Rugby league has rarely witnessed such a fall from grace as we have seen with the Manly Sea Eagles this year.
To have finished the 2008 season in such emphatic style, thumping their bogey team the Melbourne Storm 40-0 in the Grand Final, and to now be faced with the reality of being one loss away from the last on the competition table is almost unimaginable.
But here we are, eight weeks into the competition and Manly are yet to wake up from their slumber as so many experts have predicted. Could it be that the sleeping giant of the Telstra Premiership may lay dormant indefinitely?
Despite what people are saying, the absence of Brett Stewart is not the only factor determining Manly’s dismal fortunes.
He is a great player, a sensational player. However, he alone was not the man who won the Premiership for them in 2008. It was the performances of seventeen men, combining like a well-oiled unit, that romped home to victory.
Des Hasler and his men must face the facts: the form of some of their star players are well below their best. The likes of Matt Orford, Glenn Hall, Glenn Stewart and Brent Kite and struggling to have the impact they had last year.
This, disturbingly, has not prevented some from gaining rep honours this year. But that’s another story.
The one man who should be holding his head high is Anthony Watmough.
Watching an Eagles match this year has looked like a one-man band at times, with Watmough charging the line with aggression and tackling like a man possessed.
If the Manly forwards follow his example, they might find themselves competing more often in matches.
So far, however, it is painfully clear the Eagles are low on confidence, and as a result, are being completely outgunned in most games.
Reckon you can pick the winning team? Build your own dream team with Draftstars daily fantasy and compete on any match. For great odds on the NRL head on over to PlayUp. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.
How many weeks are left until we stop caring about the NRL again? This is the golden period of the season, with every team…
The Raiders came back from a 20-6 half-time deficit, leading to polar opposite reactions in the coaches' box.
Canberra have pulled off one of the great comebacks to steal a 26-24 victory over Manly at 4 Pines Park with Hudson Young touching…
Nick Cotric had the home fans in a stir after this bit of gamesmanship with Manly star Tom Trbojevic.
Something tells us it won't dissuade him from going again... The Sea Eagles cult hero has won over plenty of Manly fans for his…
The Canberra second-rower was probably the last person tipped to throw this pass but did so to perfection.
