Team v Manly

[Meth]

Dare we think about 3 in a row?

Top 8 even...

Sea Eagles are probably in similar shape to us at the moment, if not a little better. Lost to the Bunnies Friday night- before that they snuck past the Roosters and put away the Sharks. But this just isn't the ominous Manly team of old. Still dangerous out wide (where we are vulnerable)- but the pack is beatable and their spine is developing- 1- Stewart 6- Walker 7- Koroisau 9-Parcell

I reckon we could beat them.

Key issue is probably Leuluai/Robson. I am a bit of believer that a Robson sort of player can work alongside RTS and SJ- but he just isn't holding up his end, is he? I think Leuluai is due back? Does he come in or play NSW cup?

How are the injuries? I suppose Wright will be on standby

1- Tuivasa Sheck
2- Lolohea (would still like to see him closer to the action, but oh well)
3- Ayshford
4- Kata
5- Vatuvei
6- Johnson
7- Robson
8- Lillyman
9- Luke
10- Matulino
11- Mannering
12- Hoffman
13- Vete

Res- Tevaga, Lisone, Gubb, Hurrell

 

[Penrose_11]

Manu went off with injured hammy, so I guess they'll have to see how he pulls up. Was Kata placed on report for either of those tip tackles on Ferguson? I guess Hurrell and Wright would be 1st inline as direct replacements.

I actually don't like the idea of Hurrell on the bench. For me it's centre/wing or nothing. I'd rather we had a forward coming on to make an impact ie. Gavet, Sao. Selections will be interesting over next week or two once Thompson and Lane (possibly) come into the mix as well.

 

[Meth]

Yeah, I don't know about Hurrell on the bench either. I'm not sold on moving him out of the centres.

If Kata is out for whatever reason, then I'd like to see Hurrell get a run, but I suspect that they will probably persevere with this new direction they seem to have for him.

 

[Big Marn]

agree with the Hurrell sentiment. For various reasons (but seems to coincide with the Tupou broken jaw game) he is not the blockbusting player he used to be.

I would like a couple more props in our rotation so they dont get burnt out like last year when it comes to the sharp end of the season. Whether that is Sao, Gavet, Sipley, or even Lane, I dont really care. Just see the need for more props coming in when needed after a particularly tough game. Cappy needs to have the luxury of resting a prop when he needs to without worrying about the jump up from NSW cup level for a replacement.

The more props getting regular taste of NRL speed games the better. And errors are punished far more severely in NRL than NSW so these props that do come in need to be able to deal with speed and impact of collision. They wont get used to that if they sit in NSW cup all year and only get a call up when a player is injured or suspended.

 

[jaseg]

It was handy enough to have a back on the bench when Manu went off... and while (particularly) that dropped ball in the tackle was frustrating, Konny DID make an impact with his running when he came on (7 runs at more than 11 metres per run) - I daresay he'll get better with regular NRL too. Jazz is a backrower remember, didn't come up as a hooker, so carrying 2 props and a lock/hooker is probably fine in the era of 8 interchanges... and - even without Bodene - having 3 guys in the pack that can easily play the 80, plus every prop bar Gubb I'd back to play 60 minutes if required, and Matulino could maybe do 80 at a pinch.

Questions;

Will Manu be fit?

Will Kata be fit/not suspended?

If either is out, does Konny slot in to the backline, or Allwood/Fusitua/(sigh.. I know this will happen)Wright? And is the answer to where Konny fits contingent on Bodene's fitness?

When is TL back, and if not this week, has Hingano continued his form in NSW cup? Robson needs to get gone. Not just the drop balls / bad passes... he's cost us a try on his outside shoulder (at least one, sometimes more) EVERY GAME THIS EFFING YEAR. What the actual f***. I was vocal about not liking the signing from the start, but even I didn't expect him to be this crap.

 

[Blair]

It was handy enough to have a back on the bench when Manu went off... and while (particularly) that dropped ball in the tackle was frustrating, Konny DID make an impact with his running when he came on (7 runs at more than 11 metres per run) - I daresay he'll get better with regular NRL too...

Yep, and it was very hard for him to bust the line when he was treated by the opposition as a prop and had the main welcoming committee there to greet him. There was usually 2-3 defenders in the tackle. I want to see my man try and bust the line as a back, with only an opposition outside back in his way.

