Manu poll - to Vulcans for a week?

[_addict]

I've considered Manu an option in the forwards, but I'm really not that convinced about it. He hits hard enough, but does he have the ball handling skills for it? He loses the ball a fair bit. After his extended injury breaks we we all worried that he no longer had the pace to hack it on the wing. He seems to have plenty of speed again now.

It's been said that dropping him to the Vulcans won't do him any good. Is the a luxury we extend to every first grade player, or is he a protected species? How do we know it won't do any good? What does it say to other players? Do other wing prospects become excluded for promotion because Manu's there?

I don't know the answers and recognise that he has value, and am also loathe to go chopping and changing all the time, but putting everything on the scales he can't be far from tipping them in favour of a week in the Vulcans

 

[Aragorn]

I've considered Manu an option in the forwards, but I'm really not that convinced about it. He hits hard enough, but does he have the ball handling skills for it?

you're questioning whether he even has the ball handling skills to play in forwards???!!!

he doesn't have to catch bombs, or chips kicks so he should be ok provided he can secure the ball and not have it stripped....and his play the ball seems ok as i don't recall any disaster moments in this area of his game...

 

[Rich102]

I haven't voted as I don't know if a move to the Vulcans would do anything. After all we are not trying to punish him.

Having said that I am aware his high error rate is hurting us. What to do? What to do?

(If a move to the forwards had been an option I would have probably have gone for that.)

 

[Aragorn]

Having said that I am aware his high error rate is hurting us. What to do? What to do?

Hope he gets hit by a bus

 

[_addict]

you're questioning whether he even has the ball handling skills to play in forwards???!!!

he doesn't have to catch bombs, or chips kicks so he should be ok provided he can secure the ball and not have it stripped....and his play the ball seems ok as i don't recall any disaster moments in this area of his game...

He's lost the ball getting up to play the ball on numerous occassions. Often there is a helping hand in there, but therein is one of the reasons I'm unsure of his abilities in the ruck, where there is nearly always someone targetting the ball, or the carrying arm.

 

[Aragorn]

He's lost the ball getting up to play the ball on numerous occassions..

hmmm... my bad, forgot that was a problem area for him as well!!!!

does Manu have two left hands or something? that would explain a lot!

 

[Auckland4ever]

Manu has uncommon speed for his size combined with power beyond probably any other winger in the game. I'd still rather see this point of difference being utilized better by those around him, Johnson & Maloney in particular, as opposed to switching him into the forwards where he'll mostly be matching up against guys his own size all game.

His frailties are pretty much the same as they've always been, but from a tryscoring point of view, he has way more to offer than is being exploited by the players around him at the moment. Basically though, I've got no doubt that there'll be more Manu hysteria down the track. He'll have 4-5 decent games in a row, then will make some mistakes deep in our own half and talkback will be full of the same dribblers claiming that he loses us more games than he wins. Meanwhile, Maloney's weekly habit of missing crucial tackles will continue to fly under the radar.

 

[TheDMC]

Manu is the warriors. Powerful, brilliant and yet flawed. It just wouldn't be as much fun without the big fella.

Wish we would use him and hurrell wide earlier in the tackle count from our 30m line, say 3rd tackle, if given a little space they will make great yards through their power and probably some line breaks.

Also, Manu steaming onto a short ball or 2nd man play when 5 out from the opp line...like Burgess today against St George, they won't stop him often.

 

[Fast Eddie]

We pretty much never go more than two passes wide max unless we are in the oppositions 20 yet all I've read is how we are much more enjoyable to watch this year and play much more expansively under McClenna rather than Cleary. If we did we wouldn't have only been up 10-0 at halftime

 

[TheDMC]

Its pretty predictable stuff. Would love to see some Manly style: get it to the outsides early which a) often means good meters made and backtracking defence b) quite often line breaks c) decompresses the defense for easier gains up middle and on fringes.

And the Bulldogs short interpassing between the forwards would be nice...

Apart from Johnson spinning some magic we are very dull. Yes, we do nearly always manage to get 40-45meters from our Manu/Tupou/Brown etc combo but at the same time we negate opportunities...

And what the hell has happened to Mateo this year? He was our point of difference in 2011 with his offloads to Maloney and Locke...and he doesn't do diddly now.

This dull style would grind out many more victories if we could defend, but we can't so may as well be a little more flamboyant.

Hope we come good....keep thinking we are/will but still plenty of doubt. Really thought we were going to beat the tigs and then as Mannering said we went soft. Good weekend ruiner that was.

