Round 8 vs The Silvertails (Manly)

[maple_69]

Agree Kikau has been more rocks than diamonds the last 4 weeks. The first 4 was the best I’ve seen him play. Give him a week or two if he needs it.

Martin was our best tonight. He’s really come into some form the last 3 weeks. Crichtons defence was outstanding but no one else really stood out.

 

[Smug Panther]

We should not fight for anything above 700K. He is well below his best this year. I am wondering whether he is carrying some niggling injuries.

You can't have a spine like ours and pay overs or even market value for Kikau types. That's the cap working unfortunately

 

[kinghippo]

We should not fight for anything above 700K. He is well below his best this year. I am wondering whether he is carrying some niggling injuries.

I never want to see kikau playing against us. His minutes are way down and he is obviously being managed a bit. The broken finger makes sense, his game tonight was a bit overemphasised with 2 errors in 5 minutes.

 

[CCJohnC]

Bloody 'six again' when you don't know what they are for. Beginning to get too many in the game.

 

[age.s]

Decent performance. Felt like a few mid season games last year where we only clicked in patches, made a few too many errors, faced a fired up team and still didn't really look like losing.

Not really sure how to place us atm. I feel like the Roosters and Melbourne are melting these mid tier teams like we threaten to but lack the consistent fluency to do so. Probably not the end of the world. We know we have another gear and we only really have to start hitting it in September. Even at this level there's only a handful of teams that are going to go close.

Thought we did a really good job on Turbo. Crichton in particular did well when called on. In general our defense held on well despite it being the highest score we've conceded. Plenty to like as usual.

 

[betcats]

Only saw the last 20 minutes or so - Kikau looked out of sorts during that time and last week. Was he otherwise good today, and has he been this poor all year? (I haven't seen all our games.)

It was the second worst game of footy I’ve ever seen kiks play.

We should’ve scored 40 in the first half, the last couple weeks we haven’t been patient with the ball, to many all or nothing plays out wide.

 

[Original Name]

Only saw the last 20 minutes or so - Kikau looked out of sorts during that time and last week. Was he otherwise good today, and has he been this poor all year? (I haven't seen all our games.)

Started destructive until he hit Ponga's shoulder with his head and got up shaky. Hasn't been the same since then.

 

[hindy111]

I’m gonna be carved up for saying it, but we really are one really powerful front rower / middle short.

Watching our major competitors I am really concerned we are one top quality forward short of where we need to be.

Good spine and backs. There are better packs around.

 

[The_Frog]

Bloody 'six again' when you don't know what they are for. Beginning to get too many in the game.

There were too many in this game, especially in the first half.

 

[franklin2323]

Decent performance. Felt like a few mid season games last year where we only clicked in patches, made a few too many errors, faced a fired up team and still didn't really look like losing.

Not really sure how to place us atm. I feel like the Roosters and Melbourne are melting these mid tier teams like we threaten to but lack the consistent fluency to do so. Probably not the end of the world. We know we have another gear and we only really have to start hitting it in September. Even at this level there's only a handful of teams that are going to go close.

Thought we did a really good job on Turbo. Crichton in particular did well when called on. In general our defense held on well despite it being the highest score we've conceded. Plenty to like as usual.

We are going through the motions. It is like get bored and want tackle practice

 

[The_Frog]

Good spine and backs. There are better packs around.

Who? Storm maybe. Roosters at full strength which they're not. Broncos once or twice a season. Not too many others.

 

[maple_69]

I’d rather us throw the ball around and work up some chemistry on our plays against mid table teams than just suffocate them to death and then hope that our attack can somehow pull points out against fit and organised defences in the finals.

I wouldn’t mind Kikau starting a few games off the bench. Martin is killing it and Kik might have a better time coming on at the 30 minute mark.

 

[Old and Disgruntled]

I’m gonna be carved up for saying it, but we really are one really powerful front rower / middle short.

Watching our major competitors I am really concerned we are one top quality forward short of where we need to be.

Hopefully one of Smith, Tanner or Blacker take the next step up .We need a Matt Scott body type to compliment the rest of the forwards.

 

[Luke Bowden]

Solid Performance again, Cleary is on another level this year, he is easily the best 7 in the game at the moment.

To’o - beast, having such a great season.

Special mention to Critter and Staines, they looked so solid in defence, not what I really expected from these too, but man, that edge looked rock solid all night, Critter is IMO our best all round centre, please just leave him there Ivan.

 

[franklin2323]

Solid Performance again, Cleary is on another level this year, he is easily the best 7 in the game at the moment.

To’o - beast, having such a great season.

Special mention to Critter and Staines, they looked so solid in defence, not what I really expected from these too, but man, that edge looked rock solid all night, Critter is IMO our best all round centre, please just leave him there Ivan.

The right side has been solid all year

 

[Mr. Shaman]

You guys are very very good theres no doubting that, and you can only play the draw you’ve been dealt, but it’ll be interesting to see how you hold up when you get a run of tough opposition. You’ve had Manly x 2, Broncos, Dogs, Knights, and Cowboys so far. All shit teams. With a good win against a strong Melbourne team in there.

Fun fact - Manly have beaten more teams currently in the Top 8 than Penrith have.

 

[franklin2323]

You guys are very very good theres no doubting that, and you can only play the draw you’ve been dealt, but it’ll be interesting to see how you hold up when you get a run of tough opposition. You’ve had Manly x 2, Broncos, Dogs, Knights, and Cowboys so far. All shit teams. With a good win against a strong Melbourne team in there.

Fun fact - Manly have beaten more teams currently in the Top 8 than Penrith have.

Newcastle and Canberra going to shit have changed it.

When the draw was done it was mid range as far as difficulty. It changes if those in the logjam in the middle win.

 

[Westernised Panther]

You guys are very very good theres no doubting that, and you can only play the draw you’ve been dealt, but it’ll be interesting to see how you hold up when you get a run of tough opposition. You’ve had Manly x 2, Broncos, Dogs, Knights, and Cowboys so far. All shit teams. With a good win against a strong Melbourne team in there.

Fun fact - Manly have beaten more teams currently in the Top 8 than Penrith have.

Canberra were in the top 8 when we beat them.

Not our fault that they’ve dropped out since. Same with Newcastle.

You know you’re struggling when you have to change the positioning of the proverbial goal posts to suit the narrative as to why your team didn’t win.....

 

[age.s]

When 2/3s of the comp is arse you're going to have easy patches in any draw. It's just a numbers thing.

 

[Mr. Shaman]

Lol ain’t changing shit, I’ll be the first to tell you Manly is crap - and one of the main reasons we continue to lose is because we are... wait for it... crap.