I REALLY don't know what to make of Manly. They have me baffled.
They secured a badly needed victory over the Brisbane Broncos yesterday. However, their performance really delivered mixed messages when it comes to their attitude and desire to get themselves back into the premiership race.
The Broncos had several star players missing from the nominated team, and took the opportunity to introduce a few of their talented youngsters to the starting line-up.
The Manly team was much closer to full strength than their opponents, and given their precarious place on the competition ladder, you would have expected the Sea Eagles to see this as a great opportunity to claim a big scalp and play their way back into top form. Their pathetic opening gambit gave no indication of such intent.
Their first 30 minutes was dreadful and totally uninspiring. In the remainder of the contest, they showed greater application and urgency, but their execution was poor.
Their defence in the early stages was lethargic and disorganised. In the second half, they defended their goal line with great determination to keep themselves in the contest.
Their attacking plays in the first half lacked control. They showed little composure when half-chances were on offer, and they made even the simplest of plays looks so difficult.
From the moment the second half began, their ball movement was far better, and they executed some well-rehearsed passing rushes to perfection.
The Manly kicking game was absolutely terrible. Matt Orford could not get his fifth-tackle options working at all. He kicked out on the full. He continually kicked the ball dead in goal to relieve pressure on the home side. Very few of the kicks he managed to keep in the field of play were accurate enough for teammates to get a chance to compete for the ball.
Despite all this, when you look at the final stats, they scored three tries from kicks.
The more you examine their game, the more contradictions tend to appear.
After 20 minutes they looked no hope of winning. By midway through the second half, the game was theirs for the taking.
The contrast in effort and body language from one period to the next made no sense. How could a team be so poor, appear so unenthusiastic one minute, then so desperate and committed the next?
The one thing that is certain about this match is that the Sea Eagles would not have won yesterday if it had not been for their livewire centre, Jamie Lyon.
I guess if we talk about contradictions, then this young man epitomises the word. He wants to play football, then he doesn't. He doesn't want to play representative football, but now he does.
When he is on his game there is no better attacking centre in the game.
Every time he handled the ball yesterday afternoon, he was a thorn in the side of the Brisbane defence.
Even in the early stages when Manly looked like they wanted to be anywhere but playing football, Lyon provided a ray of hope.
His three tries for the afternoon all smacked of skill and determination. In all three efforts, he chased kicks and outpaced his opponent to get to the ball first. He lifted his teammates and dragged them from the canvas and into the winner's stall.
On this form, he should be a must for State of Origin with the Blues - whether he likes it or not.
On this performance, I could not guarantee the Sea Eagles are back on track to stage a creditable defence of their title. There were too many poor aspects to their game for my liking.
However, confidence and momentum can sometimes evolve from very humble beginnings.
How they react to this win will be crucial. If the general feeling is one of relief then perhaps the important lessons are yet to be learned.
If they think that on the basis of this one win they are back, then they are deluding themselves.
But if they can look at this performance as the first step in a tough climb back to the top of the mountain then there's still hope they can resurrect their season.
The potential is there. The talent is unquestioned. They need to prove the desire exists.
