If you look at Friday night’s game between Manly and the Roosters, your eyes instantly go to the number ones’ battle between Tom Trbojevic and James Tedesco.
Both of those will carry a lot of their side’s chances the whole night with where they’re able to put them on the field to come up with the big plays.
However, this game is going to be won in the forwards.
Manly were exposed last week against Melbourne. Their young forwards didn’t get involved enough and their front-rowers, especially, didn’t make enough metres, which put a lot of pressure on Trbojevic to try to come up with plays not in attacking areas.
When they got down the right end they were so frantic with their attack that they didn’t really take the chance to get Trbojevic some good balls.
I’m looking at Haumole Olakau’atu, Josh Schuster, Marty Taupau and Josh Aloiai. These guys really have to aim up and provide a platform and bang the door down.
If they can do that, against a quality Roosters pack with Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Victor Radley, Sitili Tupouniua and Angus Crichton, that’s going to give Trbojevic a better chance to get himself into the game.
(Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)
Trbojevic also must address his own things about getting involved and how he hits the ball. But it’s going to be a lot easier for Manly to attack inside the Roosters’ half if those forwards are banging down the door and going forward early.
If you look at how they’ve played Melbourne twice this year, they have tried to shift the ball a little bit. They need to get back, with Lachlan Croker there at number nine, to taking this Roosters pack head on.
Don’t take anything away from the Melbourne Storm and how they dominated Manly.
They were very disciplined. Every time Trbojevic got the ball, they swarmed in threes and fours to make sure that he felt the contact.
But the younger guys within the Manly team were a bit overawed by the situation.
Yes, this is a Melbourne side that is the current champions, at their home away from home. But Manly’s emotional levels were a little bit off because they tried so hard straightaway and then, when they made the mistake and Isaac Lumelume scored the first try, it was almost like the balloon just went pop straight away, instead of the air going out of it slowly.
I expect this week to see a much more level-headed approach in terms of how they shift the ball. The kicking game from Croker out of dummy half is crucial. He only has to come up with one or two but it just takes the pressure off Daly Cherry-Evans. As Kieran Foran doesn’t kick, this gives Manly much better balance.
And it’s weird, but this might be the loss they needed to have because they’re a team that can adjust really quickly.
With Sam Verrills suspended you’d love to see Victor Radley stay in the number 13 jersey for the Roosters.
(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
He can play a little bit of nine but then they lose that link play between the halves and Drew Hutchison and Lachy Lam. Lam could play there, and maybe start Sam Walker – but I can’t see Trent Robinson doing that unless he feels Walker can handle the first 20 minutes of what could be a really tight physical tussle in terms of his kicking game and the kick pressure he would be receiving.
I think Ben Marschke will start there and then they may put Lam there for a little bit or potentially put Victor Radley there for five minutes just before halftime so he can get his rest.
If you’re the Roosters, the blueprint was laid out for you last week by Melbourne.
Be physical in the kick chase on Tom Trbojevic, and every time he comes in to get one off the ruck, condense the defensive line.
And every time they run the ball, make sure the knees and elbows are up.
If they can get that momentum and start really fast against Manly it’ll send a panic through them again that all of a sudden, they aren’t the team that everyone’s feared, that they’re trailling in the game and they’re going to have to get themselves out of it.
(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
For the Roosters, this is a free shot. Manly should win this game, nine times out of ten, but I just can’t discount the Roosters – what they’ve done this year, the ability for them to be able to hang tough in games and find a way to win, plus that forward pack is still a quality forward pack.
It wouldn’t surprise me if Jared Waerea-Hargreaves plays 80 minutes. He’s the spiritual leader, he’s the head of the snake. You combine him with two of the best back-rowers in the world – and Angus Crichton is the best back-rower in the world.
On the left-hand side, where Manly were exposed last week, there is a real opportunity for Hutchison to go down that left-hand side and just hit Crichton a couple of times, make Manly make some tackles and then you may see Tedesco pop out the back.
They’ve got a nice shape to the left-hand side. I like Crichton there and Tupouniua runs as hard and as straight as any other back-rower in the comp so there is real depth as well.
You throw in Victor Radley, this X-factor of strength and skill through the middle, who can just whack.
If Waerea-Hargreaves and Radley get a sniff that they’re going to be able to dominate the Manly pack, the Roosters will find themselves in a match against South Sydney.
John Neeson
Guest
Yeah Angus and Victor the best backrowers in the world. I’m sure everyone would prefer them to dogs like Jakey and Murray hahahahaha Yeo rubbish hahahahaha
Rossi
Roar Rookie
Ah I meant neutrals!
Cugel
Roar Rookie
Jeez, Easts are paying $4.15.. seems overly juicy.
Big Mig
Roar Rookie
Souths (over 30,000) and Eels (over 25,000) are the two teams with the most membership and supporters of all the Sydney Clubs. The crowd, the roar, the people have spoken.
Big Mig
Roar Rookie
I agree Cam, it seems like binary outcome, either the game can go a slog-fest with Easts scrapping through or a Manly masterclass lead by Turbo for +20 flogging.
