What are we missing the most?

[Eagle 1]

I saw some players having a dig and demonstrating a good attitude on the weekend. Jake, Aloia and Taniela are three that come to mind. Others tried, but failed miserably such as DCE and Parks. Not many of the others seemed to have their heads in the game. Classic case would be Kelma who seemed to be in Disneyland in defence. He literally let Edwards walk around him and into the in goal for a try. And when Penrith did get past us out wide (regularly) no one turned round and tried to cut them off and keep them out wide to make the conversion more difficult. That to me is a really poor sign of motivation.

True, it was virtually a carbon copy of the Sths v Bulldogs game, Bulldogs got carved up the same way. As attacks get even better and more expansive these sort of blowout score lines will be with us for a while i'd say.

 

[Simonmyers11]

Id say Hooker and Centre. I don't think our forwards have been too bad this year to be honest. Yeah against a red hot Panthers they were below par, but in every other game I feel we have won the forward battle, in the backs that have been disappointing this year, especially the edge defence.

If Tom is fully fit, Shuster and Koula are on the field we will be stronger. Gordon also has start coming off the bench. Its our depth that is a massive weakness.

Sorry we wont get to see Kikau off the bench as I felt he would have offered more than Keppie. Gordon could potentially solve our hooker problems. Shuster needs to stay fit. I still feel the outside backs are getting mauled by opponents. Harper actually runs backwards FFS! Parker cannot compete with these modern day outside backs, which are so much stronger and faster. Most teams this year have some fairly athletic strong, quick outside backs. Garrick performs pretty strongly week in week out but the other wingers are a big liability in defence. Just don't have the cattle in this department currently

 

[Sea Eagle 4 Life]

You might have to fix your calculator as the percentages add up to be greater than 100%.

 

[mickqld]

We need a half who can dent the line taking hit-ups from tap penalties. DCE is too light, easily man-handled.

Ever wonder why he's never out injured or why he never has grass stains. Inspirational captain, lead from the front, take a hold of a game when we're in trouble. All adjectives that don't describe our leader.

 

[HK_Eagle]

I half-joked before about needing a Politis. But it’s true. Our glory days saw us run by the great Ken A and we had money behind us. If we are to be a force again, we need finance and real power brokers in key positions. Our current ownership is neither, and it’s reflected in the results. If we can’t find a wealthy backer whom can get the right power players in position we have Buckleys of challenging the current power houses. EPL we are morphing into. I don’t like it, but it’s the reality of contemporary RL

What possible attractive propositions are there for a major player to want to move on the northern beaches market? Where and how can they make money? Or perhaps the idea of helping an underdog with a proud history return to former glory is an attractive narrative?

 

[TheSoaringEagle2023]

Ever wonder why he's never out injured or why he never has grass stains. Inspirational captain, lead from the front, take a hold of a game when we're in trouble. All adjectives that don't describe our leader.

I reckon he looks forward to the interviews with Fox League after the game. He looks like he's preparing for a gig on the Fox League panel and with the way he speaks, it wouldn't surprise me if he goes to Toastmasters during the week.

 

[JakeyB789]

A lot of these positions we are lacking in, we have had but let go in recent years anyway

A dynamic hooker that can not only provide good service, but also get out of dummy half and create opportunities with their running game (Koroisau)

An aggressive and consistent front rower who can lead the forward pack when the others aren’t doing their work (AFB)

Strike centre who is capable of breaking the line on their own (Suli)

Versatile middle forward who can ball play and provide speed around the ruck (Walker)

We keep letting players like this go and can never adequately replace them, I know our cap is a complete mess but if we can’t sign anyone let’s at least see some of these juniors like GCKT, Fainu and Myers rather than the absolute duds we have out there at the moment.

 

[HK_Eagle]

A lot of these positions we are lacking in, we have had but let go in recent years anyway

A dynamic hooker that can not only provide good service, but also get out of dummy half and create opportunities with their running game (Koroisau)

An aggressive and consistent front rower who can lead the forward pack when the others aren’t doing their work (AFB)

Strike centre who is capable of breaking the line on their own (Suli)

Versatile middle forward who can ball play and provide speed around the ruck (Walker)

We keep letting players like this go and can never adequately replace them, I know our cap is a complete mess but if we can’t sign anyone let’s at least see some of these juniors like GCKT, Fainu and Myers rather than the absolute duds we have out there at the moment.

I think all of those players are a stretch. AFB left under murky personal clouds. Api was throwing loopey long passes that fans were blowing up about. Suli was far from a strike centre and has still yet to convince me. Change of teams and getting kicked out may have put a bee in his bonnet but let’s see if he can endure the long game. Walker never lived up to his promise and even now with the Warriors he still can’t nail down the centre position… doing pretty much the same he did for us.

 

[LeonardCohen]

Id say Hooker and Centre. I don't think our forwards have been too bad this year to be honest. Yeah against a red hot Panthers they were below par, but in every other game I feel we have won the forward battle, in the backs that have been disappointing this year, especially the edge defence.

If Tom is fully fit, Shuster and Koula are on the field we will be stronger. Gordon also has start coming off the bench. Its our depth that is a massive weakness.

Sorry we wont get to see Kikau off the bench as I felt he would have offered more than Keppie. Gordon could potentially solve our hooker problems. Shuster needs to stay fit. I still feel the outside backs are getting mauled by opponents. Harper actually runs backwards FFS! Parker cannot compete with these modern day outside backs, which are so much stronger and faster. Most teams this year have some fairly athletic strong, quick outside backs. Garrick performs pretty strongly week in week out but the other wingers are a big liability in defence. Just don't have the cattle in this department currently

I agree that 9 is a big problem but I think centre is primarily a concern because of the domino effect caused by the issues in slowing down the opposition ruck. Of course, there are better centres in the competition than Parker and Harper and we could still stand to strengthen this area to go to another level. However, they should not be the difference between winning and losing.

