Match Discussion: Round 6 vs Broncos @ Central Coast Stadium

[Mr_Knightside]

No doubt we have one of the best number 7's in the comp. But let's have a look who is the partner in the halves with these guys in terms of skill and what they can bring to big games compared to our Mann.

Where do we rank in terms of halves pairing?

Donkeys- Brodie Croft - Milford
Sharks - Chad Townsend - Johnson
Bulldogs - Lachlan Lewis - Foran
Cowboys - Jake Clifford - Drinkwater
Storm - Jahrome Hughes - Munster
Roosters - Kyle Flanagan - Keary
Titans - Jamal Fogarty - Taylor
Dragons - Adam Clune - Norman
Rabbitohs - Adam Reynolds - Walker
Warriors - Blake Green - Nikorima

Names on paper are deceptive though. Milford, Johnson, Taylor and Norman are all on around $1m per year and none of them has ever come close to delivering on that. Foran is injury prone and never gets through more than half a season. In terms of value for money I would rather have Mann on relatively low coin over any of those guys I mentioned above.

From that list of yours the standouts are Munster, Keary and Walker. All three are gun 5/8s but we’ve basically got a big money 5/8 at fullback anyway so I can’t see us spending $$$ on a big name 5/8 while we have both Pearce and Ponga in the side already. Mann will do for the moment, he’s certainly delivering on his pay packet right now.

 

[Knight Vision]

Names on paper are deceptive though. Milford, Johnson, Taylor and Norman are all on around $1m per year and none of them has ever come close to delivering on that. Foran is injury prone and never gets through more than half a season. In terms of value for money I would rather have Mann on relatively low coin over any of those guys I mentioned above.

From that list of yours the standouts are Munster, Keary and Walker. All three are gun 5/8s but we’ve basically got a big money 5/8 at fullback anyway so I can’t see us spending $$$ on a big name 5/8 while we have both Pearce and Ponga in the side already. Mann will do for the moment, he’s certainly delivering on his pay packet right now.

I agree with you. Do you think Mann can be the 5/8 that delivers a Premiership ?

Personally I like Mann as a player, he's the best 5/8 option we have right now He was 5/8 during last seasons run of form as well. I just wonder if his combination with Pearce is good enough or about his ability to step up for Pearce and to deliver us a Premiership

 

[Knight76]

I agree with you. Do you think Mann can be the 5/8 that delivers a Premiership ?

Personally I like Mann as a player, he's the best 5/8 option we have right now He was 5/8 during last seasons run of form as well. I just wonder if his combination with Pearce is good enough or about his ability to step up for Pearce and to deliver us a Premiership

Start of the year I would have said no, hell even a few games back I would have said no.

But his quick thinking kick last week under pressure to put Lee over, and again this week when facing the defensive line and had to make a quick play, put a grubber to the wing for a try makes me re-consider.

He is a dangerous ball runner but I always think he gets the idea to run the ball then runs out of passing option and kind of doesn't know what to do at the line.

I think with some more time there, if Pearce is doing his job and we have Ponga in form, with Barnett back we can challenge for a title this year. We have the forward pack to challenge any in the comp, in fact I think we have the best pack in the league after last night.

Klemmer looked quiet but still ran for 190, just overshadowed by Dsaf. Jsaf ran for 100+ also.

 

[Spot On]

Mann is playing out of his skin at 5/8. Was outstanding again last night.

 

[Burwood]

Why are people still hanging shit on Mann? He’s been one of our best in the season so far. O’Brien has him playing his role as a strong running 5/8 to perfection and that’s all he needs to do. He doesn’t need to do the job of a Munster or Keary and he shouldn’t be expected to. If the spine remains intact and do the the job they need to do, there’s no reason why Mann can’t be a premiership winning 5/8.

 

[Knight76]

Why are people still hanging shit on Mann? He’s been one of our best in the season so far. O’Brien has him playing his role as a strong running 5/8 to perfection and that’s all he needs to do. He doesn’t need to do the job of a Munster or Keary and he shouldn’t be expected to. If the spine remains intact and do the the job they need to do, there’s no reason why Mann can’t be a premiership winning 5/8.

Well I guess the question is can a team win the comp without a Munster or a Keary?

Having a half and 5/8 that can both create is a very important step towards a premiership I think, which is why I had a ? on Mann.

And sure we have Ponga but Roosters have Flannigan, Keary and Tedesco.

 

[Knight Vision]

Klemmer looked quiet but still ran for 190, just overshadowed by Dsaf. Jsaf ran for 100+ also

That's one thing I've noticed this season, Pearce , Klemmer and Ponga havent had to steal the show for us to win. Younger players like DSaf, JSaf, Sione, Best etc and older players like Mann have stood up a lot more than previous years.

 

[Yosh]

Thought Mann was starting to find his groove. Has the ability to pull a rabbit out of the hat once in a while and is elusive with thr ball. Seems to find half a gap quite often. Defensively has been sound also (which I think was the biggest problem with him last season).

 

[Knight Vision]

Thought Mann was starting to find his groove. Has the ability to pull a rabbit out of the hat once in a while and is elusive with thr ball. Seems to find half a gap quite often. Defensively has been sound also (which I think was the biggest problem with him last season).

last season he was playing with a painful chest injury when he should have been rested.

