Premiership contenders

[Crusher_Cleal]

I'm going to be cautious. I think we are more likely to finish top 6. I think Broncos, Cowboys, Roosters, Sharks will finish higher than us in the regular season.

 

[lsz]

We are Manly, every year we should be premiership contenders

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

3rd best team in the second half of last year, team has improved on paper.

If we don't get hit by injuries like this year anything less than top 4 is a failure. Anyone in the top 4 is a premiership threat.

We will be a bit like a rep side, it's a whole new bunch with only a minority of players familiar with each other. I'd expect a big improvement as the season progresses as teamwork develops. Top 8 for sure, premiership a chance!

 

[Ryan]

I'm going to be cautious. I think we are more likely to finish top 6. I think Broncos, Cowboys, Roosters, Sharks will finish higher than us in the regular season.

Good call mate - with the amount of player turnover, it will take at least 3-4 months for combinations and chemistry to build. People who are demanding instant success are beign unrealistic I reckon.

Give em time though - this roster is pretty amazing.

 

[mosto]

Lots of new players, new coach, who will probably employ a new system. That will all take time to settle and come together. Top 8 would be a par result, anything less will be a failure. Top 4 would be a very successful season, and a premiership would be exceptional....but not beyond the realms of possibility.

 

[Ryan]

Lots of new players, new coach, who will probably employ a new system. That will all take time to settle and come together. Top 8 would be a par result, anything less will be a failure. Top 4 would be a very successful season, and a premiership would be exceptional....but not beyond the realms of possibility.

Very balanced assessment mosto. Spot on mate. Either way, FMD it's exciting to watch a group of players who WANT to be here, and may all be on the same page. Even IF there are dicks still in the front office (not saying anyone is, because I know none - just going off what people write here), it appears as though THEY are all on the same page as well.

I think all these moves are a sign of the club being fully united for once. It shows now what a culture, and bargaining power we have in the marketplace. Also shows me what has been holding us back at times.

 

[bones]

I'm going to be cautious. I think we are more likely to finish top 6. I think Broncos, Cowboys, Roosters, Sharks will finish higher than us in the regular season.

Roosters will struggle to make top 4 without RTS and Maloney, IMO.

 

[bones]

Lots of new players, new coach, who will probably employ a new system. That will all take time to settle and come together. Top 8 would be a par result, anything less will be a failure. Top 4 would be a very successful season, and a premiership would be exceptional....but not beyond the realms of possibility.

Lots of new players and a new coach named Trent. Sounds like the Roosters of 2013.
Maybe the refs are going to help us win the grand final.

 

[Nice Beaver]

Has a first grade first year rookie coach ever guided a team to the silverware?

Phil Gould, Ricky Stuart, Michael Hagan and Trent Robinson as far as I know.

 

[bones]

Phil Gould, Ricky Stuart, Michael Hagan and Trent Robinson as far as I know.

And whoever was the coach of the 1908 Premiers.

 

[Hamster Huey]

We'll win it. Don't underestimate the handbrake some players' attitudes had to us being consistent last season. We had a woeful year yet were just one game out of the finals.

 

[Disco]

I'll get howled down for this but we were a top 4 quality side last year

But we had that much drama, that many injuries and a few bad seeds which completely derailed our season and made us serve up garbage for a large part of the year

We should be looking at top 4 this year

People overplay a lot of this rebuild and cycle stuff, the sharks were big movers on the ladder last year, The Roosters won the spoon a few years back and then bounced straight back to a grand final a year later (i think)

Essentially the comp is that close that that all that really separates 4th from 12th is a couple of injuries and a couple of egos

 

[Ben]

Roosters will struggle to make top 4 without RTS and Maloney, IMO.

They gain Fergo at fullback which I think he is most damaging and they get Hastings at half back. They are well covered and will be force once again.

 

[EagleFromMay1967]

Some of you are just so namby pamby. Stop talking about whether we are Top 4.

It should be along with Rorters and Donkeys, we are Premiership favourites. We won it in 76, we lost Bozo, but we turned it around and won it in 78.
We've recruited well, and for some of these recruits, this will be their "something to prove" year. Walker, Moltzen, Myles, these guys will play out of their skin for patches of the year.
Some of our 'old brigade', will feel the pressure of youth coming thru and will have to 'deliver' to hold on to their spots. Our main challenges will be handling the innate bias of the Refs, the NRL and the TV networks. We will get an unfavourable draw, TV coverage. We will be penalised disproportionately, and the MRC, Judiciary will do the usual Trudy Greenslime bidding. But can we do it ??? YES WE CAN.

 

[maxta]

Will take a while to gel, however - the quality of the squad is no doubt top 4....expect some of the lesser name signings to make impact also with Parcell topping that list.
The attack will be 40% better, winning the ruck & ppl will remember the champion 3/4 line as a result.
There will no doubt be some glaring defensive errors until round 7-8 as players learn reads & timing of new defensive structures.
Come finals, injuries permitting will be up with Cows, Bris, Roosters & smokies Sharks/Warriors can potentially upstage the bigger names on any given day.
Provided Barrett has the boys prepared to bleed Maroon & White after cutting the poison - could well be the team to beat.
Camaraderie is still key, as a Champion team will beat a team of Champions rings true imo.

 

[HoldenV8]

If Manly do win the premiership in 2016 I wonder how long it'll take before we get accused of buying a premiership?

But then again, we could have a premiership winning team with 16 of the 17 being local juniors and we'd still get accused of it.

 

[NewwyEagle]

They gain Fergo at fullback which I think he is most damaging and they get Hastings at half back. They are well covered and will be force once again.

Hastings was a great fill in for Pearce, but they'll miss Maloney a lot. On their huge winning streak towards the end of last season he was motm in 6 of the games.
Fergo might go alright at fullback but even if he's great he'll only be replacing a record setting RTS whilst weakening them at centre. Still strong but definitely weaker next season.

 

[Pete the Eagle]

Yeah but who will we beat and by how much?

As long as we beat those slimy eels on every occasion and get a top 4 with possible end game ill be happy , got a good team this year so lets push it all the way .

 

[HoldenV8]

They gain Fergo at fullback which I think he is most damaging and they get Hastings at half back. They are well covered and will be force once again.

Do you know that Blake Ferguson has only played 3 NRL games at fullback? All with Canberra and none since Round 4, 2012. I'm not saying he won't do well at the back, but its a position that he is largely unfamiliar with in first grade, though he has played 65 on the wing so its not like he'd be totally clueless there.

 

[eaglebuzz]

Our squad is much stronger on paper. It will come down to our structures and how well the players gel as to whether we do well or not. I think with the coaching staff we have this year, as long as the players are professional, we should be a very good team.