Manly Sea Eagles in 2017: Off-season, what to look for, and prediction

Injuries more than anything else stuffed the Sea Eagles last year. They could have come close to the 8 if they had managed to keep most of their players on the field, even without Matai and Stewart. It is injuries that will place Manly below 10th this year, if they suffer as badly as 2016. The side they have this year is slightly better than the team they could have had on the field last year, even without Matai and Stewart. You are right The Barry that Manly at this stage are unlikely to be above the six sides you nominated. But I think they can certainly be above the rest. And with the core of players they now have, I suspect they will challenge for the 4 in 2018

The Barry has nailed it. Manly will finish somewhere from 8th to probably 14th. Obviously a lot is going to depend on injuries, but I think they will, more than likely, finish 9th or 10th. Green should help DCE around the ruck, but won't be enough to elevate them to the 8 I don't think. With the addition of Foran, the Warriors are almost a top 8 certainty too (although they are very good at proving people wrong who make this prediction). Manly are rebuilding and it will take a couple more years I think to get back. No one is denying the success that they have had in the past decade or so, but that doesn't mean they will improve dramatically this year.

Comparing Manly's 2017 squad to 2016 squad and saying "it's a better team, we should finish higher" isn't really the comparison that should be made. The comparison is who they can beat this year. I would only say that Manly are likely to finish ahead of the Knights, Tigers and Dragons. I don't think they can finish ahead of the Storm, Raiders, Sharks, Panthers, Roosters, Cowboys. That puts them in a range of 7th to 13th for mine with a big group of teams whose fate will be determined by how well they gel together, how badly they're affected by injuries and how well they cope with them. If Manly have a bad run and the Dragons and Tigers travel well it's not out of this world that they'll finish 15th. That's not a dig at the Eagles - that's the nature of the comp this year.

Cant agree with you Billy. For Manly to be 12-14 they would have to have as bad a season as last year with the excessive injuries and players playing out of position. 12-14 to me is not realistic when you compare the teams taking into consideration the injuries. If I was optimistic I'd have Manly in the top 4

I like your optimism but I don't necessarily share it - but that's what this is all about isn't it? Opinion. The fact that I don't support the team is a part of the reason I don't share your optimism but if all cylinders can fire I could share your sentiments, but as I said, 12-14 is probably realistic, 7-8 optimistic but anywhere in that range is highly likely. Looking forward to Rd 1 though....

Its a point I tried to make, billyg. Yes, most commentators do see Manly dropping in quality a little this year. But as pointed out that was because they have lost Lyon, Stewart and Matai...and Buhrer was a bad loss also. But the three stars offered little to Manly last year, two injured for half the year and more, so having Green, Kelly and Tom T. in those positions, all young and talented, shows they will be better off than in 2016. Its also not indicated by those 'experts' time and again, that Manly had the worst injury toll of any club and had many of their best players on the side lines for half the season. You cant win with half a reserve grade side, especially when your reserves are very average at best. Blacktown Workers team will be top 4 this year, and therefore Manly will have much more solid reserves to add to an improved Forward pack. What is noted from the 'experts' is that they dont really have a good knowledge of the squads they are assessing. They base their opinions on last years efforts and any major player losses and star player gains. They seem to overlook the meat and vegetables of a squad, and that's why they get their assessments so wrong. For example most picked Manly last year in the 4. Most astute Manly supporters picked them outside of the 8. This year its generally considered that a 7-8 finish is most likely as long as injuries dont hurt too much.

so both you guys are saying that the quality of the recruitment is better than the quality of personnel that have left over the last season? Most observers would be of the opinion that the overall quality of the squad from 2016 to 2017 has diminished, but the teams supporters expect that the 2017 results will be better than 2016. Historical success is but one indicator of future success, its not a guarantee. The last decade for both the Storm and Manly have been as a result of once in a generation type of player - the Storm have been blessed to have Cronk, Smith and Slater to base their team around for that decade or longer, while Manly have had the Stewarts, Lyon, Matai, Watmough and to a lesser extent, Foran and DCE, Storm should come back to the pack in the next year or two, whilst its now for Manly. Rebuilding after such a long period of success doesn't happen overnight, especially when a number of the departures hadn't been planned for or anticipated. Good luck though.

