Rocky
Bencher
Thursday 25 March
11am - Check the latest news on Silvertails for the Dragons game. Seems the general feel is hopefully Sipley plays and Im still praying that Harper will be named in the 19 and be named at fullback with Walker to the centres for Parker.
4.59pm - refreshing my twitter feed in anticipation for the 19 to be named. Harper and Tippytoes drop out! Damn there goes the Harper to fullback idea. Same old predictable Des.
Friday 27 March
8am - Game day used to be so exciting but as i drink my coffee I can't get warm on this game even though the Dragons will likely miss the 8. Even if the game is close i cant see us having the nerve to close it out. DCE used to manage the game pretty well if it was close, or be a good field goal threat. So best case we lose in a close game and worst case we get ripped to shreds. Im scared of Lomax and Hunt killing us our wide and predict Ravalawa will score a couple. I can't see anything but a Dragons win and was shocked the Bookmakers had the game so close at the start of the week. They have now pushed the Dragons out to a 6 point favourite.
4.59pm - Refresh twitter waiting for the final 17. Its a win for me to see Sipley over Boyle but will Des actually give him game time? Ive seen some decent glimpses from Boyle, but like many of the other Manly plodders, I have now seen enough to see he isn't up to first grade standard. At least Sipley will have a go out there.
6pm - Kick off and its pretty obvious early that the Dragons are just making more ground each set. 60m from them and 45 for us. In a 80minute game of attrition that will mean we will be under pressure all game and we have no chance. It doesn't take long for the Dragons to target Scorpio and Garrick with a kick. Garrick refuses to jump (again) and its an easy try to Lomax. I threaten to turn off the TV when Croker makes an absolute howler from Dummy Half. I was a Croker apologist after seeing him beat Canberra single handedly a couple of years ago. But he's not up to it and had enough chances by now. Where the 9 is so important in todays game this is killing us. Only immediate solution I can see is switching DCE to 9 as the team got some momentum going on the handful of times he went in there during this game.
Marty is playing his usual hot and cold game. Some good moments but he's not worth 800k a year so happy if the club moves him on.
More tries to the Dragons and a pour myself a glass of wine to try and distract myself from the hammering. Alioai seems decent. He's no AFB but he's a solid player and plays the ball quickly compared to the rest of our Dinosaurs. Our attack near the try line is so predictable. Foran, Schuster and Paseka look the most likely but the Dragons have it covered. We score a very lucky try off a fumbled kick.
I pretty much tune out of the second half as it gets even uglier. I think its mistake to keep Walker at fullback as it weakens the rest of the backline by taking him away from centre.. Garrick is playing his best game in ages but not convinced he should be there. Parker gets creamed by a broken legged Hunt. He just isn't up to it. Seems a good guy but should be pouring beers at the leagues club and playing for Blacktown.
Dragons run out easy winners and i get a text from my Dragons supporting friend. He goes easy on me. Oh how the mighty have fallen.
Saturday 27th March
9am - Read the action on Silvertails. There is too much to digest so instead find Des' press conference. Its littered with mumbling and him trying to pretend he couldn't hear the question. Nothing useful here and would prefer him to rip a door off its hinges or allude to Bozos cement truck.
Monday 29 March
10am - Log onto Silvertails to catch up with the fallout from the Dragons game and where to from here. Some say no clean out, some say blow the whole thing up. Either way we need to do something about the 9 as Croker is not the answer. Seems like others also think DCE would be a good option with Cust on the bench. DCE needs a shake up and this for me would be it. Most seems to agree Parker, Garrick, Croker, gojetski and Boyle shouldn't be picked. But this has been said for months/years now. Suli and Walker seem polarising but im ok to run with them as the centres for awhile when turbo gets back.
Tuesday 30 March
9am - Team Sheet Tuesday! Again it used to be a day I would look forward to but same old predictable Des will likely name the same group of under performers. A sporting club either needs to sell success or hope. And we have little of either right now. In terms of the hope part, get rid of the tried and failed and give some of these youngsters ago. But even thats not happening.
4pm - The team drops and its the same as last week. Yawn.
Wednesday 31 March
10am - Haven't thought much about the Penrith game as they will kill us. Im in two minds whats worse...1. they beat us by 50 2. we keep it close and it buys Parker et al another week or 10.
Thursday 1 April
9am - Its game Day and i dont feel much emotion. Decide to write up my Diary instead.
