Don't Panic

[Snake]

I've watched the replay of the game last night (it was hard to draw conclusions so far away from the action in the Manly Away Supporters Area last night), and I have to say with some confidence that Manly lacked intensity in defence last night. An intensity that will not be lacking at the business end of the year.

A lot has been made about the Rabbits spoiling tactics and wrestling in the play-the-ball which I find to be a blight on the game. However, we lost the game with our defence as much as the Bunnies won it through wrestling. The best way to combat the Rabbitohs tactics is to bash them when they have the ball. Get up off the line quickly and be in their face all night. If we get on top with our defence, we wrestle (pardon the pun) the momentum back as their big forwards tire. Last night we let them run, and we let them lay around the play-the-ball by not being aggressive enough. A lift in intensity is all that's required to right the wrongs of last night, mark my words. We have the pack, we have the footballing nous, and we beat the toothless wonders in the finals.

 

[Matabele]

Every year we win a Premiership we lose to the Rabbits at this time of year. It's a good omen. The game turned on the dodgy crusher that wasn't penalty on Starling.

 

[Shoe1]

We were in that game for quite a while. We also tried a few things which didn't quite come off, not to worry, good to experiment. Timing a bit off and we are yet to peak. I hate losing but these are a few positives. I feel souths are peaking now, 2 months too early. In terms of the finals I'd feel worse if we had a narrow victory last night because that would make souths keep trying to improve. As it stands they think they're untouchable now, fools, celebrAting too hard like they had already won something.

 

[Chip and Chase]

Last night the rabbits big tactic was going one or two wide and then turning their big forwards back inside on the angle through the ruck. They made plenty of metres like that, we were a bit soft through the guts last night.

 

[the mauler]

That was Souths GF last night. Ours is a couple of months away. This loss won't mean a thing come finals time.

 

[wedgetail eagle]

Watch the replay?
Ouch!!! I can't do it.

 

[Killer03]

I just think we were a bit off last night. But even being off we were still well and truly in that game with 10-15 to go.

Last week against the Broncs we looked fatigued from the Warriors trip (and game), and we showed a lot of mental strength to get through that game with a win. Last night I think it caught up with us.

The Rabbitohs are a team that when the pull it together than can look good, and I thought last night it all gelled for them.

Come Semi Finals time who are you going to trust to prevail? A team that has won nothing and in fact come up short two years in a row? Or a team that has been the most dominant for the last 5-8 years? Packed full of talent like Killer, Snake, Choc etc etc etc? I'm backing us.

 

[Dan]

Nope, screw it I'm panicking

 

[Masked Eagle]

Every year we win a Premiership we lose to the Rabbits at this time of year. It's a good omen. The game turned on the dodgy crusher that wasn't penalty on Starling.

I was about to post something the same thing. We lost in similar circumstances in 08.

Only difference for me is I think the turning point was T-Red bombing that try when he double pumped instead of giving it straight away on the inside. From memory the Bunnies scored on the next possession.

 

[RiverEagle]

That was Souths GF last night. Ours is a couple of months away. This loss won't mean a thing come finals time.

True mate, except it should mean we'll remember the carry-on, AND the Skivi "tackle",
and as all champion-teams do, use that as fuel!

 

[Up the Beagles]

We were outplayed in every department. No excuses. Souths look like they will get better too with Keary settling in. They shut down DCE very effectively. We have reason to be worried IMO.

 

[RiverEagle]

Go play in traffic or with the other DOGS you drop-kick.

 

[johnbadseed]

No excuses, outplayed and forward passes seem to be allowed so we need to get used to them. I do wonder about what is the ruling concerning passing off the ground i.e. Burgess to GI? It seemed his ball carrying arm touched the ground.

 

[Red Pill]

We were outplayed in every department. No excuses. Souths look like they will get better too with Keary settling in. They shut down DCE very effectively. We have reason to be worried IMO.

You seem more like a Souths supporter. If you knew anything about Manly you would know that they do not play their best football in August. Looking forward to playing your team in the finals.

 

[Jethro]

We were outplayed in every department. No excuses. Souths look like they will get better too with Keary settling in. They shut down DCE very effectively. We have reason to be worried IMO.

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We were outplayed in every department. No excuses. Souths look like they will get better too with Keary settling in. They shut down DCE very effectively. We have reason to be worried IMO.

You seem more like a Souths supporter. If you knew anything about Manly you would know that they do not play their best football in August. Looking forward to playing your team in the finals.

 

[Technical Coach]

If we play South Sydney in the GF with a full squad I'm confident we can beat them, if we play them in the Semis not so confident.

We are nowhere near certainties this year to make the GF even though we sit on top of the table compared to previous seasons.

There is way too many missed tackles, falling off tackles, a lack of general aggression and go forward in the front row.

Manly play a more disciplined giving away less penalties containment like defence that is not as exhausting as the past high tempo aggressive in your face approach. Could be a case of managing our troops to last the season then lift the intensity back to the normal Manly approach come finals time.

To be honest we really don't have the ball and all aggressive tackling depth of previous seasons and the current players renowned for such aggression are cutting back the amount of this style of play to preserve themselves and also due to age.

If you look at Matai,Watmough,Foran and King each one of them are playing with less aggression and more smarts now. Take away one big hit(and this is being conservative) from each one of the above players per game on top of losing Kite,Galuvao, Fa'aoso and G.Stewart you can see the aggression in defence levels going down big time.

Richie offered a little spark off the bench and Galuvao strong leg drive which is replaced with up and comers who are not at the same level yet

We make the GF our class in the backline and backrow should get us the win it is getting there with this new more mobile disciplined approach that worries me.

This defeat against South's is not the same as previous seasons so lets not look back at history as a comforting factor. I will say South Sydney still lack sharp creative ball playing and plays going left to right and if they rectify this area they will be hard to beat.

Playing to 100% potential I still have Roosters ahead of the pack followed by South's and Manly just as we like it.

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

You don't explain why you would be less confident against Souths in a semi than in the grand final?

Choking v experience factor? Or something else?

 

[ManlyBacker]

One thing that annoyed me on Friday night was the number of times we seemed to lay about in the tackle area. Choc got pinged at least once and rightly so. It looked deliberate, a type of slowing the play the ball but the refs were all over it. Seemed dumb play to me.

 

[Technical Coach]

You don't explain why you would be less confident against Souths in a semi than in the grand final?

Choking v experience factor? Or something else?

Experience factor yes, better attacking structures and more varied options that will hold up under pressure.(plus we play better during the day than in the night)

Souths still have an over reliance of sharp right to left plays and offer less options going right other than offloads, strength plays, dummy half darts and footwork that Manly can easily defend against.

Last year we already saw the warning signs of what can happen to Manly when we struggle to contain their pack in the early stages of last years Semi but I doubt in a GF they will start with such a flurry.

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

I confess that so far I am surprised we've done so well.
If we actually win the comp using forwards like JSL, Lui, Starling and Hasson it will show that the game has changed in some fundamental way (and will also stamp Toovey as a great Manly coach).