I was expecting the Field-goal / Brooks Penalty to dominate the post-match talk - overshadowing what was an otherwise cracking game from our guys.
Manly really put in, and while pundits will say the Storm were underdone and unusually sloppy with completions, we managed to rattle them enough to throw them off their game. Have been one of the few sides which have done this to the Storm in recent seasons, and have won at least one game against the Storm every season since 2021.
Pre-Game I didn't give us a chance, and would have been happy to mitigate major For/Against damage, at best, with a tight loss. Didn't see that performance coming, and the next 3 games whilst tough now seem winnable if we bring that type of gameplan and attitude.
On the penalty that determined the game, we were stung in identical fashion against the Warriors last season - at least its consistency despite it seeming soft. Regardless, Manly deserved the win and were the better team for 75-80% of that game imo - which was a win in itself as I thought Melb would dominate us.
Nelson should have been binned or walked for that elbowing effort. - but despite losing Simpkin, Jazz & the boys dug in, very pleasing. Frog's return is unlikely to be contentious for a week if Simpkin has the mandatory stand-down - but I do feel like Simpking deserves his spot right now, he was solid.
Weird old game. We haven't lost since that debacle with the Titans in June, and in the 4 game run ending with the Titans game we managed to also lose to Knights & Eels (basically 3 bottom teams), whilst belting the Broncs - who haven't lost since and are pressing for the 4 now. Hopefully we can emulate their bounce-back and take it to the Dogs - who seem to have their own unsettled player group right now. We should then account for the Rooters at home I would hope, and then Canberra away - we seem to be their bogey team at times. We are still the only team to touch them up this season (at 1 stage we were 40-0 up at home earlier in the year). Win all those games and it will change the dynamic of a season. Momentum is everything.