Manly juniors - Danny Weidler Column

[Mitch]

Eagle eye

Manly’s pursuit of Peter O’Sullivan to be their recruitment manager was glossed over as the club tried to deal with the Jackson Hastings-Daly Cherry-Evans drama. To anyone outside the club, it was a bid to support coach Trent Barrett. To those inside the club, it was seen as a direct crack at Eagles royalty, the Fulton family.

In the past few years, Manly’s juniors have gone from being an absolute basket case to among the best. But it has come at a cost. The tactic of dragging players into their system has locals seething.

The upside is they boast some of the most exciting talent in NSW in the 16-18 years age bracket.

The club last year won its first under-20s (Holden Cup) title and made the grand final of the Harold Matthews Cup (under-16s) competition.

This month, the Sea Eagles won their first Harold Matthews Cup grand final, 26-18 over Parramatta. So it would seem strange that the Sea Eagles are openly shopping around for a talent scout.

The club openly made a bid of about $180,000 for recruitment gun O’Sullivan, who has joined the New Zealand Warriors after they seemingly topped the Manly offer.

It’s a real slap in the face for current scout Scott Fulton who, like his old man, Bozo, obviously has a real eye for picking players. Scott has done his job with NRL players as well as juniors, bringing Addin Fonua-Blake, Akuila Uate, Taniela Paseka, Tom Wright, Jack Gosiewski, Toafofoa Sipley and Moses Suli to the club.

There are cries from the local junior league that the northern beaches boys aren’t getting a look-in.

Like the Roosters on the other side of the harbour, Manly simply don’t have the numbers to compete so they have gone outside their area to bring in some talent to bolster what class locals they have.

It has worked a treat and given them some of the best young talent, but it will fall over quickly if Fulton decides to go – which he may do.

The Eagles don’t want to have the Fultons as enemies because they still wield considerable power.

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/cordner-rocked-by-gould-criticism-admits-dad-20180526-p4zhqp.html

 

[Volley]

Haha what rot. A real eye for talent?

Addin Fonua-Blake, Akuila Uate, Taniela Paseka, Tom Wright, Jack Gosiewski, Toafofoa Sipley and Moses Suli.

Two guys were highly rated and sacked by their respective clubs, one bloke is over 30 and has played SOO, Paseka was pretty highly rated in the 20’s, Gosiewski, Sipley and Wright are all unproven at NRL level. He might have an eye for talent, but what terrible examples to use.

 

[40 years an eagle]

You're a pretty hard marker volley.

He didn't find Hastings...and that's a huge feather in his cap.

 

[SoaringEagle]

His done a real good job at the moment, absolutely no need for change. He managed to recruit young josh schuster from a young age who will become an absolute weapon in a few years in first grade. Also recruited albert hopoate and made sure no team would snatch him from us. So tops off to fulton, keepy up the good work

 

[pjayz]

Much of the young talent coming through has a lot more to do with Lambkin.

 

[Cameron]

Fulton spin after that mothers Facebook video

 

[manly al]

Who ever was mainly responsible or deserves credit for establishing and organizing a quite strong and good quality junior base probably does not really matter in the overall scheme of things . The fact that this is the present situation can only be a real benefit and strength for Manly now and going forward .and compared with the alternative in most past years and previously of having a generally sub standard junior base and structure .

 

[The Indian]

I'm not among the Fultons greatest fans by any means. They are a double edged sword the whole clan. BUT like them or not, one thing they do well is make ruthless decisions that are all about winning. Not decisions by committee that please everyone at the time but ultimately please no-one.

So if I am the mother or relative of a young kid on the Northern Beaches who is missing out sure yes I'm filthy by all this. Probably rightly so too.

But if I am a fan of a club sitting back dispassionately saying have we tried everything possible to recruit the best talent by any means necessary, then I cant be too upset by all this.

Yes I agree this is Fulton media spin by Weidler as was pointed out and YES the Fultons always look after their own family first BUT we are a club that has always been about the business of winning first and making friends second. That may not sit well with some people I think its the truth.

 

[Woodsie]

Haha what rot. A real eye for talent?

Addin Fonua-Blake, Akuila Uate, Taniela Paseka, Tom Wright, Jack Gosiewski, Toafofoa Sipley and Moses Suli.

Two guys were highly rated and sacked by their respective clubs, one bloke is over 30 and has played SOO, Paseka was pretty highly rated in the 20’s, Gosiewski, Sipley and Wright are all unproven at NRL level. He might have an eye for talent, but what terrible examples to use.

It isn't just identifying talent that is important .... even you and I can look at Ponga and think he goes ok ... the BIG part of it is to get them to the club ....... all other teams have scouts that have identified the same talent ...... can just get down to who is the best at blowing smoke up the player and his parents anus .....