Round 1 v Manly game thread

[bartman]

And De Gois... who's gone off?

Watmough and M'au are still there.

Moeroa's still there too, so our starting back row is in tact.

Presuming Watmough's moved to front row when Joseph Paulo came on, and Peats is having a break - Mannah and Lussick both off, and Gower not used yet?

 

[bartman]

Nice work by De Gois there.

 

[The Colonel]

Manly have had all the ball and only two points up.

Some scrambling defence and a poor call by the referee has hindered them. They are all over us like a cheap suit the left side....

Robinson and Champion need to stop shaking hands....

 

[bartman]

Should have passed it Chrissie!

 

[bartman]

Oh, great shift of play back across the other side of the park.

Semi in again! Should be a try, and a lead at the break .

 

[Poupou Escobar]

As soon as we get some ball we score.

 

[bartman]

Nice hands from Norman and M'au there, after Junior's offload.

Looking good - and not all sitting back in attack and waiting for "starboy" to decide whether he can be bothered to chime in .

 

[Parra Pride]

Robinson can kick from the left, but not the right.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Some scrambling defence and a poor call by the referee has hindered them. They are all over us like a cheap suit the left side....

Their right edge isn't looking too crash hot either.

 

[The Colonel]

As soon as we get some ball we score.

We are doing to them what they are doing to us.... It's going to be a matter of who can hold the ball longer. Ball control on our side is ordinary....

 

[The Colonel]

We finished the second half the better however that early defence may come back to haunt us.... Ball control is a must.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

We are dominating them physically - too fast, too strong. We just need to hang onto the pill and we'll put forty on them.

 

[Haynzy]

Liking the line speed, they just need to keep it tighter.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

We are doing to them what they are doing to us.... It's going to be a matter of who can hold the ball longer. Ball control on our side is ordinary....

Yep

 

[bartman]

Nice half.

Gave a few too many opportunities early (dropped ball, silly passes, penalties), but soaked up a hell of a lot of defence in our own quarter.

Look like we're able to make yards well in attack - De Gois speed late in the half, but also some good hit ups aross the width of the field. Also look good off the back of some momentum, able to create danger on either side of the field moving forward in attack.

Good job so far, by Arthur and the squad. Bodes well...

 

[offside ref]

If we keep our heads we can win this. Need to keep the ball and improved right side defensive effort

 

[Eelogical]

Fui didn't sign with the Centurions......he was eaten by Junior Paulo.

 

[The Colonel]

Stretched on the edges, particularly the left which is nothing strange at Parramatta.... Robinson joins a host of players who can't defend on our left. I would hope that it isn't for very long.

 

[Chipmunk]

We've had a good decent crack, physicality has been good. We've given them far too much ball in our area.

 

[Tooooks]

Manly 84% completions, 58% possession.
Eels 67% completions.

Hopefully the ball handling can only improve this half.