Revealed: Our crystal ball look into the 2017

[BOZO]

As far as Manly goes this will be THE story of 2017.

Brett Stewart will be going nowhere , he's on circa $700k for 2017 and probably feels entitled to it.

Could get very nasty if,

A) they try and move him on and he rejects it and plays it out in the media.

B) they play him in Blacktown, he rejects it and plays it out in the media.

Very very interesting especially as Baz Stewart & Zth are tighter than a fishes bum!!

If the Snake starts 2017 the same way as 2016 ( poor attitude and performance ) what do we do with him ?

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

If the Snake starts 2017 the same way as 2016 ( poor attitude and performance ) what do we do with him ?

Agree, but can you imagine the sports media outcry if we dropped him to Blacktown!!

As I say it will be THE Manly story for 2017 as it's clear ( well to me anyway) he hasn't been able to be " offfloaded" to the ESL, and he won't get a gig at any other NRL club.

Very nasty times ahead

 

[Slide]

Brett Stewart to us is what Robbie Farah has been to Wests Tigers. Very unfortunate

 

[Andrew..]

I'm sure Brett could retire medically and not come under the cap. Trouble is we have no leagues club supporting us financially so the money would have to come directly out of the Penn's pockets.
If Brett can't compete in 1st grade I can't imagine him wanting to travel to Blacktown on a regular basis.
Hopefully a compromise can be reached.

 

[BOZO]

Agree, but can you imagine the sports media outcry if we dropped him to Blacktown!!

As I say it will be THE Manly story for 2017 as it's clear ( well to me anyway) he hasn't been able to be " offfloaded" to the ESL, and he won't get a gig at any other NRL club.

Very nasty times ahead

I hope that the Snake can get a bit of his venom back but if he runs out in 2017 as he did in 2016 then we have no option but to drop him to Blacktown . I cant see the media making anything out of the obvious . Every player earns his spot in the NRL teams .

 

[bringbackbeaver]

the

I'm sure Brett could retire medically and not come under the cap. Trouble is we have no leagues club supporting us financially so the money would have to come directly out of the Penn's pockets.
If Brett can't compete in 1st grade I can't imagine him wanting to travel to Blacktown on a regular basis.
Hopefully a compromise can be reached.

Yep, unless that 'clean up' of his knee has him at close to 100%, there needs to be a compromise. He simply cannot perform with the chronic injuies he carries. We saw him so non-committal in attack in 2016. For mine, wasn't his attidude. Actually ****s me when people say he had a bad attidude. He couldn't compete physically and that's it. He knew that if he took the line on more often than not he'd walk away from a game injured. In saying that, he simply can't play on next year if he's not 100%. He should be paid out an amount and then given a job at the club.

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

He simply cannot perform with the chronic injuies he carries. We saw him so non-committal in attack in 2016. For mine, wasn't his attidude. Actually ****s me when people say he had a bad attidude. He couldn't compete physically and that's it. He knew that if he took the line on more often than not he'd walk away from a game injured.

I agree with this. Snake has been ultra professional and put his body on the line for Manly so many times, it doesn't compute that he would suddenly not care. I have assumed he is finished but would love nothing better than one more season of some Snake magic.

 

[Holmsey]

I love snake but he cannot start at fullback ahead of Tom Turbo, no matter what form he is in. Snake is a legend and I'd be happy for him to get his money that he deserves.

 

[nightster]

I love snake but he cannot start at fullback ahead of Tom Turbo, no matter what form he is in. Snake is a legend and I'd be happy for him to get his money that he deserves.

really !? ... 'No Matter What Form He Is In' ... really!
We all know you have a bomance going on with TommyT but ... really?

 

[Holmsey]

really !? ... 'No Matter What Form He Is In' ... really!
We all know you have a bomance going on with TommyT but ... really?

You'd really rather snake at FB? Really?

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

I agree with this. Snake has been ultra professional and put his body on the line for Manly so many times, it doesn't compute that he would suddenly not care. I have assumed he is finished but would love nothing better than one more season of some Snake magic.

I'm afraid we disagree on that, what doesn't compute is if he was so injured why then was he playing?

A senior player would simply say to the coaching staff " I'm just not up for this" and take some time off to heal.

His attitude however clearly showed where his mind was at, as sad as that may be to us all and whilst injury may have played a part in it, his mental state contributed greatly!!

