Toovey bemused by NRL scheduling

Your examples don't disprove what I said. Re-read it. I said the players would prefer to be close to home when they're young. Key word being "young". You're referring to players who've had enough time to adjust to their new location. All you've done is prove that players can adjust to life away from home if they're given enough time. It doesn't mean they wouldn't have preferred to play closer to home when they entered first-grade. Neither does it prove that their parents, siblings and friends are happy about them living interstate. If you really believe what you're saying then you'll be an advocate for a draft system to enter the NRL. You won't care if born-and-bred Parramatta juniors are forced to go play for the WA Reds u-20's when they're brought into the competition. "Manly allowed the Stewart brothers to stay together your argument is flawed." Since when is Illawarra based in Queensland? Re-read my comment. I was speaking about Queenslanders.

BA sports Completely irrelevant to this conversation. What is the difference between the team playing Monday night playing at 2PM Sunday instead of saturday night subject to other constraints?? In the Manly case the reason the Titans were on saturday night was to be in opposition to the GC Suns. As far as requests from Fox, Saturday night or 2PM Sunday is no difference worthless to them as far as ratings go..

My name is Mark and I am and Eagles tragic/addict. Step one done. Queensland's Game is Rugby League (Please get a shorter name). I understand why there are Monday night games are played but personally I would like to see the AMCO Cup come back. We can all dream. Lets face it if Manly was a horse you would have had it tested for a banned substance. I am the worst cynic in the world I reckon Manly thought they had this game. They had 3 players coincidently that were marginal to play were 50/50 chances. I think Manly thought we will rest them, make sure there fit for the NRL also making sure by not playing them on Saturday they won't get selected for Australia/NZ guaranteed. Thus giving them and extra 2 weeks weeks to recover. Call me a cynic. I think a lot of marqee players have been coming back early eg Hayne & Campese not always a sucess. I think Manly lossed cause they play like bastard's and they underestimated their opponent which has on paper a very reasonable team.

Oikee Toovey has more in his left testicle than you. Do your research ... He could get a real job.

Balin run's a business on the Northern Beaches and loves it there. Manly allowed the Stewart brothers to stay together your argument is flawed. Foran look who he is playing with that is right his brother Liam. QLD the Smart State LOL remember that one. They got rid of that quick for a reason.

The players care. So do their families. They would prefer to stay close to their friends and family when they're young. It's hard for them to do that when there's only 3 NRL clubs in Queensland.

The draw is drawn up to maximise ratings in Sydney and Brisbane. The Broncos just happen to be the highest drawing team in south-east Queensland. No other team comes close. The irony is NSW has itself to blame for the Broncos having such a huge advantage. The NSWRL, ARL and NRL haven't done much for rugby league in Brisbane. The ARL killed off the Crushers and Chargers. The latter club were one of the few that were making a profit. The ARL did it to save as many Sydney teams as they could. Ex-NSW rugby league players and Blues fans are trying to kill off the Brisbane/Ipswich bids. If you really want the Broncos to lose their advantage then get rid of a Sydney team, or two, and put Ipswich and Brisbane 2 into the competition.

Manly had the opportunity to play the teams who finished 13th, 14th and 16th last season in the first seven rounds... That sounds like a pretty good schedule . Oh they lost to all three teams....

I don't agree regarding the unfair treatment of Manly because plenty of other teams have had short turnarounds. I will agree regarding the advantage to the Broncos though....8 FTA friday night games in a row is an advantage both on and off the field. I'm sick of watching them every friday night it's become boring.....Where are the storm and sharks games??

Manly got 2 9 day turnarounds because they had 2 5 day ones - ding!!!!!

Who cares where they originally hail from? Ballin aside, Manly has nursed these players along since they were teenagers. Broncos could have had DCE but you didn't want him. Tough luck! Manly is winning premierships that is what counts.

Exactly so all is not equal. The draw is loaded to heavily favour the Broncos.

Oikee, I dont like Manly anymore than you do, but think Toovey might have a point. Its hardly fair scheduling. Having a crack at Toovey and Manly is not really answering the issue, just having a cheap shot.

I'd like to know how they go from flogging the Panthers 30-0 to losing to the Titans 26-14. I think the Monday night factor played a role. Teams often play poorly after a Monday night game.\ Manly have lost a couple of games this year that no one thought they would lose.

Maybe he should be more focussed on how his team lost easily to a genuine wooden spoon contender...

All teams play Monday night football. Some play it more than others.

"Manly has won two grand finals since your last premiership Oikee so I’d argue they are travelling along nicely" 1. Brett Stewart (Illawarra) 6. Kieran Foran (New Zealander) 7. Daly Cherry-Evans (Mackay) 9. Matt Ballin (Narango, QLD) That's the spine of the Sea Eagles. Not one local junior amongst them. Take them out of the team and they wouldn't be too successful. "Broncos get big crowds because you have a monopoly over Brisbane, a big city with 2 million people. Bring in some extra Brisbane teams & we’ll see how that effects the miniature ponies." You can blame Sydney for that. They're the ones who reckon Brisbane isn't big enough for two teams.

Titans belt Manly and he blames the Broncos....now I've heard everything. Does he relies how ridiculous that sounds.

Interesting times ahead with the new quality provisions of the anti siphoning list, which may see an end to the Broncos Friday night monopoly. Basically the decision as to what gets shown on FTA will be a matter for the Minister of Communications, not necessarily the winning FTA bidder (although with the current Minister in the pockets of FTA networks - who knows)?

They may not have had lights or much money, but they still murdered every other team in the game, including the cheating storms in a record breaking win.. and last year has nothing to do with now, im sure someone else was winging about it to, but didnt have the guts to say it so anyone, because they knew manly was goung to win no matter what.