Roach leaves Manly for Tigers

[willvillain]

I agree, the Manly forward pack was respectable this year, and considerably below that next year. But it will still have some current and former rep players in it.

The Tigers pack is a shadow of what it was this year and last, and they were years in which the Tigers gameplay wasn't reliant on forward play at all. Skando has been the mainstay of the Tigers pack for years, and Laffranchi was your #1 this year. Fulton will return next year, which is good, but Gibbs, Heighington, Galloway, O'Hara, Payton etc....they are the ones who were all either injured or useless this year, and without the workload of Skando and Laffranchi...they need to step up a lot. Is Blocker the bloke to do that? Well considering his fantastic work with Jason King, Sam Harris (before you lot bought him haha), Luke Williamson etc....you've got a lot of praying to do.

Mind you, this is only a good situation for Manly if we recruit a new forwards coach. Blocker is (slightly) better than nothing.

 

[Balmain_Boy]

Oh, our pack is shyte, there's no denying that.

I just don't see the need for a shot about it at the end of your post. It makes you look like you resent Block's decision to leave.

 

[Balmain_Boy]

And BTW, does Blocker's work with Kite, Whatmough and Rose count for nought? Or is he only culpable for the forwards that underperform?

 

[willvillain]

It makes you look like you resent Block's decision to leave.

Far from it mate, I've been calling for it since the start of last year. Especially since he laughed and mocked Manly after a (very) heavy defeat.

I don't credit Blocker with Watmough's improvement. I give all that credit to BK, which is what Choc has said in interviews.

The only player who I have actually heard saying positive things about Blocker is George Rose - both Kite and Watmough, when asked about their improvements, have said that they were spurred on, taught by or inspired by BK

Rose on the other hand has said in more than one interview that Blocker has taken him under his wing and told him that he is at around the right playing weight - which I think is excellent, and Rose's improvement last year will easily be Blocker's most lasting legacy at this club.

 

[innsaneink]

We have Curtis Sironen, Rhys Jack, Liam Roach, Matt Ryan (son of Trevor) and Joel Brooks (son of Dave) all lining up in various grades next year so we're doing ok for second gen tigers

Add another younger Sirro, and a Jnr Pearce nephew, both in same age bracket to that lot Brook

 

[borat]

Your forwards didn't do to badly with him there.

Kite went from very average to representing his country

[edit] He played for NSW at the Dragons. We turned him into a rep player and Manly poached him, which is the usual course of events at Manly

 

[brook]

Add another younger Sirro, and a Jnr Pearce nephew, both in same age bracket to that lot Brook

Really? Good stuff, I didn't know Sirro had another boy

Theres an elias cousin floating around too but his last name is different so I can never remember who it is.

 

[morri (cWo)]

liam roach is a decent footballer. goes to holy cross

 

[Navjot]

:alcho: Good to see ya back blocker where you belong, as far away from silvertail city as possible.

 

[willvillain]

I've never seen a move which has made everyone as happy as this has!

From what I've seen the only person who has actually said he will be sad to see this decision so far is Jason King! We should've done this ages ago!

 

[Navjot]

I thought Jason King probably had his best season for you guys in 06 maybe .Ive read posts before 06 on him and most manly fans thought he was a liability.

 

[willvillain]

2005 he was diabolical. Played with injury the entire year and was essentially a wasted jersey.

When he started for Manly he looked like he had a world of potential, and did some excellent things in his first years with Manly.

This year he looked pretty good before City Origin. Then he got injured in that match, missed a month or so and sucked for ages after he came back. His form started to pick up towards the end of the year.

He's still nowhere near value for money, and he is a long way away from being what most clubs would consider the standard of a starting prop.

Hopefully he kicks on and stays injury free next year (hopefully) under the tutelage of a new forwards and defensive coach.