Is Manly set to hold disgruntled and battle weary Trent Barret to ransom on a matter of principle so they can start a rebuild halfway through season 2019?
After last season, nothing surprises me anymore.
With crowds at their unfashionable home venue registering worrying low levels, their worst ever ladder position and the unresolved coaching issue, the Sea Eagles will also move into 2019 shouldering $750,000 in fines and $330,000 lighter in the salary cap.
They have become the league’s standard joke. The once feared fortress of Brookvale Oval is no more and on-field results – including glaring match day fade outs – have had most pundits suggesting they be the league’s number one target for relocation.
Some have even called for their complete ejection from the NRL competition.
Despite possessing a capable roster which includes the supremely talented and staunch Trbojevic brothers and the ever resilient Daly Cherry-Evans, the tribulations of 2018 seem set to continue well into next season.
A lack of quality signings in recent times coupled with player unrest and an injury crisis highlighted a distinct lack of leadership and disconnect within the club during season 2018.
While most expected a siege mentality and a unified push back of the traditional Manly kind, the club merely limped toward season’s end.
It now appears the dramas will continue well into next season. This will be much to the joy of Manly haters, but belies the success the club has had in recent years.
Today the club described their current approach as “working to ensure the best continuity of business for its football department and playing group.”
Since the conclusion of Round 26, some 30 or or so days have passed. While clubs are conducting exciting processes in preparing and planning for 2019, the Sea Eagles power brokers have failed the playing group, the fans and the NRL.
Via their mismanagement and lack of transparency they continue to contribute to the demise of a once mighty club.
Brett
Roar Rookie
Just the coaching options that get thrown up in the media, not specifically newspapers and listening to Jake and DCE on an NRL podcast.
Tom G
Guest
Rugby League press? You mean highly credible individuals like Rothfield, Kent et al.? Oh please these guys are lame gossip columnists parading as journalists.
Brett
Roar Rookie
Press is referring to the media not posts.
Brett
Roar Rookie
I was referring to the negative press about the continuing coaching conundrum. I do see Des as a positive.
Tom G
Guest
Are you referring to your article? If so I agree, rock bottom in content and the flow of negativity endless!
Brett
Roar Rookie
Is there anything below rock bottom? The negative updates continue to flow.
WBGL
Guest
Sorry but Marty needs to go somewhere, not Manly. He may clock up the most run metres a game as a Manly forward, but he's the 20-minute man, that's as much as Manly get out of him a game. At times, more often than not, he's a lazy defender, more so as he gets tired during the brief periods he's on the field. Sironen is a great player, but injury prone so you wonder how long he's got, until the next injury . Barret should never have been picked as the coach for Manly and the results over the last 2 years is testimony to that, he lacks experience and skills to motivate the team effectively enough. Unfortunately, I'm not encouraged that 2019 will be much better than 2018, hopefully luck is on Manlys side as they will need it.
WGBL
Guest
Ute, was a good player in his early days, but he was terrible the last 2 years at Newcastle. If you remember, he admitted to being reinvigorated when he joined Manly and certainly showed it at times this year. A change is as good as a holiday.
Tom G
Guest
OK so It’s taking longer than anyone wanted but it’s a bit early to be calling curtains on one of the most successful clubs of the modern era. I would rather be in Manlys position with uncertainty than facing another year of Barrett or Parramatta’s with The certainty of yet another year with Arthur
Brett
Roar Rookie
Ok will what’s taking so long at Manly. Make a call or sign a nobody. Going back to my article, the coaching situation still remains a dilemma. Who would you like to see as Coach?
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
Nobodies emerge all the time from the coaching and playing ranks. Were Robinson , Seibold, Hasler, Green and Flannagan described as quality coaches when they were appointed? No , they had no real track record. If you consider a quality coach as someone who has won a title or won coach of the year then they are in plague proportions and waiting for the phone to ring.
Brett
Roar Rookie
If you see coming from the clouds as working as an assistant coach under people like Wayne Bennett and Craig Bellamy. Seibold was actually at Manly...one that got away perhaps. Who is this great nobody Manly have in their sights, or has he already signed as reported by the attendees of the members forum.
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
A lot of what is happening is not ideal at all but these so called quality coaches have less chance of success than a nobody as history has shown so why worry. Who wanted to coach Manly in the early and mid 2000's ? 'Quality' coaches went elsewhere and we got Hasler. Recent title winning coaches include Flannagan , Green and Robinson while super coaches like Bennett, Sheens, Macguire and Hasler ( after he became a super coach) have all been sacked. Seibold has come from the clouds also. Several clubs including the Sharks and the Bunnies were a terrible rabble not that long ago but they went on to win titles ahead of teams who have had everything go their way. The mass exodous of players at Manly which has been touted has been confined to one player so far in Shaun Lane so I wouldn't get too excited about the place falling into a heap any time soon.
Brett
Roar Rookie
How about team members on an NRL podcast stating they would have liked the coaching situation sorted out a bit quicker. Do you agree with that or happy to just let it drag out while quality coaches either knock them back or are signed elsewhere.
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
Negative fans on a forum luckily have zero bearing on what will happen over the next few years. Have a look at the Manly forum in the years leading up to 2007 and 8. Plenty of those involved in some dire seasons including the coach were bagged relentlessly for much of the time yet were key figures in future titles. Players like King and Matai as well as Glen Stewart and Hasler and others showed that many of these fans are just better off supporting the club instead of bagging it. Api K was bagged by the lynch mob a year or two back relentlessly and Brian Kelly also fairly recently. If fans can't see the potential in players then they're better off just keeping their beaks shut.
Tom G
Guest
Don’t forget the wringing of hands and gnashing of gums over Foran and Watmough.. how did that work out?
Tom G
Guest
Don’t worry Manly is still hated, no matter how we’re going. Lots of these stories prove just that.. we just need the fear back. Consistent performances under a good coach will soon restore the fear. You all forget that we’ve been here before in the early 2000’s and came out stronger than ever.
Tom G
Guest
Looks like he’s not an option as of today. Can’t say I’m disappointed. His record at Souths produced a grand final win but the seasons surrounding showed little with a good roster. I’d give Cartwright a crack on a one year deal and let’s see what he can do. They also need Barrett and his furniture out the door, contract or not. The mans presence drags the team down. As for it being a saga, there are plenty of other clubs with bigger coaching problems. As I have previously said, Parramatta with all of their financial and junior resource advantages have nowhere near Manlys recent achievements and have a coach who can’t seem to win games without a big Fijian winger named Semi. Funny though no one is ever picking Brad Arthur, a proven failure, to pieces.. must be just a manly thing.
B
Guest
The Storm will most likely drop but not that far. Manly to scrape into the 8 if injuries are kind and some teams currently there struggle to duplicate their 2018 form (Warriors, Broncos & Panthers).
B
Guest
that's 2 premierships in 11 years now, not 10. 2018 has a premiership winner so you can't claim to have 2 premierships in the past decade.