Amazing Manly team from 2007 - 2013

[BOZO]

Were they really THAT good ??
The answer is yes
Firstly a Massive start to this success was the Attitude Ben Kennedy added to Manly (2004-05) ??....it was contagous and the the Attitude and determination to every play was where the success was built from, with the entire squad feeding off his winning attitude like hungry piranhas..
Sure there was my favourite in Snake carving out freakish plays, a young DCE adding zest around the ruck to follow on from a great signing in Matty Orford at halfback, Matai cutting players in half and dashing runs.....cult hero's like Rose and Wolf bringing the crowd into it and the pure class of Lyons with that extra time reserved for the games most gifted....then there was these unsung hero's like Bryant, Mauro, Hall, Galavao and Rodney who worked like Trojans led by the glue of this operation in Matty Ballin.
Kingy and Kite got it done when it counted.
A skillful young Will Hopoate and the most under rated winger in history in GF hat trick legend Robertson.
The last 2 players I mention deserve special praise because in all honesty, I did not realize just how much inspiration they had on this side.
Watmough and Foran....yes plenty of anger on things since this period, but they deserve respect for what they done ON the field during this dominant time.
Foran is simply a Footballer gifted with guts and energy, the ultimate competitor who often rushed up giving away 30kg to put on massive hits to lift the team and basically destroy the opposition momentum. He ran he ball well and always played at the line, sacrificing his body for his team and was always first to pat a mate on the back or give them a rev if they didn't maintain his high level effort in every play.
Watmough was an absolute machine, combining quality with quantity, tackling hard ALL day and like a pinball bouncing out of tackles and always winning the quick play the ball.
This dominant side could easily have won another 2 - 3 premierships with 2013 a rort and off field media crap derailing other campaigns.
A big part of the pain we feel as supporters today, is just how far we have fallen from grace in comparison to this almighty dominant period....hopefully 2019 is the start of a fightback for a new era.

Lets also give credit to the coach who never persisted with mediocre players on his playing roster and always made sure he always upgraded with quality players to build his quality team.

 

[Sea Eagle Chris]

1: snake
2: robbo
3: matai
4: killer
5: tommy t
6: foran
7: DCE
13: jake
12: gifty
11: watmough
10: kite
9: ballin
8: Taupau
Int : AFB , King , orford , beaver

 

[Sea Eagle Chris]

1: snake
2: robbo
3: matai
4: killer
5: tommy t
6: foran
7: DCE
13: jake
12: gifty
11: watmough
10: kite
9: ballin
8: Taupau
Int : AFB , King , orford , beaver

Obviously Dessie as coach

 

[HoldenV8]

A simple question for the "YARTISTS" amongst us ..... Give us your combined top 17 made up from players 2007-2013 amd 2015-2018 ......

2007-2013

Brett Stewart, Michael Robertson, Jamie Lyon, Steve Matai, David Williams, Kieran Foran, Matt Orford, Brent Kite, Matt Ballin, Josh Perry, Anthony Watmough, Glenn Hall, Glenn Stewart. Bench - Will Hopoate, George Rose, Steve Menzies, Tony Williams.

2015-2018

Tom Trbojevic, Jorge Taufua, Jamie Lyon, Dylan Walker, Akuila Uate, Blake Green, Daly Cherry-Evans, Martin Taupau, Api Koroisau, Addin Fonua-Blake, Shaun Lane, Tom Symonds, Jake Trbojevic. Bench - Steve Matai, Brenton Lawrence, Darcy Lussick, Curtis Sironen.

And a best combined.....

Brett Stewart, Michael Robertson, Jamie Lyon, Steve Matai, Tom Trbojevic, Kieran Foran, Daly Cherry-Evans, Brent Kite, Matt Ballin, Jake Trbojevic, Anthony Watmough, Steve Menzies, Glenn Stewart. Bench - Josh Perry, Matt Orford, Martin Taupau, Addin Fonua-Blake.

 

[Ryan]

BEST

01. Brett Stewart
02. Tom Trbojevic
03. Steve Matai
04. Jamie Lyon
05. Will Hopoate
06. Kieran Foran
07. Matt Orford
08. Brent Kite
09. Matt Ballin
10. Jake Trbojevic
11. Anthony Watmough
12. Steve Menzies
13. Glenn Stewart

14. Jamie Buhrer
15. Marty Taupau
16. Jason King
17. Ben Kennedy

WORST (may have got some years mixed up)

01. Mitch Creary
02. Nick Bradley-Qallilawa
03. Shane Neumann
04. Moses Suli
05. Paul Stephenson
06. Jye Mullane
07. Michael Witt
08. Gary Winter
09. Travis Burns
10. Nathan Long
11. Nathan Tutt
12. Dragan Durdevic
13. Sam Harris

14. Scott Fulton
15. Nate Myles (c)
16. Ian Donnelly
17. Nathan Green