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This is an extract from PuntPal 2012 Season Preview.
The bombshell was dropped soon after Manly had won the 2011 Premiership ...Hasler was to leave his beloved Manly and go coach the Doggies in 2013 for a million a season! But before the dust could even settle, it was revealed that Dessie would be sent packing a year earlier. Club legend Geoff Toovey was swiftly handed the reins by the maligned and dysfunctional Manly Board.
Fans rightly asked “What the hell is going on here!?!?!â€
Rumour has it the Stewart brothers are already looking to follow Hasler to Belmore and I don’t doubt that rumour for a second. Hasler was a loyal friend to Brett Stewart during his early 2011 sexual-assault trial and I think there is a massive chance they will both follow Hasler across in 2013.
In terms of their playing stocks, they have lost wingers Will Hopoate and Michael Robertson, but their squad is still very strong. Hopoate’s replacement (Michael Oldfield) also looks pretty damn good and David Williams will slot in nicely for Robertson. Michael Oldfield and David Williams are both fast, strong runners of the ball. They know how to finish a try and will relish playing outside Lyon and Matai. They have also recruited the plucky Ben Farrar, who returns to Brooky after a stint playing for Catalans Dragons in the Super League. He is a very handy player on his day and adds some much-needed depth.
Their forward pack is much the same as well, with the only noticeable player leaving the club being Shane Rodney. With Watmough, G Stewart, Buhrer and Galuvao in the back row, Manly still has plenty of depth in that department. Manly also welcome back Jason King, who missed a large part of 2011 due to injury.
King, who was captain of the side before being injured, would be devastated he missed out on the Premiership and I think he may bounce back to the form that saw him make the NSW Origin side a few years back. Liam Roach (son of Blocker Roach) also will be looking to make his NRL debut, but may struggle with players like Rose and Mauro already on the bench.
But the X factor for the Manly squad is the man-mountain known as the “T-Rexâ€. Tony Williams was finally told to toughen up in 2011 and leave the wing to become the menacing forward he was born to be. He was duly rewarded with an Australian jersey and even at the international level, he proved absolutely devastating with the ball in hand.
The reason I do not have Manly going back-to-back is because I think that the loss of Hasler will be too disruptive in the short-term. Toovey may have the respect from the players and the fans, but that doesn’t mean he will create the same ‘Us Vs Them’ mentality that Hasler was so famous for. Hasler also had Manly at peak fitness, as he was renowned for being the fittest player in the competition back in his glory days. Hasler once did nearly 100 chip ups in a row on a Kangaroos tour (legend has it!).
I also think that Foran and Cherry-Evans will be a lot more closely guarded in 2012, and I expect Cherry-Evans to have a tougher season now that he has played for Australia. He is a great player, no doubt, but he is not the toughest cookie going around and I think he will be targeted by the more physical defenders out there. Look for some late shots to really rock his confidence and make him worried about the defensive line.
I am not a believer in ‘second-season’ syndrome (i.e. as if it is some magical force), but I do believe small halves that carve in their debut season can expect things to get a little tougher in their second season.
Manly are always contenders, this year will be no different. BUt I dont think they can go all the way again
The bombshell was dropped soon after Manly had won the 2011 Premiership ...Hasler was to leave his beloved Manly and go coach the Doggies in 2013 for a million a season! But before the dust could even settle, it was revealed that Dessie would be sent packing a year earlier. Club legend Geoff Toovey was swiftly handed the reins by the maligned and dysfunctional Manly Board.
Fans rightly asked “What the hell is going on here!?!?!â€
Rumour has it the Stewart brothers are already looking to follow Hasler to Belmore and I don’t doubt that rumour for a second. Hasler was a loyal friend to Brett Stewart during his early 2011 sexual-assault trial and I think there is a massive chance they will both follow Hasler across in 2013.
In terms of their playing stocks, they have lost wingers Will Hopoate and Michael Robertson, but their squad is still very strong. Hopoate’s replacement (Michael Oldfield) also looks pretty damn good and David Williams will slot in nicely for Robertson. Michael Oldfield and David Williams are both fast, strong runners of the ball. They know how to finish a try and will relish playing outside Lyon and Matai. They have also recruited the plucky Ben Farrar, who returns to Brooky after a stint playing for Catalans Dragons in the Super League. He is a very handy player on his day and adds some much-needed depth.
Their forward pack is much the same as well, with the only noticeable player leaving the club being Shane Rodney. With Watmough, G Stewart, Buhrer and Galuvao in the back row, Manly still has plenty of depth in that department. Manly also welcome back Jason King, who missed a large part of 2011 due to injury.
King, who was captain of the side before being injured, would be devastated he missed out on the Premiership and I think he may bounce back to the form that saw him make the NSW Origin side a few years back. Liam Roach (son of Blocker Roach) also will be looking to make his NRL debut, but may struggle with players like Rose and Mauro already on the bench.
But the X factor for the Manly squad is the man-mountain known as the “T-Rexâ€. Tony Williams was finally told to toughen up in 2011 and leave the wing to become the menacing forward he was born to be. He was duly rewarded with an Australian jersey and even at the international level, he proved absolutely devastating with the ball in hand.
The reason I do not have Manly going back-to-back is because I think that the loss of Hasler will be too disruptive in the short-term. Toovey may have the respect from the players and the fans, but that doesn’t mean he will create the same ‘Us Vs Them’ mentality that Hasler was so famous for. Hasler also had Manly at peak fitness, as he was renowned for being the fittest player in the competition back in his glory days. Hasler once did nearly 100 chip ups in a row on a Kangaroos tour (legend has it!).
I also think that Foran and Cherry-Evans will be a lot more closely guarded in 2012, and I expect Cherry-Evans to have a tougher season now that he has played for Australia. He is a great player, no doubt, but he is not the toughest cookie going around and I think he will be targeted by the more physical defenders out there. Look for some late shots to really rock his confidence and make him worried about the defensive line.
I am not a believer in ‘second-season’ syndrome (i.e. as if it is some magical force), but I do believe small halves that carve in their debut season can expect things to get a little tougher in their second season.
Manly are always contenders, this year will be no different. BUt I dont think they can go all the way again