Cam
Roar Rookie
All the smart money is on the Sea Eagles, but I am not convinced. Manly have been absolutely towelling up the bottom 8 teams, but their 3 from 10 record against top 8 teams suggest they are flat-track bullies. For all their injuries, Easts still have a premiership class forward pack and Turbo once again may not have the forward momentum he needs to play off the back. Not sure if it will be too much of a factor, but they get a really heavy dew in Mackay and that may suit Easts. I think it will either be Easts by a couple or Manly by 20+
Pete
Guest
To be fair to Manly they did have Fainu who was playing better than Api at the time. Getting rid of Api and keeping Fainu was the right call at the time but it obviously didn't end up working they way they hoped.
Succhi
Roar Rookie
Manly started poorly last week straight from the kick off. I don’t think Des will let them make that mistake again and even with a lot of players out, Roosters still have a decent line up that would be the envy of half the competition. Manly for me in a close one with either Victor or JWH spending time in the bin.!
Rossi
Roar Rookie
Most people will take Manly over the golden boys Easts and Souths! And Parra aren't very likable, Penrith please.
Rossi
Roar Rookie
Tupounuia is very impressive, doesn't hold back does he
steveng
Roar Rookie
IMO Manly had a top notch 9 in Apisai Koroisau in 2019 and then they let him go, why? And ever since they haven’t really had a great 9, yes Lachlan Croker does the job ‘sort of and sometimes’ but he’s not as lethal as Api was and their 9's haven't really achieved what they have lost since with Api. The Roosters will play exactly like they played last week, that is what they do and have in their bag, to relying on Tedesco, Tupou (especially) to run the ball back, as he’s as big as a forward and great under the bombs, then Morris’s skills both with the high ball and his attack and Tupouniua's total kamikaze efforts out wide that are affective and could worry Manly. Then up front with their usual, the big runs of JWH, Radley (until he either knocks himself out or does something stupid?) then the hard runs of Liu and Crichton continually running the ball with the rest picking up the crumbs and if and at the end its close? Getting Sam Walker to be their FG hero with 10 to 6 min to go and fresh and milking whenever he gets a fair dinkum tackle put on him. IMO, if Manly are to win this they need to be fair dinkum from the whistle and for 80 mon as they should win this comfortably, but and if they will play like last week then it will be close and that Sam Walker will come into play and will flum this game for the Roosters AGAIN in the last minutes as that is the Roosters game plan. My pick Manly comfortably and by at least 8 points if its close but, it will be more like 20+ if they are fair dinkum.
Rossi
Roar Rookie
Don't worry about JWH Sowie, he always runs with his elbows up!
Big Mig
Roar Rookie
Roosters have the least amount of fans, not sure how you can say "It;s wha all fans want to see!" Souths v Eels.
Paul Monaro
Roar Rookie
The Roosters forwards are still star quality despite all the injuries. It might be closer than a lot of people think. Manly in a tight one.
Joe
Roar Rookie
Spot on about Croker. Amazing that Manly haven’t got a star hooker and finished top four this year. Croker’s inclusion gives just that other point of attack as he runs as well. Manly should be better prepared this week, especially mentally. The young guys now realize the difference between regular season and finals. The question is will the ghosts of last weeks big loss be hanging around in their heads this week. I doubt this Roosters team can execute the Storm game plan, if they had a full team maybe but not this one. JFH is without doubt their leader and Manly forward need to target him. Even though last week the focus was on Tom I also thought the Storm forwards did a great job on the Manly starting middles especially Taupau I thought last week Walker and Paseka off the Manly bench were actually very good and I expect them to have a bigger impact this week. For Manly to win they need to shut down JFH and Tedesco. No easy feat. They also need to limit the impact of Radley and Crichton. For Manly the young guns need to play gritty, Schuster, Morgan, Olakau’atu, Saab. Turbo will do his thing. If young Walker plays they need to devise plays that target him as he is a small body and there’s line breaks and metres to be made. I expect Manly to do a lot better this week and should win this one comfortably after an early hard fought battle.
Rob
Guest
Everyone seems to be making a lot of excuses for Manly's performance last week. The key for them tonight is the first half. In their last 4 games they have started terribly. 3 of those games were against very average sides in the Raiders, Cowboys and Bulldogs. Fortunately, against those 3 you can afford to start slow. As Manly found out last week, you can't do that against the higher quality teams. They've scored a lot of points against a lot of teams this year but I think that's almost come back to bite them against some of the better teams they've played. They are so used to scoring at will that when they have to work for their points they lose their way a little bit. If the Roosters can hang tough defensively, I give them a real good chance at going on to the prelim.
ja ja klazo
Guest
There's no way Radley spends any time at 9. He may have spent a bit of time there in his younger days but these days he is an out and out 13. He'll play 80 at 13.
Pickett
Roar Rookie
East's backline defence is atrocious. Our forwards can hold their lot. Go Easts!
Dwanye
Roar Rookie
I thought ‘most’ the fans would mean it eels vas south’s?
ManlyMagic
Roar Rookie
Gonna win by 20