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Let me tell you why people don't like Manly

Roar Rookie
13th May, 2013
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The bittersweet realisation that a grand final win can only be followed by a slide down the ladder. (AAP Image/Dean Lewins)
Roar Rookie
13th May, 2013
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5318 Reads

In the NRL, there has been no team hated more than the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles Rugby League club and that includes the salary cap cheating Melbourne Storm.

Media outlets love to knock the Eagles.

This article will provide six reasons as to why there a hate culture surrounding the boys from Brookie.

1. We are Manly and we can buy you
In the 1980s the Boys from Brookie had a massive bank account and they splashed their money around buying the best players they could find.

Most clubs struggled to keep up with the financial better offs, relying on community support and the classic raffles, but when the Sea Eagles raided the Magpies, they earned the nickname the Silvertails.

They also had bought up a storm in the 1970s when they raided the North Sydney Bears and took their best players.

2. Sorry, how do you count again?
Greg Hartley. Ask your father, grandfather, rugby league historian or any old player and they can tell you who this man is. This controversial referee was appointed to officiate the Manly-Parramatta Eels semi-final replay in 1978.

Hartley messed up his tackle counts seven times – with six of these tackle counts going the way of Manly. In the same match, Hartley sent off Ray Price and at the judiciary, Price wasn’t even suspended.

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There were a lot of questions asked at the time and some remain suspicious to this day.

3. Putting the Bears down
Not only did they raid the Bears of some of their best players; they also managed to kill the club off.

Fans blamed the Eagles for the death of the club when the doomed two-year merger ended and not only did the competition lose a team, many fans lost their second favourite team.

4. David Gallop takes on Manly
Former NRL CEO David Gallop suspended star fullback Brett Stewart from the first few rounds of competition in 2009 after the New South Wales Origin representative faced a sexual assault charge.

He would eventually be acquitted but there was never reconciliation with Gallop or the Eagles. At the conclusion of the 2011 NRL grand final, Brett Stewart confronted David Gallop in a heated exchange on stage.

Constant complaining has continued throughout the years and fans are sick of it.

Many neutrals believe that the suspension was just and fair as at the time he was the face of the NRL and had put the game into disrepute with his drunken antics.

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5. Mr. “I break my neck every game” Matai
The name Steve Matai is enough for some people to become instantly frustrated. Already in 2013 Matai has been suspended for a high shot on Rabbitohs prop George Burgess.

He has had more trips to the judiciary than most of his team mates combined.

Many forum goers, critics of Manly and general fans believe that every time Matai misses a tackle he goes down hurt, true or not, is enough to frustrate more people.

6. Richie Fa’aoso and grubby tactics
In the Round 7 clash between Manly and the Rabbitohs, Silvertail enforcer Richie Fa’aso dropped Greg Inglis and on his head not once, but twice.

People believe that this was in fact a tactic employed by coach Toovey to put Inglis off his game. He received rough treatment all night.

Brett Stewart also hung his elbow out clipping Andrew Evringham in the jaw and Steve Matai causing a brawl after high shotting Geogre Burgess.

This game was fiery and news outlets wrote for days about the thuggery shown on the field by the boys from Brookie.

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Richie would receive an 8-week suspension, Matai would take one week off and Brett Stewart would unjustly miss no games through charge loading.

And to cap off all of this, no one was sent off. Was Hartley back you reckon?

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