top 8 is no mean feat

[SeaEagleRock8]

We are now all but guaranteed a spot in the finals. A home win against the Knights next week will seal the deal.

The disintegration of the NZ Warriors is a reminder of just how hard it is these days for a grand final team to back up the following year.

Since the 2004 decider, (ignoring Melbourne in the years they were found to have cheated) only 5 of the 13 grand final teams have even made it into the Top 8 the following season.

Brisbane in '07 limped into 8th and lost their qualifying final 40-nil. Illawarra in '11 also limped into finals).

This year will be the THIRD time in that period Manly has backed up from a grand final to make the finals again the next year.

Dogs, Tigers, Cowboys, Eels, Roosters (twice) and now the poor old Warriors are overwhelming evidence that - even if we don't go all the way this year - we can still be proud of what the team is achieving.

 

[susan]

Agreed great effort by the boys.

On a different topic that weAk kneed effort last knight by NZ did us no favours.For and against means we must win each game now to book a top 4 spot.Cows should win next two and it will come down to how they go against sharks away in last round.That matchup is great for us because one of the 2 main chasers will lose in R26.

 

[Phantar]

I think they will win the next 3 anyway Susan.

 

[MANLY4LIFE]

And we did it in turmoil with coach and board issues and constant injuries ,and to top it off a rookie coach and new staff hell yer were proud .... Well done boys

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

Great work team, a shot at back to back ( which hasn't been done for a fair whie)

 

[Brissie Kid]

Last three games for Cowboys have two away against Sydney teams - next week at Wollongong & final round at Sharks. The Cows are hopeless against Sydney teams away from Townsville. Lost all 3 this year so far plus last year the only win in Sydney was 30-12 v Sharks in Rd7. I think Sharks will be looking to reverse that. Have to go back to 2007 to find them even winning two away games against Sydney teams http://stats.rleague.com/rl/teams/north_qld/north_qld_by.html

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The Sharks are the bigger worry. After they get 2 points tomorrow night they are just one behind Manly. The Sharks last 3 games are against Souths (home), Storm (away) & Cows (home). If the Sharks jag a win over Souths plus beat the Cows, & Manly drop last two games, the Sharks could bump us from 4th to 5th.

 

[susan]

sharks have barely won a game in the last few weeks except the woeful warriors and the knights at newcastle on monday night is hardly a doddle in the park.just ask our boys !havent looked at the odds but knights would be favourites i would think.

siants cant score points,cows can.i expect them to win in the next 2.

 

[MadMarcus]

I can see why some fans think Manly fans are spoilt. The truth is a lot of us will go away from this season disappointed with anything less than another GF win. There is no doubt it is a great achievement for Manly just to make the top 8 after everything that has happened, but I believe the attitude which is ingrained in this great club is that that success is nothing short of premiership glory. I think that is one of the key reasons why this we have been so successful.

 

[The Who]

A lot of posters play up the importance of young players and the results of the Toyota Cup. The Worriers have dominated this Under 20 competition over the past few seasons, and I certainly expected them to be a real force in the first grade premiership this season. They are a disgrace. There must be some internal problems because the Worries have the best young talent in the comp.
It does underline just how irrevalent success at Toyota Cup level is at first grade.

 

[Peter C]

It's one thing playing unstructured attacking football, as in the Toyota cup, to playing the defensive grind of the NRL.

 

[Jethro]

A lot of posters play up the importance of young players and the results of the Toyota Cup. The Worriers have dominated this Under 20 competition over the past few seasons, and I certainly expected them to be a real force in the first grade premiership this season. They are a disgrace. There must be some internal problems because the Worries have the best young talent in the comp.
It does underline just how irrevalent success at Toyota Cup level is at first grade.

and in my opinion, that is why playing in the QLD Cup was a great stepping stone for some of our players and ex-players to add to their learning/experience before migrating to firsts.

 

[Kiwi Eagle]

The Under 20s comp is rubbish football, to go from that to NRL level and be a good player within a year or 2 means you are a pretty special player, the likes of a Foran or Daly or Johnson etc

On the Warriors, the whispers going around are that the coach has lost the dressing room. They have had their fair share of big injuries which hasn't helped eithe, but the attitude has gone backwards. i read somewhere that 3 of the reserve grade players didn't even bother to show up to their game last weekend