The best example I can think of to explain what I mean is the first shift Penrith made to their right edge that saw Tago streak down the touchline and almost create a try out of nothing. If you watch the play-the-ball there, we got skittled and a defender was left on the ground watching the next ruck take place. The other marker had barely peeled off and they were away. This meant the defence was still back-pedalling and could not get up fast enough to make the shift to the edge uncomfortable and risky for the Panthers...not to mention the impact the quick play-the-ball had on our spacing. The middle forwards must compress in tighter to compensate for the space in behind the play-the-ball. If the middle compress, everyone else does as well. There was a mile of space down that flank as a result. This is but one example of which there are many.

When we controlled the ruck in the middle against Souths, they rarely had any space to expose our edges.

 

[Terry Zarsoff]

Ever wonder why he's never out injured or why he never has grass stains. Inspirational captain, lead from the front, take a hold of a game when we're in trouble. All adjectives that don't describe our leader.

The Russel Gartner of the 2020s? Relative old timers (like me) will know where I’m coming from.

 

[Bearfax]

Manly have been blessed to have over the years some damned good centres. Starting with Tennant, there's Branigan, Fulton, Knight, Gartner, Close, Shearer, O'Connor, Iro, Innes, Hill, Lyon, Matai. We've also been blessed with top hookers in Jones, Krillich, Brown, Cochrane, Sedaris and Ballin. What we have today in the centre and hooking positions are solid but average centres and hooker. Koula may turn that around and hopefully Tong and Weekes (if they stay) may give Manly back what they need in those positions. We wont win a comp with the present personnel in those positions.

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

A lot of these positions we are lacking in, we have had but let go in recent years anyway

A dynamic hooker that can not only provide good service, but also get out of dummy half and create opportunities with their running game (Koroisau)

An aggressive and consistent front rower who can lead the forward pack when the others aren’t doing their work (AFB)

Strike centre who is capable of breaking the line on their own (Suli)

Versatile middle forward who can ball play and provide speed around the ruck (Walker)

We keep letting players like this go and can never adequately replace them, I know our cap is a complete mess but if we can’t sign anyone let’s at least see some of these juniors like GCKT, Fainu and Myers rather than the absolute duds we have out there at the moment.

Oh come on , those examples aren’t exactly current superstars are they ??

Nicho Hynes / Queen Gutho would be better examples.

 

[mickqld]

We should dump as many as we can a years end Harper, Parker, Croker, Boyle, Lawton, Aloiai, Woods and go full on after Dylan Edwards. Move Turbo to centers. Youngsters to replace that lot.

1. Edwards
2. Saab
3. Tom
4. Koula
5. Garrick
6. Shu
7. DCE
8. Paseka
9. GCKT
10. Jake
11. Olak
12. Sykes
13. Bullemore
14. Weekes
15. Tuilagi
16. Keppie
17. Sipley
18. Ben Turbo
19 S Fainu
20. Myers
21 C Johns
22. Stuckey
23 Vaega
24 L Fainu
25. Fulton

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

We should dump as many as we can a years end Harper, Parker, Croker, Boyle, Lawton, Aloiai, Woods and go full on after Dylan Edwards. Move Turbo to centers. Youngsters to replace that lot.

1. Edwards
2. Saab
3. Tom
4. Koula
5. Garrick
6. Shu
7. DCE
8. Paseka
9. GCKT
10. Jake
11. Olak
12. Sykes
13. Bullemore
14. Weekes
15. Tuilagi
16. Keppie
17. Sipley
18. Ben Turbo
19 S Fainu
20. Myers
21 C Johns
22. Stuckey
23 Vaega
24 L Fainu
25. Fulton

Then we’d have four on a million !!!

You can bet Edwards would be demanding at least a million to leave the Premiers.

Be different completely if the captain was retiring , and we were giving Humphreys a shot at 7.

In a lot of respects I think that should have been what happened , there was no need to resign DCE.

 

[madmax]

I think all of those players are a stretch. AFB left under murky personal clouds. Api was throwing loopey long passes that fans were blowing up about. Suli was far from a strike centre and has still yet to convince me. Change of teams and getting kicked out may have put a bee in his bonnet but let’s see if he can endure the long game. Walker never lived up to his promise and even now with the Warriors he still can’t nail down the centre position… doing pretty much the same he did for us.

Api has been killing it since he left! He’s killing it in a losing Tigers side still! If only we kept him…..Suli also! So disappointing we can’t field:-
Tom T
Saab
Koula
Suli
Garrick
Schuster
DCE
Paseka
Api
Jake
Ola
Tuilagi
Samuela
Res: Croker, Aloiai, Keppie, Bullemore

 

[deanm]

We should dump as many as we can a years end Harper, Parker, Croker, Boyle, Lawton, Aloiai, Woods and go full on after Dylan Edwards. Move Turbo to centers. Youngsters to replace that lot.

1. Edwards
2. Saab
3. Tom
4. Koula
5. Garrick
6. Shu
7. DCE
8. Paseka
9. GCKT
10. Jake
11. Olak
12. Sykes
13. Bullemore
14. Weekes
15. Tuilagi
16. Keppie
17. Sipley
18. Ben Turbo
19 S Fainu
20. Myers
21 C Johns
22. Stuckey
23 Vaega
24 L Fainu
25. Fulton

We still wouldn't win the ruck though with that pack.