The forwards struggled in game 1,because we didn’t use 2 bench players which left our boys fatigued and full of mistakes. Rotation killed us we we needed fresh bodies on the field.
With the heat today , Manlys big men AFB ; Taupau ; Perrett ; Tanginoa etc all deserve much of the credit for the win : but unfortunately don’t get the accolades they deserve.
More impact from a stronger bench. Perrett should bend the line and provide the extra impact missing from last week , while Hastings provides cover for many positions including 1;6;7 and 9 and a sharp shooter with the boot.
I agree : if Manly can’t get the better of Tele Tubby Alvaro and Terrible TIM Is be surprised. Their other forwards are strong , but the props are as tuff as whipped cream.
Obvious changes - Matt Wright out
Uate - under pressure for his spot - he still can catch .
Brown and Winterstein a waste of time on bench - with better options available to make an impact - Perrett -in .
Taufua was good , but the other winger Uate needs to finally learn to catch the ball. Or it’s time to look at someone who will catch the ball. It’s costing Manly wins the past 2 seasons. Semi final v Penrith ‘17 comes to mind.
Using only 2 bench players over around 88 minutes is poor and overall fatigue may have cause a few of the 17 errors (drop balls). L. Perrett I think needs to be on the bench for sure for impact . Matt Wright wouldn’t make our NSW Cup team at full strength . Why pick Lewis Brown if he isn’t going...
Turning point was after Kelly scored - we were penalised with the ball for not touching the foot- 1st penalty for that in 30 years .
And Way too much drop ball.
Manly need to ambush them - lightning fast start , with lots of points. We need to keep the 25,000 plus crowd quiet . Knights will otherwise get a lot of help from the crowd and inturn , heaps of back to back penalties. ( as per NRL edict )
Tom needs to take the ball on a full ; defuse any kick if it’s a bomb or grubber - less mistakes ; ie : forward passes.
Great athlete and needs to inject him self throughout the game .
Knights will be a tuff game. I Expect Manly to do a lot of defence and repeat sets as the refs will keep the local crowd happy with continued penalties throughout the match until the final minutes when Manly will get a couple of penalties to make the count look better.
I notice Keith Titmuss is prop in the SG Ball team.(u/18). If he puts his mind to it - he will be awesome in Ball ; as he was a handful in last year’s final series in NYC . Should get a call up after Ball is finished to Jersey Flegg.
