SeaEagles v Souths @Brookie Rd7 Game day thread #GoManly

[Brookie4eva]

Doesn't matter, he plays, he doesn't play, we'll lose anyway. More definite about this game than any other so far this year, Rabbits by 12

We're set for the win, now mickqld is death riding us this hard.

 

[Shoe1]

Checked out the highlights of last year's game on the NRL site - we won 23-6 after a tight 1st half. Wouldn't be surprised if we repeat the dose.

 

[Pittwater Legend]

I really_want_this_WIN!

*bloke at work has been giving me PLENTY of stick: he actually went to their last GF and is a life time Bunnies supporter...

Sick of lolling at his "20 premierships" rubbish!!

I only count the number of premierships Souths have won since Manly have been around. 20 gets reduced to 9, only one better than us at this stage.

 

[The Wheel]

I only count premierships after 1970 - 8 to 1 I believe

 

[rmd]

Further to my previous analysis, I didn't think Champion was back this week and I have tremendous respect for him as a defender.

In all reality, there's now a Priest's pube between these two teams. I think we'll definitely be in front at half time and just hope they don't come from behind.

 

[TWO DOGS]

Further to my previous analysis, I didn't think Champion was back this week and I have tremendous respect for him as a defender.

In all reality, there's now a Priest's pube between these two teams. I think we'll definitely be in front at half time and just hope they don't come from behind.

There is a good line there for someone.

 

[RL Gronk]

Further to my previous analysis, I didn't think Champion was back this week and I have tremendous respect for him as a defender.

In all reality, there's now a Priest's pube between these two teams. I think we'll definitely be in front at half time and just hope they don't come from behind.

So are you saying the referee is going to be an altar boy ?

 

[the mauler]

Ducks and Drakes, Gifty will play

Doesn't matter, he plays, he doesn't play, we'll lose anyway. More definite about this game than any other so far this year, Rabbits by 12

Thanks Mick was waiting for confirmation. It's Manly 13+ for me.

 

[ManlyBacker]

Looks like Gift will miss this Friday night:

Star Manly forward Glenn Stewart will have to wait another week to make his return from off-season knee surgery despite strong speculation he would be a starter against South Sydney on Friday night.

The representative back-rower was widely tipped to begin his comeback against the Bunnies in this week's Brookvale Oval blockbuster.

Coach Geoff Toovey left the door slightly ajar for Stewart to return this week at a media session on Tuesday afternoon before leaving him off the team sheet two hours later.

Toovey confirmed Stewart's knee is not yet at 100 percent and is almost certain to take advantage of the 10-day turnaround between the Souths clash and the Round 8 fixture against St George Illawarra on Monday week.

more @ http://www.sportal.com.au/league-news-display/toovey-leaves-stewart-on-ice-231769

Inglis has declared himself a certain starter (http://www.sportal.com.au/league-news-display/inglis-ready-to-tackle-sea-eagles-231746) but I did hear on tv this morning he is still only a maybe.

 

[tookey]

Looks like butter fingers Gower will play tomorrow night. Should be half a dozen dropped balls tomorrow between him and choc. Lets hope they don;t cost us the game

 

[KaZa]

to be fair the last game Gower played.. he played well and didnt drop any.. gave 2 offloads.

 

[Shoe1]

to be fair the last game Gower played.. he played well and didnt drop any.. gave 2 offloads.

Yeah see Gower's hands ... Nek minute

 

[globaleagle]

Bump

So Daniel's kept happy.

 

[DSM5]

To be fair, Gower has that ability to poke his nose through the line and present an offload. He went OK in the last game and Chocs hands seem to be improving. It's just he's always in traffic. all good. We just need tout a guy onto Reynolds and smash Inglis.

 

[Kevinward777]

Looks like butter fingers Gower will play tomorrow night. Should be half a dozen dropped balls tomorrow between him and choc. Lets hope they don;t cost us the game

Choc has been outstanding this year, both in attack and defence, so much so that Tim Sheens had to pick him in the Australian side. Playing at 7kg heavier than last year, which has seen him become a lot more destructive when running the football. His missed tackles are way down on his last couple of seasons as well.....Choc is an asset and a big one.

David Gower was much better last time out and fingers crossed that he can improve on that performance.

 

[swoop]

If we can keep their forwards in check then we should have the superior backs to win the game. Home ground advantage may just get get us over the line.

 

[DSM5]

Who's the ref? That to me is the most important variable these days.

 

[Chip and Chase]

Sea Eagles as good as Melbourne Storm, say Souths

And taking them down on their home turf might just be the hardest task of all - especially for a South Sydney squad that has tasted success at Brookvale Oval just once since 2004.

The walls of Fortress Brookvale are being rebuilt, following a 2012 season in which the Sea Eagles were defeated at home on three occasions.

But with back-to-back home wins to start 2013, including a shutout of Newcastle in round two, the Sea Eagles' feared home ground advantage is beginning to resemble their 2011 undefeated record which ultimately delivered a premiership.

It's a confronting trip South Sydney know all too well, having tallied just three wins from their past 17 visits to Manly's home turf.

And while it's not encroaching on hoodoo territory just yet, NSW State of Origin hopeful Nathan Merritt says it would be an enormous victory should the Rabbitohs prevail.

"To win a match like this would be huge. Huge for our confidence,'' said Merritt, who has just one win from seven attempts at Brookvale.

"You know they're a great side and to get a win against them brings a lot of confidence to your squad. It can do wonders for the rest of the season.''

As a smaller, suburban ground, fans are able to get up close and, occasionally, personal with opposition players.

Rabbitohs centre Bryson Goodwin says he enjoys the intimate nature on offer.

"I actually enjoy playing at Brookvale,'' he said.

"The fans are really close so the atmosphere is really good.''

The Rabbitohs insist playing Manly, who boast the game's best defensive record in 2013, is an equal challenge to tackling the defending premiers Melbourne.

"Of course. They're just as good as Melbourne,'' Merritt said.

"They've competed with Melbourne the last couple of years, they've won comps the last couple of years.

"They've shown everyone they're a premiership-winning team.

"It's going to be a great challenge for us this week. It's going to be a test.

''... Whatever they're doing, it's working for them.''

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/sea-eagles-as-good-as-melbourne-storm-say-souths/story-e6frexnr-1226629351353

 

[globaleagle]

It's been just wonderful getting the games over here and seeing the mass of our supporters at Brookie.

I was watching...I think it was penrith v titans at penrith and it looked and sounded terrible on tv. OK so penrith got done at a home game but even at the start of the game the crowd looked sparse and sounded quiet.

But at Brookie, the crowd, the noise, the atmosphere was wonderful and one would hope that this is what the nrl are aspiring to achieve. Yet we know it's all about massive stadiums because of the tv rights.

Todd'll fix it!

I look forward to seeing you lunatics cheering on and being loud on tv over here in Canada-land.

P.S. - someone give me a wave - I'll wave back.

Go Manly!

 

[Pittwater Legend]

I was reading the article that C&C posted a couple of posts earlier and one thing that stuck out was the fact that Souths have only won 3 of their last 17 clashes on our turf.

It reminded me of the match at Brookie in 2010. Souths were probably thinking they had the game in the bag when they were leading by a field goal very late in the game. Hodkinson kicked a field goal to level the scores and followed it up with another to win the game. One of the field goals was absolutely sensational. It was a very sweet victory that stopped Souths from taking our spot in the top 8.