While I'm berking away, Issac Luke is playing fantastic football and glad to see his grub phase was short-lived. Reckon he is easily the second best hooker out there, completely different style to Grubmaster Smith who wiser heads deem number 1 (but I'd rather Luke anyday).

Over and out.

 

[vvvrulz]

We didn't put on enough points in the first half, 10-0 is not enough given how dominant we were. The Tigers only got their attack together for about 20 mins and were rubbish apart from that, we need to put those sorts of teams away.

Definitely agree on Mateo doing nothing, he needs to start coming off the bench.

 

[_addict]

Just on Mateo, he did as much as any other forward out there. We all have the expectation that he's going to be an attacking weapon with the footwork and offload. From what I saw the footwork was there. For an offload to be effective it needs one player who makes the pass and one more to receive it. Where was the receiver all game? Are we missing a hole runner like Locke?

 

[Meth]

I would rather have Mateo coming off the bench and Taylor playing at 13 until Luck is ready- but shifting Taylor out wide seems to be some sort of attempt to tighten up the defense out wide.

 

[WarriorDefence]

Manu has uncommon speed for his size combined with power beyond probably any other winger in the game. I'd still rather see this point of difference being utilized better by those around him, Johnson & Maloney in particular, as opposed to switching him into the forwards where he'll mostly be matching up against guys his own size all game

Not necessarily- if he was in the backrow he would get a chance to run at the oppositions halves if used well and that's a contest he's gonna win 9 times outta 10.
At the moment the opposition are sending down their biggest forwards in their kick chasers who all compress in and have the chance to line him up- they would have no such luxury in general play.
Also, off a quick play the ball from Sammy or mutts or running wider off a pivot teams wouldn't be able to committ the same numbers to him.

 

[WarriorDefence]

Manu has uncommon speed for his size combined with power beyond probably any other winger in the game. I'd still rather see this point of difference being utilized better by those around him, Johnson & Maloney in particular, as opposed to switching him into the forwards where he'll mostly be matching up against guys his own size all game

Not necessarily- if he was in the backrow he would get a chance to run at the oppositions halves if used well and that's a contest he's gonna win 9 times outta 10.
At the moment the opposition are sending down their biggest forwards in their kick chasers who all compress in and have the chance to line him up- they would have no such luxury in general play.
Also, off a quick play the ball from Sammy or mutts or running wider off a pivot teams wouldn't be able to committ the same numbers to him.

 

[ozenzud]

Dropping Manu on two mistakes is ludicrous.

Unfortunately, playing winger or fullback is a lonely place sometimes. If you make a mistake, you are the last line of defence and it is out there to see. If a prop misses a tackle or drops a ball, it never appears so bad as the one on one misses at the back.

Manu did a number of things right on Friday and two bad things that led to tries. Far more positives than negatives and he will contribute more in a season to our wins than our losses. His attitude of not freaking out when he makes a mistake means its just plan stupid to send him to the Vulcans. What point would it serve? He wouldn't learn anything there and wouldn't get confidence back.

Locke and Billy Slater make plenty of errors too. Slater has made heaps, but whos just about the first bloke picked when they talk about the Australian team?

Enjoy his many positives and live with his negatives.

 

[vvvrulz]

Dropping Manu on two mistakes is ludicrous.

We dropped Inu on one mistake.

 

[God-King Dean]

It could have 2 effects.

1. Give the whole side a huge wake-up call.
2. Turn the team against McClennan.

 

[Wheeled Warrior]

Dropping Manu on two mistakes is ludicrous.

Unfortunately, playing winger or fullback is a lonely place sometimes. If you make a mistake, you are the last line of defence and it is out there to see. If a prop misses a tackle or drops a ball, it never appears so bad as the one on one misses at the back.

Manu did a number of things right on Friday and two bad things that led to tries. Far more positives than negatives and he will contribute more in a season to our wins than our losses. His attitude of not freaking out when he makes a mistake means its just plan stupid to send him to the Vulcans.

So Manu gets better treatment than Inu because he's good old Manu? Bro hippocrite much? Man this Manu love is gross LOL.

My love for Maloney (Him and Inu being my favs) doesn't even go that far :lol:, he was pretty ordinary and should be at the Vulcans alongside with Manu if the coaches word is true about being consistant and picking players on their form not REPUTATION then this is a fine example for the coach to act on it.

Yes we know he won't drop Manu and Inu won't see any 1st grade until he saves us again. Inu has way less mistakes in his game compared to Manu and is one of the better one on one defenders in our line. Not bad traits to have for a so-called happy up in the air fella (Oh that reminds me he's the best in the air but hey what do I know?)

 

[Meth]

We dropped Inu on one mistake.

Ludicrously