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Some unwanted advice from an outsider on how to fix Manly

22nd September, 2014
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Manly begin their 2016 season facing the Bulldogs. (AAP Image/Action Photographics, Grant Trouville)
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22nd September, 2014
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With their season done and Mad Monday passed out in the corner without drama, it’s time to go against all of my instincts and try to help Manly to help themselves.

Yeah, I know, regular Sea Eagles people will bristle at advice being given from an outsider who couldn’t care less, and so they should. It’s like a Queenslander who provides unwanted opinion on contentious selection decisions for the Blues. I await the customary sock.

First things first, let’s address the elephant in the room.

Even though they finished second after 26 rounds, their season was a complete failure. This is an uncomfy jab to their royal solar plexes, but we all know it’s the truth and so do they. After years of onerous success, their standards are high, and this particular tilt for glory did not meet the pass mark.

Being bloody Manly, I would usually back them to brush off such a year and rebound in classy style by streaking the field in 2015 with their galaxy of beachside talent, but I reckon this prolonged period of Summer Bay-esque panto has caused irreparable fissures. It’s an internal shebang that can hold a candle to the Wests Tigers’ year of sensational scuttlebutt, and that’s saying something, because they were a dog’s breakfast that a homeless kelpie would send back to the kitchen.

Despite this, the predicament of the Eagles is not a complete catastrophe, and regretfully, I reckon they can sort it out over the summer and avoid the total bottom-out that many are praying for. They just need to kneecap sentiment by sending a few old troopers off in to the sunset, and then commence some category-five cuddling of Daly Cherry-Evans.

These troopers I’m referring to are fellas with a lot of local cred and long service leave, who at the same time are heinously expensive and increasingly disruptive. I don’t want to specifically name anyone except for Anthony Watmough, Steve Matai and the brothers Stewart.

Disclaimer: these are marvellous Manly men of the highest rank who possess premierships and battle scars that will be forever celebrated. Unfortunately though, they hate their paymasters.

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When you also factor in that they’ve got beef with a very valuable and much younger teammate, they’re costly and they’re long in the tooth, it just makes sense to give them a plaque and a free skinful on presentation night, and then say goodbye to internal turmoil and hello again to salary cap space and Cherry-Evans’ mojo.

That’s right, the Sea Eagles’ future as a premiership force hinges on the sulfur-crested playmaker and keeping him on the payroll. A good start with this is to throw money at him and make him feel like it’s safe again to come to work. No Stewarts and Watmough will help this.

Once the halfback is smiling again, then it’s time to get to work on convincing Kieran Foran to hang around too. Burn his recently-flirty phone, give him some of the pay you’ve saved on the departed and lock him in long term.

With Cherry-Evans and Foran on the books, now you’ve got a world-class halves combo that a new team can be constructed around over the next six to eight years. The club has the sturdy structures to give the right environment for growth, so just let the emerging resources and Geoff Toovey do the rest.

There’s enough there. Peter Hiku can play fullback. Add an inch to Jorge Tafua and teach him to catch. And you’ve still got Jamie Lyon to shine a guiding light and look after the ref badgering.

Then you’ve got Matt Ballin and Jamie Buhrer to return to a young pack that will eventually develop. Justin Horo is established, Tom Symonds and Brenton Lawrence are committed toilers, Josh Starling is budding and Jesse Sene-Lefao has proven in this finals campaign that he can be the business.

Okay, so it’s not a core to immediately threaten a premiership, but there’s enough there to build around a superstar halves combination, provided they can be retained. This will take money and harmony, which will come from some tough goodbyes that should happen this summer.

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Do this and Manly should avoid a disastrous grounding and remain in finals contention until the next memorable family feud comes around.

Sound alright, Eagles people? Too easy. Thank me later.

What’s the thoughts of the Roarers? Can Manly salvage anything from the emotional rubble and reload again with Stewart, Watmough et al still at the club? Maybe Cherry-Evans is the poison? Or perhaps it’s just time to flush the lot out?

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