Yawn zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!!!!! Year in, year out Manly is written off yet they come back & will continue to do so! Manly & Melbourne....the 2 most successful teams of the past decade & THAT'S A FACT JACK!

Well if the 9s is not an indicator then the World Club Challenge shows the Sharks are in for an abysmal year......... back to where they usually finish.....the bottom 8 mate!

Mate you should get over yourself lolol. It's taken the Sharks half a century to win a premiership & suddenly you rubbish the Sea Eagles & make out like the Sharks are world beaters....oh yeah what was the score in the World Club Challenge?? Melbourne & Manly are arguably the 2 best teams of the past decade.........what have the Sharks achieved?? One premiership lololol.

Yawn. The reason Manly supporters have a 'half glass' full perspective is because Manly always rises back to the top. We know what the factors are that do that and we are seeing it again in the recent development. Now other teams may have problems with that in their backyard, but Sea Eagle supporters KNOW when their team is back on the rise.

well said manly can only go upwards from here

I, for one, am not surprised at Manly supporters "glass is nearly full" opinion of their team and the recruitment that has occurred over the off-season. Its in their DNA to talk it up - good on em. However, it must be said that the departures and arrivals do not net each other out in an way - the loss of Buhrer, Starling, Matai, Stewart, Lyon against Uate, Lane, Perrett, Sironen, Green etc ??? Perrett, Lane and Sironen are journeyman at best - all three struggled to get game time in teams that are much worse on paper than Manly. The fact that Perrett and Lane are regularly shopped around to other clubs should make you question either their ability, the dedication or their attitude. Throw in a winger who cant catch a ball, is half the pace he used to be and couldn't make it as a reserve to the reserve grade team. Green may be more than serviceable but time will tell if he reaches the heights he did at the Storm. Hastings has potential if he changes his attitude. If they make the 8, then it would be an exceptional year and everything went right, but when there are so many gambles on players, not all of them will come off and a finish of 12-14 is more realistic.

Problem with DCE is that he needs to deliver a million bucks of value to be a break even prospect. He can have a very good season of a 800k player but he's still not pulling his weight for the eagles. On that sort of money you really can't offer excuses like "I need a different halves partner".

Do the Titans have an outstanding backline? Yesterday it was Roberts at fullback, Don and Zilman on the wing, Olive and Davis in the centres and Elgey and Taylor in the halves. Obviously Hayne and Hurrell will slot in but the rest of the 3/4s are handy at best. I'm really excited about the Elgey / Taylor prospect but they're an untested combination and both entering their second season. They'll be good to watch but I don't think they're laydown miseres for the 8 at all. The Titans bandwagon is rolling...

Manly has won 8 premierships!! How many have the Sharks.........I'm sticking up for the club I support as do you for your club, however when I read things about Manly that people tend to dream up then I will have my say! Yes manly is just another club.....the views people have of Manly is like they're the only team that has poached players from other clubs or are arrogant or whatever but their clubs are different....yeah right. All clubs are the same, however as I said, I will stick up for mine!

Dean- Yes but No Totally agree that a world class half can make his halves partner look very good. Think of Foran, Cronk & Thurston and more importantly the success and reputation of their club half partners. In Cronks instance both Widdop and now Green have cashed in on this good fortune and conned Dragons and Manly into paying overs for mid tier talent. However you are missing my point regarding Corey Norman. DCE is missing Foran - you said so yourself. But at Parra Corey Norman was far superior than Mid Tier before Foran arrived and will continue to be after Foran has left. I agree with Foran next to him he is even better again but that's not my point. The point is that Norman is a superstar in his own right- Foran or not. DCE, Widdop, Morgan and Blake Green are at a few levels below. Norman would have played 3 to 4 years of origin if he was a blue. With the 2 players who have kept him out of the Qld team being DCE and in recent times Michael Morgan. Who coincidentally both had partners who were world class halves at club level at the time they made origin. Granted with Thurston next to him at Origin that Morgan hasn't let anybody down- I'd like to see him step up without Cronk or JT on the field before labelling him anything more than mid tier next to DCE, Widdop and Blake Green.

How many premierships manly won ? You think you are special and everyone hates you for it. Just another club

Inappropriate comment. Mods.

What is hilarious is how you manly supporters think everyone is envious of them You are just another club and I prefer manly over many others