For one moment, turn the rugby league clock back to 1978 when Roy Masters came from virtual obscurity to be head coach of the Western Suburbs Magpies.
The school teacher coached Tamworth High to a coveted University Shield, a state-wide competition, and in doing so, earned the coaching job for the inaugural 1972 Australian Schoolboys tour of Great Britain.
In 11 undefeated games, the team chalked up an astonishing 108 tries and conceded just one.
There was representative class of the future in that squad: Les Boyd (Nyngan High), Craig Young (Corrimal High), Ian Schubert (Wauchope High), Robert Finch (Maitland Boys High) and Royce Ayliffe from Keira High in Wollongong.
After minor roles with the Panthers, Masters coached the Magpies under 23s when Don Parish was head coach before taking over in 1978.
Masters always classed himself as a battler, and he linked well with the Magpies who felt the same.
But Masters had bigger fish to fry to prove his point, and came up with the ‘fibro’ team. To make his point more meaningful, he picked on the wealthiest club – Manly – and dubbed them the ‘silvertails’.
The ‘fibros’ and the ‘silvertails’ were born.
Manly supremo Ken Arthurson magnified the tag when he pinched three of the Magpies’ best: Les Boyd, John Dorahy, and Ray Brown, taking them to Manly with hefty pay packets Wests couldn’t possibly afford.
Now Masters’ disdain turned into genuine hatred from Wests players, administrators and fans. Fans were furious with the Sea Eagles for ripping into a club that spawned rugby league greats like Vic Hey, Keith Holman, Arthur Summons, Noel Kelly, Harry Wells, Peter Dimond and Kel O’Shea.
Arthurson didn’t mind the repercussions, he used the powers at his disposal and won the battle.
What started out as a Masters masterstroke had turned into virtually universal hatred of Manly that holds good today.
Come Friday, Manly will have to overcome their dislike of the NRL for denying them the home game they deserve, to beat South Sydney. They are forced to play at Allianz Stadium, just a few minutes from their opponents’ Redfern base.
The makeup of that crowd will be mainly Souths supporters, a fair smattering of the Manly faithful, and the remainder will be rugby league fans who simply want to see Manly beaten.
And Manly will be doing it tough.
They won’t have Glenn Stewart with an ankle injury, nor Matt Ballin with a fractured fibula, nor James Buhrer with a ruptured cruciate.
All those facts just make Manly tougher to beat. But they thrive on the hate, and the underdog status.
Just look at how the seasiders have fared under the watchful eyes of Des Hasler and Geoff Toovey, both steeped in Manly culture and both representative half-backs.
Hasler was coach from 2004 to 2011.
He made the 2007 grand final to be beaten by Melbourne 34-8 before Melbourne was stripped of the title for salary cap rorting.
In 2008, Manly won the grand final 40-nil over Melbourne, and won again in 2011, beating the Warriors 24-10 in the decider. Toovey took over in 2012, and only had to wait a year before he made the grand final, to be beaten last year by the Roosters 26-18
Now it’s all on again, and you can bet Manly will be tough to beat.
And even though they won’t say it, Manly will be forever grateful to Roy Masters – they fly high when they are hated.
Razza
Guest
"GO THE EAGLES"
Rod
Guest
I would have Jamie Lyon over Terry Hill every day of the week.
Johnno
Guest
Oops one change. Forgot. Dale Shearer,comes in onto the wing for Hoppa.
Johnno
Guest
And all together now Greatest Manly Side 1980-2014 1)Brett Stewart (just beats Matt Ridge) 2)Micheal O'Connor 3)Terry Hill 4)Steve Matai 5)Hoppa Snr (Sorry Jack Elsgood ladies lol) 6) Cliff Lyons 7)Geoff Toovey (c) 13)Nick Kosef 12)Steve Menzies 11)Noel Crusher Cleal 10)Ian Roberts 9)Max Krilich 8)Kevin Ward Bench: Spud Carroll,Les Boyd,Ben Kennedy,Des Hasler Coach: Des Hasler Unlucky to miss out: Fatty,Watmough,Daniel Gartner, Glen Stewart,Craig Inness, Ron Gibbs,Mal Cochrane,Kevin Iro,Tony Iro, Anthony Collela lol who was damn good by the way. Loved the big young winger in the 90's Anthony Hunter.
