LIVE GAME Round 24 v Manly

Live Game Discussion
Sam had a strong case of second year syndrome over the first half of the year. He’s turned the corner the last 6-8 weeks.
I think Sam was injured a lot of the year and he looked a lot smaller than last year too so wouldn’t surprise me if he was struggling to adjust to different playing weight.

But he has come on strong the back half of the season so I’m glad about that.
 
Thoughts from the game...

We looked dominant after that first try. Real physical, three players in the tackle. The may and fainu brothers are so good because they're so physical. It makes such a difference.

Terrell May probably circles around and passed too much but he is fantastic. He was so strong in tackles today, was just doing what he wanted and now whenever he goes off I watch the clock to see how long left till ten minutes is up so he can come back on. I'm sure Marshall does the same. He sometimes looks slow but his defense is excellent and he loves the contact.

Sione has added so much on the edge. So much so that you have to keep him there. Having Fainus on both sides is really intimidating for teams.

Taylan again, so good defensively, hits hard in hit ups. Pay attention Toa, you've got a way to go yet.

When Latu comes on its really good to watch how he distributes. I still think he's going to be the best of the fainus.

Twal plays well in a winning side, would love to see him play so when on the back foot and work to change momentum.

But all that said doueihi was our best today. Organised well, kicked well, played on front foot. It's interesting that if you were picking a halfback between him and Galvin, Doueihi is just miles better. He's been a really good combination with luai.

Luai does a lot of his sidestepping stuff and I know some are critical, but he creates lots of space outside of him and just no one is running off of it. I've been surprised that luai hasn't sought to be the dominant half this year, giving control over to Galvin, Latu and now doueihi, but he does create a lot more than our team takes and we need to be better at reading him.

For Manly, brooks really stifled them with his constant short ball play. He sometimes had turbo running wide and seemingly with space and overlaps only for him to play the second rower instead. Always been frustrating that he can't read the game. Turbo looked really defeated behind the ruck. Remember that year he was buzzing all round the field and we couldn't touch him. Shell of his former self.

I think we played pretty well overall, DCE played at high speed and was very creative and they had speed out wide but our forward dominance always meant it felt comfortable. At halftime the only thing I felt doubtful about was the fact we didn't finish enough of our chances. Really good to be dominant for once.

Allianz felt a lot quieter than CommBank and Campbelltown (and Leichhardt obviously). It felt pretty dead there. I always felt the old SFS was a good venue even with a smaller crowd, so was a bit disappointed with the venue.
 
Im interested to hear from those also at the game about Api. Watching it there, I felt Api's service really has a negative effect on our attack. At times his passing is very clunky and not crisp. Also, his little fake and jink to engage the markers often puts too much pressure on our halves. There times when a dummy half needs to pass fast straight from the ground. He never does that, its always the little play to engage the markers. Juts occasionally he beeds to give fast service. Im sure it effects our edges.
 
Benji pretty much panned that idea in the presser. Speaking of which I absolutely loved how Luai spoke. That they talked during the week how important it is to get excited about finishing the season with some energy. Do it for the fans. He just gets it.
Yeah, me too. I’m still not sure about re-signing Toa , very injury prone and floats in and out of games. I have long term doubts about him coz I don’t think he has a strong ticker.
 
Stoked to get the Dub and rise up the ladder away from that damn spoon.....
However, they looked flat, walking onto the ball was really frustrating in attack... get deep and smash the line guys, RL 101. Dropped bombs and passes... Ugly as your Grandpas toenails....
Also left about 4 tries out there, which means we lap them like we should have.
Defensive effort cant fault that, solid.
Some work needed before the Cow pokes roll into town.

Agree with this. Our attack in the red zone was pedestrian and we were all way too flat. Everyone trying to be a halfback & nobody running onto the ball. We got it right for May’s try, a bit more depth, decoy runs & players running onto the ball at pace at the advantage line. We really should’ve put 40 on them. Hopefully we get it right for next weekend.
 
The way Sione has played on the edge gives us options and depth in a position we were short in. It’s only middle forwards were depth is still a big concern. Lock can be covered by Twal, Latu, A.D.
Just need more props.
Sione is a middle. If he runs an outside line he scores early. Cuts back in like a front rower and butchered a certain try. He’s a stud prop. KPP will fix our right edge back row.
 
I went to two games this weekend. Sharks v Titans and Tigers v Sea Eagles.

Great to see the boys playing hard for Benji. I believe Luai is a big reason for this.

However, watching the Sharks attack the edges they were so crisp and they did it time and again. We are way off in getting to that level, which is possibly not surprising given the disruptions to our halves this year. Something to work on in the offseason.
 
Really feel the game against Canterbury was a turning point for the club. Shower our potential.

