Manase Fainu - Discussion
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frank stokes
I discriminate indiscriminately
Yeah probs a bit early in hindsight…
HoldenV8
Journey Man
The past trauma is the direct reason we have been running with a makeshift hooker since 2020. Its fully relevant to it.
But just on your point about buying a hooker ... would it be worth having a look at someone like Damien Cook?
ManlyTragic
Bencher
Who’s Manase?
We have a winner!
I would certainly look at Cook... in this team now, he would certainly improve us.
Agree
HoldenV8
Journey Man
He doesn't seem to be in favour at Redfern right now, but of course that can change.
He's contracted until the end of 2025. But of course ... that can change too
And if we can make space in the cap (unloading Schuster will be a good start), we might be able to make a play. And I doubt he'll be a current Origin player once this years series is done so his price might come down a tad, who knows?Just a thought of course, but if there is one position we need strengthening, its hooker, no offence to Froggy or Lawton. Gordon really hasn't kicked on this year like everyone expected and like Froggy, I think Humphries will still be more half than hooker for a while yet.
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Bearfax
Grizzly old fart
Another example of Manly in the past putting all their eggs in one basket. Yes and that included Schuster, when you have Latu Fainu on your books, letting Gutherson go because you have Turbo on your books. In this case putting all their stocks on a fairly high risk gamble with Manese (given he was on trial with a significant chance of being found guilty) and letting Api go.
I realise that this is retrospective thinking and one can't predict outcomes without some risk, but its a question of how high risk the gamble is. There are suggestions Manly are finally beginning to avoid knee jerk reactions, but who knows. Lose a few games and panic stations could again appear.
Terry Zarsoff
First Grader
I think the concerns you raised all flow back to the off-field dealings (and commensurate instability) that lie at the feet of the Penns.
That led to:
The overthrow of Toovey, and his replacement by Barrett*;
Fulton’s involvement in those dealings and the subsequent ‘employment life ring’ thrown to his children, with problematic issues surrounding two of them; and
The revolving door CEO situation.
Hasler inherited that mess, but in the end even his coaching ability and strong personality wasn’t enough to overcome the systemic problems in head office.
Hopefully Mestrov is now in it for the long haul. Say a decade or so like Cranky Franky - or even longer - like Arko. He needs to be the new Shane Richardson - without the relatively short duration in office - before he goes elsewhere.
*Thanks again for your part in the Gutherson decision. Ironic that you’re now an assistant coach at Parramatta.
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Bearfax
Grizzly old fart
I try my best, though I should have told Gutherson to pull his socks up yesterday. However your other comments are quite valid in my opinion. Manly was a mess after 2015. Finally seeing a little hope at present....a light at the end of the tunnel. Hope its not just some firefly losing its way
I'm still waiting to see the fruits of the Blacktown experiment. Oh yeah that's right the 4 x Fainus, Schuster, Fifita , Tuitavake, Metcalf , Docker- Clay etc, etc. An abject failure the whole thing. We got Olakau'atu but even he wasn't really a product out of that system but was just standing around kicking stones till someone at Manly threw him a ball.
frank stokes
I discriminate indiscriminately
We got Paseka who is starting to come good but, yeah, totally agree that it was a bad and failed “pathways” program…
The Who
Journey Man
Tent came from the Tigers.
Terry Zarsoff
First Grader
The ‘Pathways on the Cheap Programme’.
A fuking pathway to nowhere. What benefits have we seen from this abysmal failure.
"Paseka who is starting to come good " I agree with this comment. Seems like we've been waiting patiently for a long time now, right now he's playing great footy, surely this season he'll reach his full potential.
Bearfax
Grizzly old fart
I see it somewhat differently. I felt the pathways structure was fine. A lot of talented kids were coming through, and the benefit of them growing up together meant they knew each others game and the Manly style. However, I felt the next step was flawed. The old reserves, under 23s allowed players to adapt to tougher conditions more gradually.
The other problem at Manly was that they went through a decade of success with a group of talented players who suddenly all left at once, leaving serious gaps. Add to that a spate of injuries to their better players and a salary cap debacle. Manly started to seek quick fix solutions and showed diminishing patience with younger players who didn't meet the standards immediately. Expectations I felt were unrealistic. I've discussed this before. Gutherson was the first, but there's been a string that followed. Tom Wright (and I know the arguments), who went on to be now the top full back in Australian Rugby. Albert Hopoate, who established himself as the permanent winger in the Canberra side (consistently makes more ground than others in the team, but off at present with nasty burn), and now Latu Fainu as examples. Top young players who needed time to develop. This would not have happened in the past. Manly tended to hold onto their top juniors more consistently in the past and that's why they succeeded.
Now I'll await the plethora of opposing responses.
The other problem at Manly was that they went through a decade of success with a group of talented players who suddenly all left at once, leaving serious gaps. Add to that a spate of injuries to their better players and a salary cap debacle. Manly started to seek quick fix solutions and showed diminishing patience with younger players who didn't meet the standards immediately. Expectations I felt were unrealistic. I've discussed this before. Gutherson was the first, but there's been a string that followed. Tom Wright (and I know the arguments), who went on to be now the top full back in Australian Rugby. Albert Hopoate, who established himself as the permanent winger in the Canberra side (consistently makes more ground than others in the team, but off at present with nasty burn), and now Latu Fainu as examples. Top young players who needed time to develop. This would not have happened in the past. Manly tended to hold onto their top juniors more consistently in the past and that's why they succeeded.
Now I'll await the plethora of opposing responses.
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