The 2008 Season

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You must've been pretty close to us then. We were in that corner, just magical day. So far removed from this year's debacle.
Had a long conversation with Max Delmege the other day. Thanked him for saving us and delivering those golden days. He lamented on how greed and self serving had taken over from the days when he wanted the club to be for the supporters first and not the owners or administration.

We're very lucky to have been there, mate! What a spot we had!

When you think about the ARL/Super League war, you can argue that we were the team that made the NRL possible.

In 1995, we won the first 15 games of the season. We lost the Grand Final (seventh tackle. What a crock), but we were the most dominant team of that time.

If we had joined Super League, I don't think that the ARL would've been able to continue. The clubs that would've been left behind wouldn't have been able to hold up the weight of competing against Super League. Our team bore the legitimacy of the strength that the ARL needed to maintain viability.

We didn't recover from that for a long time. Manly had ended up carrying too much by trying to keep things going.

We were saved by Max Delmege from bloody Norths and have been rebuilt.

Go you mighty Sea Eagles!
 
That run through the finals in 2008 was phenomenal. Maybe it's my maroon and white bias, but I can't recall any other side dominating a finals series like we did that year. Smoked the Dragons at Brookie, smashed the Warriors (sad farewell for Ruben Wiki unfortunately) and then hammered the Storm which more than made up for the disappointment of 12 months earlier. Happy days.
 
I'm watching the highlights of that magnificent year.

Geez we were good. I've got to say that Michael Robertson was so underrated. He was one of the best finishers of a try that I've seen for a long time. He always got it down from the most difficult circumstances.

Watching the lads light it up is fantastic. I just hope that Ox gets through this nightmare. He was a brilliant servant to us.

Killa, Snake, Beaver, all in their prime (Beaver was always in his prime).

I'll tell you what, though. We tried some odd players at 5/8th.

Matai, Watmough, Beaver, Killa (of course), and I think there was another one.

I was 20 metres away from Beaver when he scored his last try in the Grand Final. That was easily the best day of my life.

Great thread @The Quirkster.........!

I will never forget that day. Was there also with my best mate from school, who like me has been a Manly supporter since birth.

I remember saying how awesome Matai was when he seemingly feigned injury to get Beaver back on the field and not long after that he scored......! An absolutely priceless experience and certainly one of the best days in my life.

In 2008, we had talent, heart, passion and a never give up attitude in that team and in the coaching staff. It was Manly through and through.

And to quote Max Delmege -
"...........At the end of the day, nobody can take away the fact that, at 7:11pm on October 5, 2008, we won a grand final 40-0......"
 
II'll tell you what, though. We tried some odd players at 5/8th.

Matai, Watmough, Beaver, Killa (of course), and I think there was another one.

For the record, Manly's 5/8's in 2008 were:

Killer (13 games)
Beaver (11 games)
Skivy (1 game)
Jeff Robson (1 game)
Choc (1 game)
 
I'm normally pretty conservative with big games, however, at 34 blot, I felt that we were in with a chance...

Btw, Did you know that the four dvd box set is available for about twenty bux?
 
Can't remember a season where I sweated every minute of every game like 2008 and the complete sense of satisfaction sitting the the stands at full time after the GF.
 
Team P W L PD Pts
3 3 0 48 6
4 3 1 28 6
3 2 1 10 6
4 2 2 39 4
3 2 1 28 4
3 2 1 15 4
3 2 1 14 4
2 1 1 13 4
2 1 1 6 4
3 2 1 -3 4
3 1 2 0 2
3 1 2 -5 2
3 1 2 -15 2
3 1 2 -22 2
3 1 2 -36 2
2 0 2 -56 2
3 0 3 -64 0
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