 

[Swarzey]

Why are people still hanging shit on Mann? He’s been one of our best in the season so far. O’Brien has him playing his role as a strong running 5/8 to perfection and that’s all he needs to do. He doesn’t need to do the job of a Munster or Keary and he shouldn’t be expected to. If the spine remains intact and do the the job they need to do, there’s no reason why Mann can’t be a premiership winning 5/8.

He's not even that great of a running 5/8 though. At no point when he has the ball does it look like he's going to burst through, he runs first but doesn't have the capacity to also use his running game to get his outside men into gaps. He doesn't draw defenders in because he can get tackled one on one with a bit of ease; he couldn't even break the Broncos defensive line last night with his running or put Fitz/Sione/Best/Shiba through gaps, against the second worst defence in the league.

Lacks the creativity to really excel. He's a stopgap solution until we sign or develop a player to fulfil that role.

 

[Frederick]

Why are people still hanging shit on Mann?

Because it's the cool thing to do apparently

 

[Frederick]

He's not even that great of a running 5/8 though. At no point when he has the ball does it look like he's going to burst through, he runs first but doesn't have the capacity to also use his running game to get his outside men into gaps. He doesn't draw defenders in because he can get tackled one on one with a bit of ease; he couldn't even break the Broncos defensive line last night with his running or put Fitz/Sione/Best/Shiba through gaps, against the second worst defence in the league.

Lacks the creativity to really excel. He's a stopgap solution until we sign or develop a player to fulfil that role.

90% of this is bullshit. While he may not be making clean breaks with every single run, or setting up tries with every single play, he is using his abilities to get the team on the front foot. He's a damaging runner in the way he somehow bends the line back or pokes himself between defenders to gain the ascendancy in the tackle and get a quick play the ball off.

Yes he's not creative, but he's not paid to be. He's paid to play what's in front of him and tackle what's in front of him

AoB said in the presser last night that he knew about Kurt's abilities from coaching him in Melbourne, and knew how hard he was for tacklers to contain. I think I'll trust his judgement over yours

 

[Frederick]

Just for shits and gigs, let's compare him to Munster, Brown and Wighton. It actually turns out that he's got more try assists than those three combined. Tackling, runs and metres gained up there. Line breaks, tackle breaks and offloads are down



Those stats certainly don't make him out to be the terrible player than so many claim he is.

But we all know stats aren't everything, they're only part of the picture.

The facts are we are 4-1-1 for the season, and are playing better than we have done in years, and Mann has been a big part of that.

 

[Walk On Home Boy]

I’d rather have Mitch than Nathan Cleary. Penrith’s entire attack strategy is pass it to Kikau and hope for the best.

I tend to agree. Cleary is nothing special.

 

[perverse]

Just for shits and gigs, let's compare him to Munster, Brown and Wighton. It actually turns out that he's got more try assists than those three combined. Tackling, runs and metres gained up there. Line breaks, tackle breaks and offloads are down

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Those stats certainly don't make him out to be the terrible player than so many claim he is.

But we all know stats aren't everything, they're only part of the picture.

The facts are we are 4-1-1 for the season, and are playing better than we have done in years, and Mann has been a big part of that.

Mann is performing well above my expectations of him as long as Pearce is on the field for sure. I think he's a fair way from taking the reigns in an emergency... but as a foil for Pearce and Ponga he's working out fine.

 

[Frederick]

Mann is performing well above my expectations of him as long as Pearce is on the field for sure. I think he's a fair way from taking the reigns in an emergency... but as a foil for Pearce and Ponga he's working out fine.

Uhhhhhh, did he not do exactly that in the Penrith game and snag us a point and almost victory??????

 

[perverse]

Uhhhhhh, did he not do exactly that in the Penrith game and snag us a point and almost victory??????

I thought he was bloody average in the Penrith game. That was a whole team effort. Id even go as far to say that if we had a competent half on the field in that game we win it.

 

[the seagull]

Weird game last night, slippery conditions due to heavy dew, ruck was messy with lots players lying in the ruck preventing quick play the ball. The donkeys seem to have confused defence with hitting hard, seem to be trying to prove how tough a pack they were instead of stopping oppositions attack. Referring average - why keep giving 6 again if 90 % of time it occurs on first tackle, better with penalty - seems like another token gesture from nrl.

 

[Walk On Home Boy]

I agree with you. Do you think Mann can be the 5/8 that delivers a Premiership ?

Personally I like Mann as a player, he's the best 5/8 option we have right now He was 5/8 during last seasons run of form as well. I just wonder if his combination with Pearce is good enough or about his ability to step up for Pearce and to deliver us a Premiership

We won a Premiership with Rudder so Mann will do nicely...if the rest of the spine does their job.

 

[EdLondon]

Well I guess the question is can a team win the comp without a Munster or a Keary?

Having a half and 5/8 that can both create is a very important step towards a premiership I think, which is why I had a ? on Mann.

And sure we have Ponga but Roosters have Flannigan, Keary and Tedesco.

We did it with Rudder. Had the immortal next to him though