Suffice to say he was dropped and never returned even when we suffered even more injuries in the backs.

I too would love another magical Snake year for him to retire on, but I have a feeling it ain't going to happen!!!

 

[mozgrame]

I just hope we don't wreck Tommy before his body really matures. He is too important to Manly and rugby league in general to have him playing injured like this year. If he isn't 100% for each game next year, don't play him, Trent!

I'd rather cop a loss than risk Tommy suffering a long term/nagging injury. We should realise this. All we have to do is look at Brett. A big heart, love for the club and a willingness to lace up injured is great, but self preservation for the long term good of the club and the player should be paramount.

Just my opinion. It doesn't mean much.

 

[nightster]

You'd really rather snake at FB? Really?

you said no matter what form he is in .... in his top form ... Yes I would rather him at fullback and Tom in the centres or if Matai is back in top form on the wing ... yes really

 

[wombatgc]

I hope that the Snake can get a bit of his venom back but if he runs out in 2017 as he did in 2016 then we have no option but to drop him to Blacktown . I cant see the media making anything out of the obvious . Every player earns his spot in the NRL teams .

It'd be a very sad day indeed if he had to play for Blacktown. Hopefully that thought alone will get him back in the zone.

 

[MadMarcus]

Tom is an exciting prospect, but a long way from showing he can be as good as Snake at his peak.

 

[Bearfax]

Tom is an exciting prospect, but a long way from showing he can be as good as Snake at his peak.

You're right MM. Tom is a year or two from being what he can become. But he has an advantage over the other two Manly great full backs, Eadie and Stewart.

Eadie was quite fast, but he was solid, a tough defender, explosive in his runs, bursting through defences.

Stewart was very fast at his best, good defender, but not solid and could be thrown around, and at times was a little tentative with return runs from kicks. In broken play he was a master, and a great organiser.

But TT seems to have the potential of being a mix of Eadie and Stewart. He's fast like Stewart (maybe not as fast as Stewart at his best but close). He's getting more and more solid each year and developing an Eadie type explosive run through defences (though Eadie was better ). He's tall so there wont be many out leaping him for up and unders, and when he gets his confidence he could be lethal with DCE et al with up and unders against opposition teams.

To me he's like a hybrid of Eadie and Stewart, not quite as good as either with their best skills, but he's got both of those best skills and therefore could, baring injury, become the best of them all.

 

[SLR5000]

No ones as good as snake at his best.. No one.. You put his best 10 trys on a highlight reel & no one blows wind up his arse , slater or anyone else you want to throw in .. 2009& 2010 he was robbed of the best years of his life he would have had about 190 trys

 

[ALinda]

If the Snake starts 2017 the same way as 2016 ( poor attitude and performance ) what do we do with him ?

That's a very very good question, with no easy answer!

If Brett can't compete in 1st grade I can't imagine him wanting to travel to Blacktown on a regular basis.

Even if it was, say, Belrose instead of Blacktown I can't see Brett wanting to travel anywhere to play in a grade other than the NRL.

Dare I say Brett is the key to how well Manly goes in 2017 - if he stays or goes, his attitude, if included in the cap or not, etc - much hinges on him!

 

[Bearfax]

Problem as I see it is that Brett probably has to stick around for financial reasons. That trial he faced a few years back cost him a fortune. Where else is he going to earn big like in League after he hangs up his boots. The guy sees the end coming but is probably hanging in there to protect what monies he can secure before his retirement. If he cant get an overseas offer to play, he'll hold out for a medical retirement. If he cant get that he'll play, even if he sits on the sideline for Blacktown Workers. Wouldnt you if so much money and your future was at stake. Cant blame Stewart at all for digging his heals in.

 

[court83]

if snake is fit imo he plays 1 hands down.... tommy is a good prospect but another year under snakes guidance can only help him...

He doesnt read the game half as well as snake does, and He doesnt organise the backline at all... Will come with experience, but for mine, the only thing he has on snake at this stage in his career is explosive kick returns...

Snake when fit and interested is like a second 5/8, ball in hand he weighs up whether to go himself, put a short ball on to his centre to go thru, put the cutout pass to the winger or the grubber thru for either to score... Tommy hasnt really got any of those skills as yet, and his support play to anyone but his brother is almost non existent.... All of these will come with time ofcourse, but for now, if snakes fit and able to play, hes hands down our fullback in 2017