Johnno
Guest
lol AD
Pickett
Guest
Ian Barkley. Marty Gurr as well. Geez those were the days. Fulton ripped the heart out of Easts and it took over a decade for us to recover. Mind you our admin did nothing about it....played the fiddle while Rome burnt.
belroseeagle
Guest
never let the truth get in the way huh pokie profits in the 70s and 80s ???? and if anyone is making money from pokies have you been to ashfield west leagues they would have more pokies than all the pubs in manly and manly leagues put together manly went bust saving the ARL fact if manly went to super league no more ARL I don't mind the hate just the bull reasons the only reason people hate is because manly are good no one would care if we sucked no one complains about all the crap players manly have bought but they still go on about a couple of decent players we happened to get 90% hate manly out of envy that's it just admit it its ok
paul
Guest
Wt abt raping easts wn bozo the clown left cleal bousread mccabe dave brown ronny gibbs and a great young second rower david ramsay I think
paul
Guest
I luv jealous manly fans
Squirrel
Guest
Cliffy Lyons the greatest league player ever, should be an immortal, how could anyone not like Cliffy.( I'm an easts supporter, I'd laugh my head off if they beat Russell's Rabbits. The holly woods)
steveng
Guest
I never hated any of the teams and I go back to the late 50's as a kid when I was bread to support the Rabbits and I'm in my early 60's now, but I always admired the Dragons for their excellence in the 50's and 60's and the Eels for the Thornett brothers I always thought Wests were a rough bunch of bogans and Manly were always there trying and then they got Bobby Fulton and everything changed for them and that is when I started disliking them because Bobby would tear shreds out of Souths and win games when Manly didn't even look like winning them lol but now with Lyons who continually questions the referees and slows the game down Manly are a very hard team to like, but I do respect Bobby Fulton as he was a champion and one of the best and deserves to be an immortal of league. I can't understand why anyone would dislike Souths they are a tough hard working team and they don't whinge they don't question the referees so why? Maybe because they are too good and everyone sees what potential they have and they get threatened that this year they will really win the grand final. Go the Rabbits
The spectator
Guest
Long live sir badseed..
The spectator
Guest
Name the players in reserve grade or admit it is a myth!
john badseed
Guest
and how many of these players finished their career with a premiership they would have otherwise missed?
TahDan
Roar Guru
Nah, Manly will always be the true silvertales - they develop nothing and everything about them is petty and small minded.
Pickett
Guest
Nope. Last year was one of the greatest GF's I've seen. Only spoiled by Lyin Lyon's NIDA performance. Cheers Bruce
john badseed
Guest
If you weren't a legend Wicked Brucie I'd mention tin foil hats but why so bitter? Last year resting hard on your heart? I think it would help to get it off your chest.
Pickett
Guest
Cry me a river John Badbreath, Everyone of your premierships in the 70's had a pungent smell about them. '72 - Easts were robbed of a fair try and Manly's prop dropped the ball with a bigger bounce than a stockmarket rebound yet was awarded. Older Easts fans can never forget or forgive this injustice. '73 - Manly tried to bash the crap out of Cronulla in the most violent GF in history '76 - Parra scored 2 tries to 1 but ref's penalties to Eadie gave youse a suspect victory '78 - Incompetence of Greg Fartly giving you lot a try on the 7th tackle in one of the semi's got you into the GF. Oh and of course '96 when Ridge was tackled but illegally got up to run and score a try against St George. Nearly everyone of your GF victories have a bad smell about them.
Ret
Guest
In addition to ripping the heart out of the Maggies in the late 70s, Manly poached the late great Lurch O'Neill and Ray Branigan from Souths 1971 premiership winning side (which helped them win their very first GF in 1972). History repeated itself in 1990 when they bought Ian Roberts, Jim Sedaris and (I think) David Hoskings from Souths 1989 minor premiership winning team. This was pre salary cap, and Arko has been quoted as saying he'd do it all again (if possible). This was the reality of the haves and have nots of the era. I certainly don't hate Manly (well not anymore!) but observe their whining with some amusement. What comes around, goes around.
TahDan
Roar Guru
You gotta love Manly's whinging about the stadium ... carrying on like it only affects them. They weren't complaining when the same thing happened to both the Sharks and the Tigers over the past 6 years They really need to suck it up ... this is the same for any team whose home ground isn't a proper stadium. If Manly want to host a final, then build a ####ing stadium at brookvale. It's really that simple - the game is a billion dollar sport now, and playing a high profile finals match at a ground with only 3k actual seats is just plain dumb from a business standpoint.