Quick question- Hooker in 2023 ?

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Like I've said before I think manlys so called problems can be fixed move Jake to prop croker to lock and experiment with a young hooker or buy one plenty in Qld cup 👍as eg .
Yes I agree, I'd keep Croker in the mix because he's a workhorse. On the subject of horses I've always believed in the adage 'horses for courses' and hooker is a specialist position that is better served by a player who's learned the craft from years of playing that position, Croker while having filled the role admirably on a temporary basis is not and never will be a top of the pile 9, I'd be happy to see Gordon given a go, from the little I've seen of him I think he'd go alright. It's time for a generational shift at Manly, based on recent results as a club we're nowhere near we need to be and if now isn't the time to bring enthusiasm into to mix through our talented youngsters then it never will be
Wonder what happened to that Edwin Ipape we had at the club for a second. I'm so sorry if I got that spelling or name wrong btw.
Playing in superleague mate
 
Like Shawn Lane Des let Edwine go
Wrong about both.

Manly tried to retain Shaun Lane but he wanted to leave, he had a good offer from the Eels and rumoured to be unhappy at how Manly treated Jakcson Hastings. This was nothing to do with Des letting him go, it was before Des even got here.

Ipape was set to try out for Manly but when the Covid pandemic hit he needed to return to PNG. Nothing to do with Manly not wanting him. It was a worldwide health emergency that scuttled his Manly plans, not Des.
 
Yes I agree, I'd keep Croker in the mix because he's a workhorse. On the subject of horses I've always believed in the adage 'horses for courses' and hooker is a specialist position that is better served by a player who's learned the craft from years of playing that position, Croker while having filled the role admirably on a temporary basis is not and never will be a top of the pile 9, I'd be happy to see Gordon given a go, from the little I've seen of him I think he'd go alright. It's time for a generational shift at Manly, based on recent results as a club we're nowhere near we need to be and if now isn't the time to bring enthusiasm into to mix through our talented youngsters then it never will be

Playing in superleague mate
Apart from playing in our 9s tournament

Ipape was never given a shot in the NRL at Manly before he left to greater pastures
 
Wrong about both.

Manly tried to retain Shaun Lane but he wanted to leave, he had a good offer from the Eels and rumoured to be unhappy at how Manly treated Jakcson Hastings. This was nothing to do with Des letting him go, it was before Des even got here.

Ipape was set to try out for Manly but when the Covid pandemic hit he needed to return to PNG. Nothing to do with Manly not wanting him. It was a worldwide health emergency that scuttled his Manly plans, not Des.
Disagree

Shawn Lane said that we was not offered a contact with Manly and was grateful for Parras interest in him I remember reading the article

If you also remember Lane was released when Des was coach by the dogs mid season and went to the Warriors

Also The Pandemic did not stop superleague from signing Ipape and if Des wanted him he could have resigned him as well
 
How does he look playing behind the best forward pack and the best team running around?
Probably as good as most decent 9s would look if they were in that side,it does not take away the fact that it was not mindnumbingly stupid but a calculated decision based on age and skillset.
You say 'calculated'... I say 'calculated poorly'... we are not that far apart lol...
I think Api's potential was always there (he won a premiership with bunnies B4 Manly) and we (meaning the Manly coaching team) failed to capitalise on it...
Our team does not play straight enough, are slow to find their front and PTB and very rarely receive the ball at the advantage line (which is often the forwards fault rather than the dummy half)...
Api was great for us but was not new, cheap and shiny (or should that be 'sharp')
 
Apart from playing in our 9s tournament

Ipape was never given a shot in the NRL at Manly before he left to greater pastures
Yes I remember hoping that he'd get a crack at the time, they're as hard as nails those PNG guys and I thought he would have gone ok, sadly circumstances didn't allow for that opportunity to arise
 
Yes I remember hoping that he'd get a crack at the time, they're as hard as nails those PNG guys and I thought he would have gone ok, sadly circumstances didn't allow for that opportunity to arise
He was a Budget player with plenty of potential that is now coming to fruition
 
Lane flatters to deceive.

In a purple patch atm but you cant expect the club to keep a player in the hope they hit some form 4 years later...
 
