Mark ‘Spud’ Carroll’s answer to Manly’s rugby league woes is to sign Des Hasler, Geoff Toovey, and Kieran Foran.
“Manly need him. I think we need some clarity there for the fans and supporters,” said Carroll.
“I’d love to see Tooves get involved as well… he’s Manly through and through.
“I reckon Des will go after Foran, he only played half a year with the Bullodgs, he’s on massive money… the Bulldogs are struggling with salary cap.”
Carroll has every right to make suggestions.
Having started his NRL career at the Panthers in 1987 he left for South Sydney in 1990, and linked with Manly with Bob Fulton as coach in 1994.
In his four seasons with the seaside club, Carroll played in three successive grand finals, losing to the Bulldogs in 1995, beating the Dragons in 1996 and losing to the Knights in 1997.
There’s a special culture at Manly, unlike any other club, and Spud thrived in it.
One of the special features at Brookvale is the coach must be a former Manly player of substance.
Fulton played 305 games for the Sea Eagles, Des Hasler 256, and Geoff Toovey 238. That talented trio have produced more grand finals as Manly coaches between them than any other period – Fulton five grand finals, Hasler three, and Toovey one.
Spud wants Hasler and Toovey to replace Trent Barrett and John Cartwright as coaches, and re-sign Foran as a player.
He’ll get his first wish, but the other two may well go begging.
The bigger question would be if Toovey could be happy playing second fiddle to Hasler, even though they are great mates?
If they could combine it would be a formidable coaching combination, and welcomed with open arms by the Manly roster, especially Daly Cherry-Evans, and the Trbojevic brothers.
Geoff Toovey was sacked for failing to make the finals with Manly, could he come back as an assistant? (AAP Image/Paul Miller)
Foran is another matter altogether.
Since he left the Northern Beaches at the end of the 2015 season after 148 games in search of greener pastures, his career’s turned black.
He played only nine games for Parramatta in 2016, 17 for the Warriors in 2017, when no other club would touch him, and 12 games for the Bulldogs last season – all of them with little to no spark.
It begs the question has Foran become injury-prone, or just plain unreliable? Either option would be no bonus.
Kieran Foran should have stayed with Manly. (AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts)
But the Spud suggestion of Hasler-Toovey is not only an exciting prospect, but the return of two favourite sons to the fold.
That would fill Brookvale for every home game next season, and beyond.
Manly chairman Scott Penn could make a decision as early as this week. If he can sign Des Hasler and Geoff Toovey, he must then bow out entirely and leave all football decisions to them, and CEO Lyall Gorman.
There is a downside, however – the dismissal of Cartwright as assistant coach.
The same happened to John Cartwright when Neil Henry took over the Titans, making the former twice collateral damage in the coaching musical chairs.
He deserves better.
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