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Mastermind season review: Manly Sea Eagles

Roar Guru
1st October, 2014
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Geoff Toovey is at the centre of the issues at Manly (AAP Image/Paul Miller)
Roar Guru
1st October, 2014
11

If ever there was a perfect time for Geoff Toovey to call for an investigation into the Manly Sea Eagles, it’s now.

After finishing second on the ladder despite the internal dramas which threatened to rip the club apart, the Sea Eagles crashed out of the finals in straight sets.

Only the most fanatical Manly supporter would have entered this season confident that the club could add to recent titles won in 2008 and 2011, continuing a three-year trend of triumphing on Labour Eve.

Let’s now investigate what went right and wrong for the Sea Eagles in 2014.

Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
Final ladder position: second (16 wins, 8 losses, +103 differential)
After finals: fifth

What went right?
Once again the Sea Eagles showed why they are the most consistent side of the last decade when it comes to finals appearances, qualifying for September for the tenth consecutive year and finishing in the top four for the fourth year running.

For most of the second half of the season the club was on track to secure its first minor premiership since 1997, until a final-round loss to the Cowboys put paid to those hopes, instead having to settle for second.

This all came despite a spate of issues which threatened to derail the club, including the news that Glenn Stewart would leave for South Sydney at season’s end, as well as rumours of other players also wanting out.

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What went wrong?
In addition to Glenn Stewart announcing that he had signed with the Rabbitohs for next season, he was also struck down with an ankle injury in Round 8 which sidelined him for the rest of the season.

His absence, along with those of Jamie Buhrer and Matt Ballin towards the back end of the season conspired against the Sea Eagles, as they lost five of their last seven matches to end the year.

Best win: defeated the Sydney Roosters 8-0 at Allianz Stadium in Round 4
After copping five losses at the hands of the Roosters in 2013, the Sea Eagles were out to ensure their losing streak against the Tricolours didn’t balloon out to six.

The Sea Eagles may have ended their curse against their grand final nemesis from last season, but they didn’t do it in the most dominant fashion – instead holding out for an 8-0 win.

Daly Cherry-Evans, who was judged to be best afield in their loss in the decider last year, was also best for the Sea Eagles as they exacted some revenge for last October’s bitter loss.

It also came after his halves partner Kieran Foran suggested that Mitchell Pearce, the opposing halfback, would one day become the greatest halfback in the game, thus firing last year’s Clive Churchill Medallist up for the match.

Worst loss: lost to the Brisbane Broncos 36-10 at Suncorp Stadium in Round 12
The Sea Eagles suffered their heaviest defeat of the year when they went down to the Brisbane Broncos by 26 points in the Sunshine Capital the weekend after the first State of Origin match.

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The Sea Eagles had fallen behind 14-0 after 16 minutes and trailed 20-4 at halftime. They lost Cherry-Evans and Anthony Watmough to injury and the final score of 36-10 marked their worst defeat to the Queensland powerhouse since a 38-12 loss in 2005.

The future
With Glenn Stewart having departed, and Watmough possibly set to follow, the Sea Eagles face the prospect of a long-term rebuild after the longest unbroken streak of finals appearances in the NRL.

This stretch included four grand finals, of which the club won two, in their most successful period since the Northern Eagles merger disbanded in 2002. After so long, it appears that their time at the top could be coming to an end.

Jason King has announced his retirement, and there are also no notable signings for the club ahead of the 2015 season. It will be left to the ageing Jamie Lyon and the rest of the team skeleton to keep the team in premiership contention.

But the way I see it, the club could be headed for a slide down the ladder in the coming years, especially with so much experience set to leave.

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