 

[Shaun Hewitt]

If Manu out, I'm guessing Wright would come up
If Kata out, Lolohea to centre and Wright to come up
Just what I think would happen.

I'd wait on pulling the trigger on Robson for another week or two. Think this week (or next) both Lino and Leuluai come back from injuries, give them a game first before plopping em in NRL. Wouldn't mind either being in front of dropsies.

Forwards is where it's interesting. Thompson deserves his spot, but who does he replace? Lane could come into equation as well as Sao. They said on the TV that Cappy rates Sao and wants to bring him into First Grade asap.

 

[TheDMC]

Ayshford going really well. Exactly what we needed in the centers.

 

[Marty]

Ayshford going really well. Exactly what we needed in the centers.

Exactly. He makes his tackles and he can both catch and pass the ball. I am not sure we are going to see much of a running game from him where he is breaking the line...but I don't think we need to. He is there to be solid, stable and consistent. I think thats what we are getting from him.

 

[sup42]

Dare we think about 3 in a row?

Top 8 even...

Sea Eagles are probably in similar shape to us at the moment, if not a little better. Lost to the Bunnies Friday night- before that they snuck past the Roosters and put away the Sharks. But this just isn't the ominous Manly team of old. Still dangerous out wide (where we are vulnerable)- but the pack is beatable and their spine is developing- 1- Stewart 6- Walker 7- Koroisau 9-Parcell

Did you get to see Manly's last game V Souths Meth ?

I did....I Always watch the team lined up to face the Warriors the following week....the Missus only lets me watch two games a round....so I chose oour next opponent.....have done since the year 1995....the good lady has stuck with me that long.

Manly...(after watching them) are red hot favorites to win this.

Watch the full game if you can folks...the highlights on sky are bollocks (same as the Warrior highlights....you could be forgiven for thinking the Warriors are the best team since sliced bread if you only had their highlights to go off).

Manly engineered more than forty tackles in the Rabbits redzone.....this is after conceding a sixteen nil scoreline.....can we imagine the score were Manly to have forty plus tackles in the Warriors redzone ?

Tapau shut Thom Burgess and Sam up....that's when Manly went up a gear.....Brett the Snake fullback fired them up in defence....they forced multiple turn overs from Souths with that classic Manly agressive line speed.

Koroisau started running and opened up souths D line with his stepping at will....they are a better side with him in there than they are with DCE.

I'm glad we get to face an opponent this week who arrive supremely confident that they know how to thrash us.

We need the test.

To my way of thinking...this game looms as the hardest of the entire season (based on Manly's desperation....historical confidence over us...and our relative weak points during our weakest part of a season proper).

 

[jaseg]

lol... Manly had all those tackles in the opposition 20m without scoring heaps because they had very little direction/creativity. Suggesting Koroisau is a better fit for them than DCE? Come on mate. Manly's backs (+Vave) were the real keys to getting them up the field, and that was mostly just through good running rather than anything actually created for them... the team dominated possession and position and engineered a total of... 0 try assists. In 80 minutes. They're crying out for a creative half. Walker could be it but needs time, Koroisau is a stop-gap with a running game.

I do think they'll be tough, but I obviously watched a very, very different game to you last Thursday.

Looking at what Tui did in the air 2-3 times yesterday I'd like to see us bombing Taufua quite a bit when we go to the air. Decent chance of an error (doesn't have the best record in the air), likely stops him taking the first hit up after the play, and forces Trbojevic to cross the field to take an early set run. Oh, and you don't have the better centre blocker on that side (Lyon). That edge in general looks much more likely to score than the other side. Need Luke to run like he did yesterday also to put Manly's pack on their heels and punish them through the middle. And maybe try to get someone (expendable) to agitate Taupau into doing something stupid.

 

[Penrose_11]

Kata charged with Grade 1 Dangerous Throw for the tackle on Freguson. He'll escape with no ban with early guilty plea. He has no previous loading points but will take 83 points into future games if he doesn't fight it. I can't see them fighting it to be honest. Looked pretty clear to me that he lifted above the horizontal.