Quite inconsequential but on every indication again , Lane leaving Manly was almost certainly about money on offer . In his last Manly season , Lane was playing some really good footy in the 2 nd row or prop ,Manly did not want to let him go but with Siro , Thomo , A F B, Jake and Marty already on considerable sized contract , could only offer about 300 k limit . Eels at the time 400 k plus apparently , As Barrett said at the time , an additional 100 k plus a season , some serious money for any mid range or largely good level footy player , [ well at the time ] Yet Davey was rated ahead of him before he [ Davey ] came to Manly ] so not all of Lane 's footy has or was always consistent at the Eels . Top shelf for a good part of this season apparently and certainly now . Manly 2nd row pairing of Olaka - atu and Schuster was up there , Davey a good fit mostly . let "s hope that Tuilagi there turns out well .
 
Disagree

Shawn Lane said that we was not offered a contact with Manly and was grateful for Parras interest in him I remember reading the article

If you also remember Lane was released when Des was coach by the dogs mid season and went to the Warriors

Also The Pandemic did not stop superleague from signing Ipape and if Des wanted him he could have resigned him as well
Disagree.

Lane decided to leave Manly-Warringah under Barrett’s tutelage, during the 2018 season.

My memory is that Hasler’s name wasn’t seriously mentioned as the replacement coach until Manly’s season was over.

As for Lane leaving C-B, we don’t know what happened there. What is obvious however is that he seems like a more settled character now, than he was at any of his former clubs.
 
Quite inconsequential but on every indication again , Lane leaving Manly was almost certainly about money on offer . In his last Manly season , Lane was playing some really good footy in the 2 nd row or prop ,Manly did not want to let him go but with Siro , Thomo , A F B, Jake and Marty already on considerable sized contract , could only offer about 300 k limit . Eels at the time 400 k plus apparently , As Barrett said at the time , an additional 100 k plus a season , some serious money for any mid range or largely good level footy player , [ well at the time ] Yet Davey was rated ahead of him before he [ Davey ] came to Manly ] so not all of Lane 's footy has or was always consistent at the Eels . Top shelf for a good part of this season apparently and certainly now . Manly 2nd row pairing of Olaka - atu and Schuster was up there , Davey a good fit mostly . let "s hope that Tuilagi there turns out well .
From my memory he was coming off the bench for us, where as Arthur promised him a starting spot which any player would jump at especially if the money's about the same.
 
Disagree

Shawn Lane said that we was not offered a contact with Manly and was grateful for Parras interest in him I remember reading the article

If you also remember Lane was released when Des was coach by the dogs mid season and went to the Warriors

Also The Pandemic did not stop superleague from signing Ipape and if Des wanted him he could have resigned him as well
Sorry mate….SER8 & TZ are correct. Des had zero to do with either players exit. I also remember the article. Manly wanted to keep Lane but he left because of the Hastings drama & also the money offered by the Eels. Ipape wanted to stay but Covid & a family issue was the reason he decided to leave.
 
Any thoughts about Tyson Smoothy? Plays 9 for Sunshine Coast Falcons - part of the Storm system and has played a handful of games for them in the last year. Can goalkick which could come in handy if Garrick is out at any time.
Just got named QLD Cup Hooker of the Year and signed a deal with the Broncos for next year. You’d think these are the type of guys Manly should be targeting as he was clearly excelling in the lower grades, is playing the position where we have hardly any depth/quality in, and would come very cheap, as he has only played 4 first grade games and would be looking for an opportunity. What a shame.
 
The bloke we should be looking at is Liam Hampson from redcliffe. He's only 23 and is a real goer and shows a lot of creativity out of dummy half. Redcliffe were a different when he's not on the ground. The last two weeks they used him off the bench and brought him on after about 20-25 mins.

I think this fella would be the ying to crockers Yang.

We could start with croks then bring this bloke on to carve up. Strangely enough the dolphins NRL haven't got him on a train and trial contract.

Here's some highlights from when he was at tweed.

Tragic news ,was only just admiring this kid a month ago.
Had the whole world in front of him ,so sad..
 
I'd see if The Rabbits would swap some assets for Damien Cooke (bunnies don't like ageing veteran players), and I'd offer Cooke a 3 year deal.
 
Im just not imagining a brains trust of seibold flanno would be happy with croker, lawnton. We just have to wait and see. They may move croker on, or could be a bench or half option also. But we have way too many utilities and not enough specialists in the spine

des was des , and manly isnt desville anymore.

a gameplan, attention to detail, discipline, accountability , may just be a catalyst for bigger change
 

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