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Manly’s lifetime patriarch Ken Arthurson would never have let Glenn Stewart, Anthony Watmough, Daly Cherry-Evans, nor Kieren Foran go.
Not under any circumstances.
The man they reverently call ‘Arko’ was a one-club player (1950-1952) and coach (1957-1961), and a top administrator for over two decades, eating, sleeping, and drinking Manly.
Arko shared his all-round talents and communication skills with everyone who pulled on a Sea Eagles jersey. He signed players on to stay, not to leave.
Current Manly supremo Scott Penn is no Arko, not by a long shot.
Glenn Stewart’s departure was the first act of stupidity. Not only did Penn oversee the punting of a high-quality forward who has played at the highest level, but he severed the strong family bond between Glenn and his equally-talented little brother, fullback Brett.
South Sydney now have Glenn, who has shown in just two NRL games what a gem he is.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, Penn was instrumental in packing teak-tough Watmough off to Parramatta, where the Eels have welcomed his proven talent with open arms.
Ah, but there was a reason behind getting rid of Stewart and Watmough – to loosen the purse-strings so Manly could retain crack halves Cherry-Evans and Foran. That’s turned out to be just as stupid as the first two, with Cherry-Evans off to the Titans, and Foran to join Watmough at Parramatta – both movements at the end of this season.
Human nature being what it is, and no matter how professional Cherry-Evans and Foran are, or will be, there’s a pall hanging over the club, still one of the most successful in the NRL.
And they will be again this season, despite the quadruple decimation.
Not possible? Oh yes it is, because of the Manly culture that was born on Ken Arthurson’s watch. Arko and his wife Barbara live on the Gold Coast, but the Arko culture is alive and well.
And the reason for that is current coach Geoff Toovey, who played well above his weight for as a halfback for Manly, NSW, and the Kangaroos.
After a disastrous start to the season – humiliated 42-12 by Parramatta, with Watmough having a big game, and the Eels scoring seven tries to two – the doomsayers were out in force.
Then Toovey stepped up to the plate in the second round with a 24-22 win over the mighty hard-to-beat Storm at Brookvale. The Brookvale faithful must have known – they turned up in droves, and will again on Friday night when Manly takes on the Bulldogs. The Dogs of course are coached by Des Hasler – another whom Penn let go, immediately after coaching Manly to the 2011 premiership.
Seeing Toovey hasn’t been consulted over losing four top players, all he has to do is ignore mahogany row, and concentrate on what he does best – winning rugby league games for Manly.
He’s the modern day Ken Arthurson, although I venture to say there’s none and Buckley’s of Geoff Toovey ever being on mahogany row.