 

[sup42]

lol... Manly had all those tackles in the opposition 20m without scoring heaps because they had very little direction/creativity. Suggesting Koroisau is a better fit for them than DCE? Come on mate. Manly's backs (+Vave) were the real keys to getting them up the field, and that was mostly just through good running rather than anything actually created for them... the team dominated possession and position and engineered a total of... 0 try assists. In 80 minutes. They're crying out for a creative half. Walker could be it but needs time, Koroisau is a stop-gap with a running game.

I do think they'll be tough, but I obviously watched a very, very different game to you last Thursday.

Looking at what Tui did in the air 2-3 times yesterday I'd like to see us bombing Taufua quite a bit when we go to the air. Decent chance of an error (doesn't have the best record in the air), likely stops him taking the first hit up after the play, and forces Trbojevic to cross the field to take an early set run. Oh, and you don't have the better centre blocker on that side (Lyon). That edge in general looks much more likely to score than the other side. Need Luke to run like he did yesterday also to put Manly's pack on their heels and punish them through the middle. And maybe try to get someone (expendable) to agitate Taupau into doing something stupid.

With DCE and Koroisau I was talking about what they have contributed so far this season.

Koroisau isn't even a real half.

The first fifteen minutes of that game are the reason Manly are out of the eight.

After that they put on sixty five minutes of quality defence....sharpen their teeth as it were.....gain some confidence....in time to play their patsies the Warriors (we are useless Vs them, almost as bad as the Dragons).

 

[SpaceMonkey]

agree with the Hurrell sentiment. For various reasons (but seems to coincide with the Tupou broken jaw game) he is not the blockbusting player he used to be.

I would like a couple more props in our rotation so they dont get burnt out like last year when it comes to the sharp end of the season. Whether that is Sao, Gavet, Sipley, or even Lane, I dont really care. Just see the need for more props coming in when needed after a particularly tough game. Cappy needs to have the luxury of resting a prop when he needs to without worrying about the jump up from NSW cup level for a replacement.

The more props getting regular taste of NRL speed games the better. And errors are punished far more severely in NRL than NSW so these props that do come in need to be able to deal with speed and impact of collision. They wont get used to that if they sit in NSW cup all year and only get a call up when a player is injured or suspended.

I think we're already doing that with the props. Gavet, Lisone, Vete and Gubb have all been given game time and I don;t think anyone has really been dropped on form. Bull and Mutts are our senior guys who will probably play every game unless injured or in serious need of a rest but the workload is being effectively shared around the next tier.

I'm happy with Konrad coming off the bench. It gives us backline cover but a guy who can be brought on as an impact player if he doesn't need to replace anyone who is injured. no reason he can't run wide in the centres on attacking plays either while he's on.

Jazz is a natural backrower as others have mentioned so he's doubly useful as an interchange forward and cover at hooker, as he proved in his debut.

I'm happy with the bench composition, on the proviso that they continue the rotation with the second string props.

Robson is probably the big question- if he doesn't improve his hands and keeps getting burnt on defence TL or Lino have to come into the mix at some point. I also think at some point we should look at Tui in the halves with Shaun- while theoretically they don't complement each other in the runner+organiser way, they both have a ton of talent and I don;t think we've ever really given them a go at playing together. It would put Shaun into the position of being the senior half and force him to shoulder the main tactical kicking responsibilities, as well as giving the opposition two dangerous runners to try to contain, which would take some of the pressure off Shaun as oppositions can't concentrate so exclusively on containing him.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Kata charged for the lifting tackle but only grade one and will escape suspension with an early plea. Might as well take the plea I reckon.

 

[Cold Roses]

Ayshford going really well. Exactly what we needed in the centers.

He's experienced enough to be able to form a good combination with his winger. In this case Lolohea. Communication seems to be his strong point according to people who have been to the games this year. They're really tightening up that side of the field. It's good to see.

 

[Meth]

http://m.nrl.com/warriors-name-leuluai-wright/tabid/10874/newsid/94532/default.aspx

Wright in, Vatuvei out.

TL on the extended bench

 

[Meth]

Lisone at 13

 

[WithTheDawn]

TL needs to move straight back into the halves, surely we can't carry Robson there anymore? Just too many errors and missed tackles.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Wright, WHY?

Surely Konrad to centre, Kata to wing is preferable. Where's Fusitua?