I went into today confident we would win and we did.

We played great.

Brooks - I thought he was meant to be unleashed at Manly???? Didn’t unleash shit.

Turbo - start getting ready to transition to working full time for ifin Capital mate. He’s cooked.

DCE - done and dusted.
 
This can’t be how Daly Cherry-Evans pictured his time at Manly coming to an end. With the Sea Eagles’ finals hopes evaporating on a sunny Sunday afternoon at Allianz Stadium where the harder he tried, the worse it seemed to get.

When Cherry-Evans announced to the world earlier this year that this would be his last season at Manly, he hoped to go out in a blaze of glory.

On Sunday afternoon, any hope of that happening all but ended with one of the worst performances of the season. Cherry-Evans wasn’t alone in struggling but there were uncharacteristic errors and lapses in judgement from a footballer who has been at the top of the game for as long as anyone can remember.

Early in the game he threw a dummy and ran the ball when Jason Saab looked to have open pastures in front of him. Late in the game, he hit Ben Trbojevic with a short ball gave his teammate little chance and the ball went to ground.

It was one of those days in a season when those days have become more frequent than ever.

His form as dipped, he lost his Queensland jersey and there will be inevitable calls in coming weeks to follow the lead of Parramatta coach Jason Ryles and give someone else a chance.

Once the finals are mathematically out of reach, some would no doubt suggest Manly would be best served planning for the future given they have the prodigiously talent Joey Walsh in NSW Cup.

The Sea Eagles had the bye in reserve grade this week but Walsh has been starring on a regular basis. Surely it must be giving coach Anthony Seibold food for thought.

Cherry-Evans can see the finish line regardless. After full-time on Sunday, he spent time on the field with his wife and children but when the cameras crossed to the dressing sheds moments later, he cut a disconsolate figure.

Manly’s performance and his momentous decision to leave the club is clearly weighing on him. How else do you explain what he and the Sea Eagles served up on Sunday with so much at stake.

This week, he will play his 350th game for the club but what should be a celebration of a remarkable milestone threatens to become a wake as he and Manly reel from another disappointing defeat.

The 36-year-old is expected to join the Sydney Roosters next season but there have been suggestions that the club needs to rethink that decision and Sunday afternoon’s performance will do little to silence his critics.

Asked how he was handling the continual focus on his form and future – he and the Roosters are expected to confirm his signing at season’s end – Cherry-Evans was economical with his response.

“The best I can,” he replied.

Pressed on whether he was feeling a personal toll, Cherry-Evans was more expansive.

“I don’t know if toll’s the right word, but initially after the game and still right now, there’s a bit to process,” he said.

“You know you have been here for so long and like I said, been a part of the club for a long time, got a lot of love for this place.

“So definitely wanted to finish with a finals campaign. But yeah, that’s obviously looking really unlikely now. So just the realisation of that’s probably why I look so disappointed after the game.

“But as I’ve done throughout my career, I dust myself off and get ready for the next game.

“Just to be clear so I can differentiate – definitely not happy with us losing four in a row, especially today’s result.

“Like that’s obviously hit pretty hard and everything else to be honest with you, I’m doing the best I can and feeling like I can hold my head up.”

As difficult as Sunday’s result was to swallow, rugby league rolls on though. Cherry-Evans and Manly will need to lift their spirits for Saturday night’s visit of the Dolphins to 4 Pines Park.

At one point earlier this season when Cherry-Evans future was up for grabs, the Dolphins were mentioned as prospective suitors.

A penny for their thoughts now as they watch him struggle to find his best form.

A month ago Manly were in the finals mix after beating high-flying Melbourne but four straight losses and the pressure is mounting.

The finals look a lost cause.

“So that’s obviously what everyone wanted, not just me,” Cherry-Evans said.

“Everyone at the club wanted that. So it’s always tough when you work so hard and don’t get what you want.

“A couple of the boys said just then as we walked back in, we just couldn’t get the rub of the green, we just didn’t get the footy gods smiling on us today.

“So yeah, it’s disappointing but again we’ve got three games and I’d love to see us stop this four-game slide, get back in the winner’s circle and finish with some positives.”

- DT
 
I went to two games this weekend. Sharks v Titans and Tigers v Sea Eagles.

Great to see the boys playing hard for Benji. I believe Luai is a big reason for this.

However, watching the Sharks attack the edges they were so crisp and they did it time and again. We are way off in getting to that level, which is possibly not surprising given the disruptions to our halves this year. Something to work on in the offseason.
Im pretty sure they said during the call sharks have had the same spine since round 1.
Theyre really rocks and diamonds.

Agree on us in the 20...lots of passing everyones a halfback = frustrating
 

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