I feel sorry for Geoff Toovey. There’s a sentence I never thought I’d say.
Like most rugby league fans I’ve had a long and intense hatred of Manly.
It’s in your DNA if you weren’t born on the northern beaches or have never camped on the hill at ‘Fortress Brookvale’ in your maroon and white.
It’s a throwback to the 1970s when Manly not only dominated the NSWRL competition with premiership success, but also a time when they could buy just about any player they wanted because they had the biggest chequebook in the game and were astutely administered by the highly regarded Ken Arthurson.
In simple terms, Manly were hated because they were too good.
When a nippy little halfback with blonde locks emerged on the scene in a mid-week tour match against Great Britain in 1988 it looked as though the local parish had lost a choirboy.
It didn’t take long before Geoff Toovey shot up the list of the ‘most hated’ list with rival supporters because he also was too good.
If you think modern day players Michael Ennis, Paul Gallen and James Graham are annoying because of their constant niggle and antagonistic antics towards referees, I suggest you find an old VHS tape of Geoff Toovey at his best. It’s no contest.
Fast forward a few years and with the strict enforcement of the salary cap, the failed merger of the Northern Eagles, the impact of poker machine taxes and smoking bans coming into place, and Manly were on the bones of their backside financially.
In 2004 the tax office was circling and the Sea Eagles were about to be put into insolvency – until a supporter used his superannuation to dig the club out of a hole.
Enter Des Hasler, who methodically rebuilt Manly and led them to a couple of grand final victories, while also successfully fuelling the siege mentality the Sea Eagles are famous for. However, in the salary cap era premierships always come at a price. In Manly’s case, it was several back-ended deals Hasler had done with the team’s stars in order to keep the playing group together long-term.
As is Hasler’s way, he had taken complete control of the club – much to management’s chagrin. This was all dumped in Toovey’s lap after Hasler exited to Canterbury following the club’s 2011 premiership season.
Officials only have themselves to blame. They could have put a stop to back-ended deals but didn’t and ultimately it blew up in Toovey’s face when he opted not re-sign club favourite Glen Stewart because of financial pressure. This, in turn, fractured the playing group, contributing to the departures of Anthony Watmough and Kieran Foran, and creating the Daly Cherry-Evans circus.
Toovey has done remarkably well given the circumstances of Hasler’s departure, the constant squabbles at boardroom level (which leaks like a sieve), and several changes in the ownership and management structure of the club.
With all this going on he’s managed to reach a grand final, preliminary final and semi-final in his three-and-a-half years at the helm, and quite frankly deserves better from a club that has been his life for the past 27 years.
Manly demand success, but it’s a tough school when you get sacked with a 57 per cent win rate as a coach.
Toovey will see the remainder of the 2015 season as a challenge and anyone prepared to write the Sea Eagles off as finals contenders just yet do so at their peril.
As much as I hate to say it.
Mark from SSC
Guest
Great overview mate, I have been a Die-Hard Manly fan for 50 years! I can remember Tooves playing and as Fatty has stated, "he would put his head where others wouldn't put their feet!" He was a "tough as nails". I heard the rumours and thought "no way they would do that" well they have and it is a disgrace! I cannot believe they would spear a coach with his record and commitment to the club, he has done an incredible job under ever changing circumstances, both from a player and board perspective. I have my fingers crossed we can rise for him and make the 8 and beyond, Your are a legend of the game and one of the best Manly has ever had Tooves, as a play and coach.
up in the north
Roar Rookie
Is that right. ! Can you explain the factor this zorba bloke plays in this mini series soap opera. As I remember it he used to be a celebrity of some sort, with something to do with rugby league, back in the day. I'm actually a bit intrigued as to how this whole sorry debacle has panned out, being a non Sydney resident I'm a bit behind the curve on the inner machinations of how you poor buggers got to this point. But there is always hope.
silvertailboy
Guest
You do know that Peters is married to Penn's sister?
Mike from Tari
Guest
At least the Referees & NRL will be relieved.
Jamieson Murphy
Roar Guru
It's going to be hilarious if Manly make the finals. They've had an incredibly disrupted year, with the Foran and DCE business, injuries to key player such as Foran, etc. Now they are starting to pull it together, yet Toovey gets the punt. Imagine punting a coach that takes you to the finals for one that is untested as a head coach?
up in the north
Roar Rookie
Well said birdy. We are indeed a weird mob. Kings bloody cross.
Birdy
Guest
I was bought up in that era when manly went out and simply bought premierships , and didn't their fans love it . I along with everyone else hated it and loved hating them. And Toovey , he was totally annoying , he actually started throwing his hands in the air at every play the ball , every challenge. It has since spread to every code. Watching manly play all you wanted to see was Toovey spread eagled on the ground. How could anyone that small be that tough? How could anyone that small rip and tear your team to pieces? That was really part of the experience , after the game all the talk was how tough he was and secretly everyone really would have loved him in their team. So now along with everyone else I would like to see manly make the 8 , just for that little sh#t that we all tried unsuccessfully to hate. Just an after thought on buying premierships , the dragons bought every player from every state , every country, every club and every code. They bought , with no salary cap restrictions, their long run of premierships and ironically , everybody loves them for it! Were a weird mob!
Magic Sponge
Guest
Barrett will be a shocker.
MAX
Guest
Very good round up, Ralph. Having resolved the weighty issue of pleasing the Penn's we can now watch Tooves be his own man again.
The Electronic Swagman
Guest
Excellent read. My feeling is that Toovey will go onto so some great things at another club or as a representative coach. He has acted with class throughout.
up in the north
Roar Rookie
Cheers Ralph good read. It's pretty hard to sit on the fence in this situation with Toovey, he's been massively slighted and didn't deserve the treatment.
eagleJack
Roar Guru
Nice read Ralph. Was Tooves really that niggly? He certainly got in the refs ear a fair bit. But he was on the receiving end of far more niggle than he dished out. Atleast that's how I remember it. I could be blinded :) Politics killed Tooves. The Penn's will be praying to every god imaginable that Barrett hits the ground running. His recruitment goes against everything that has brought the club a wealth of success over the years. If the Penn's are serious about their love for the club then they should be showing Peters the door as well. But that won't happen.
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
Geez, you could see how painful it has been for him in his eyes.
peeeko
Guest
obviously i dont know what has happened behind the scenes but he does seem hard done by.