's happening in the players shed 15min before kick off, why aren't we pumped and reeved up for the game, especially at Brookie. Last 3 defeats have all resulted in bad first half's and then fight back in the 2nd half's. Only problem is, we concede to many points in the first half's to ever catch them on the scoreboard.
 

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