11am - Check the latest news on Silvertails for the Dragons game. Seems the general feel is hopefully Sipley plays and Im still praying that Harper will be named in the 19 and be named at fullback with Walker to the centres for Parker.
4.59pm - refreshing my twitter feed in anticipation for the 19 to be named. Harper and Tippytoes drop out! Damn there goes the Harper to fullback idea. Same old predictable Des.
Friday 27 March
8am - Game day used to be so exciting but as i drink my coffee I can't get warm on this game even though the Dragons will likely miss the 8. Even if the game is close i cant see us having the nerve to close it out. DCE used to manage the game pretty well if it was close, or be a good field goal threat. So best case we lose in a close game and worst case we get ripped to shreds. Im scared of Lomax and Hunt killing us our wide and predict Ravalawa will score a couple. I can't see anything but a Dragons win and was shocked the Bookmakers had the game so close at the start of the week. They have now pushed the Dragons out to a 6 point favourite.
4.59pm - Refresh twitter waiting for the final 17. Its a win for me to see Sipley over Boyle but will Des actually give him game time? Ive seen some decent glimpses from Boyle, but like many of the other Manly plodders, I have now seen enough to see he isn't up to first grade standard. At least Sipley will have a go out there.
6pm - Kick off and its pretty obvious early that the Dragons are just making more ground each set. 60m from them and 45 for us. In a 80minute game of attrition that will mean we will be under pressure all game and we have no chance. It doesn't take long for the Dragons to target Scorpio and Garrick with a kick. Garrick refuses to jump (again) and its an easy try to Lomax. I threaten to turn off the TV when Croker makes an absolute howler from Dummy Half. I was a Croker apologist after seeing him beat Canberra single handedly a couple of years ago. But he's not up to it and had enough chances by now. Where the 9 is so important in todays game this is killing us. Only immediate solution I can see is switching DCE to 9 as the team got some momentum going on the handful of times he went in there during this game.
Marty is playing his usual hot and cold game. Some good moments but he's not worth 800k a year so happy if the club moves him on.
More tries to the Dragons and a pour myself a glass of wine to try and distract myself from the hammering. Alioai seems decent. He's no AFB but he's a solid player and plays the ball quickly compared to the rest of our Dinosaurs. Our attack near the try line is so predictable. Foran, Schuster and Paseka look the most likely but the Dragons have it covered. We score a very lucky try off a fumbled kick.
I pretty much tune out of the second half as it gets even uglier. I think its mistake to keep Walker at fullback as it weakens the rest of the backline by taking him away from centre.. Garrick is playing his best game in ages but not convinced he should be there. Parker gets creamed by a broken legged Hunt. He just isn't up to it. Seems a good guy but should be pouring beers at the leagues club and playing for Blacktown.
Dragons run out easy winners and i get a text from my Dragons supporting friend. He goes easy on me. Oh how the mighty have fallen.
Saturday 27th March
9am - Read the action on Silvertails. There is too much to digest so instead find Des' press conference. Its littered with mumbling and him trying to pretend he couldn't hear the question. Nothing useful here and would prefer him to rip a door off its hinges or allude to Bozos cement truck.
Monday 29 March
10am - Log onto Silvertails to catch up with the fallout from the Dragons game and where to from here. Some say no clean out, some say blow the whole thing up. Either way we need to do something about the 9 as Croker is not the answer. Seems like others also think DCE would be a good option with Cust on the bench. DCE needs a shake up and this for me would be it. Most seems to agree Parker, Garrick, Croker, gojetski and Boyle shouldn't be picked. But this has been said for months/years now. Suli and Walker seem polarising but im ok to run with them as the centres for awhile when turbo gets back.
Tuesday 30 March
9am - Team Sheet Tuesday! Again it used to be a day I would look forward to but same old predictable Des will likely name the same group of under performers. A sporting club either needs to sell success or hope. And we have little of either right now. In terms of the hope part, get rid of the tried and failed and give some of these youngsters ago. But even thats not happening.
4pm - The team drops and its the same as last week. Yawn.
Wednesday 31 March
10am - Haven't thought much about the Penrith game as they will kill us. Im in two minds whats worse...1. they beat us by 50 2. we keep it close and it buys Parker et al another week or 10.
Thursday 1 April
9am - Its game Day and i dont feel much emotion. Decide to write up my Diary instead.
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