It was like an NRL match ordered off Wish.
There was a packed stadium, two line-ups with superstars and perfect playing conditions, but both the Dragons and the Sea Eagles decided to spend an afternoon dropping the ball.
At one point on the commentary, Andrew Voss compared the assembled stars to actors playing the part of footy players, and he wasn’t wrong.
St George Illawarra weren’t quite as bad with the footy and defended superbly, deservedly earning a 20-12 win thanks to two tries from Tyrell Sloan, but it would be hard pushed to say they played that well. It was just that they played better than Manly.
The Sea Eagles were dreadful, making a host of errors of the type that one simply doesn’t expect to see at this level. Tom Trbojevic threw a forward pass to Haumole Olakau’atu who was a full yard ahead of him. Josh Aloiai dropped a ball dead one pass off the ruck. Daly Cherry-Evans chucked a pass straight over the sideline.
Anthony Seibold’s footy can be high risk, and he’ll cop errors made in the pursuit of breaking the line. But this wasn’t that. It was simple, basic stuff.
“We were outplayed by the Dragons tonight, that was very clear for everyone to see,” he said.
“They hustled and bustled us and forced quite a few errors. They were deserved winners, we were second by a fair distance, to be fair.”
(Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
Shane Flanagan’s side have defended horrendously at times this year but were excellent without the ball tonight.
In the first half, they played the possession game well enough – aided by Manly simply giving them the footy in their own end – to generate a lead and then tackled manfully to keep it.
It was far from easy, especially after they decided to join in the dropping party after the break, but had enough about them to hang on.
“I know we can (defend like that), but I don’t want to do it too,” said the coach.
“We weren’t that great, but we showed some real resilience. To keep the talent in that football side to basically six for the entire game, it was a really good job.”
The Dragons formula is simple, but it might work
As a new coach, you know you can’t change everything overnight. You look for improvements in the stuff that you can work on immediately, however, and resilience and togetherness is pretty much top of that list.
This team are unlikely to be world beaters but they absolutely gave themselves a chance here through their defence – unlike on previous occasions this year – that will please Flanagan no end.
The period early in the second half where they kept Manly at bay for three consecutive sets on their own line is the stuff that coaches’ dreams are made of. Manly threw plenty, but got nowhere.
In the first half, the Dragons had everything go their way (largely thanks to the opposition) and might have gone further ahead.
The teething problems of their attack remain there for anyone to see, with no real creativity or dynamism. When they did throw it in the second half, it went horrendously, so baby steps might be the order of the day.
If you play completions footy and defend hard, you’ll stay in games, at least against the bottom half of the league and teams that play badly. It got the Dolphins plenty far last year, and gets Canberra a decent distance every year.
Flanagan’s teams have been a lot like that for years and, while it’s not great to watch, it’ll get you results for a decent while. Today was one of those days.
Manly’s style hits a buffer
It doesn’t matter how good you are, if you complete at 60% and give away six infringements in a half, you’ll not win many games.
Manly were very lucky to be within touching distance at half time, and nobody summed it up better than Tom Trbojevic.
The fullback produced one of the moments of the season to offload to Tolu Koula for the opening try and an amazing trysaver to deny Mikaele Rawalava, but dropped balls left right and centre at other times. It was as up and down a showing as they come.
It wasn’t just Turbo, too. Daly Cherry-Evans chucked on into touch, Reuben Garrick let Sloan runs straight past him and both Ben Trbojevic and Nathan Brown made shocking errors.
Manly only ended the half around 50m short in yardage, which given that they had seven fewer sets, showed what they could do when they hold the ball. It’s just that they didn’t hold it anywhere near enough.
In the second half, there was an appearance of ball control in that the Dragons made even more errors, but the needle didn’t actually move much for Manly.
With the sort of football they try to play, these things will happen, and it shows that the early season hype might need tempering.
This was a poor showing, but Seibold knows that not everything is there yet. This was a stark reminder of what can happen when they don’t make it work.
Some of the building blocks were still there, in that the average set distance remained high and the commitment to playing expansively didn’t waver, but the execution never worked and the Dragons defended very well.
The test for Seibold now is to go again next week against Penrith without fear. He’s all in on this footy, and the players have to be too – even on days, like this, when nothing goes right.
Robbo
Roar Rookie
I tip dragons every week no matter what. Haven't won any tipping comps but I can stand prouder than you good sir :rugby:
Tom G
Roar Rookie
Agreed, he has way too much to offer than to just use him as a battering ram
Tom G
Roar Rookie
After yesterday, I’d be checking his hands :laughing:
BigGordon
Roar Rookie
Credit has to be given to Flanagan for coming up with such a cunning game plan - make lots and lots of simple mistakes, but marginally fewer than the opposition. I wonder if the past few weeks are a taste of what the Dragon's season is going to be like? Brilliant in attack and occasionally strong in defence, then entire matches where the team goes missing in action. If so, they're going to be great to watch sometimes, horrible to watch on others and hell on the blood pressure of the Dragons faithful and their coach.
Dodgy Dragons
Roar Rookie
I’m not going to get carried away by yesterday’s result. Manly played a bludger of a game and were right off the boil. The thing that did impress me was that Saints defended their mistakes, something that they very rarely do. Their defence is still a worry with easy metres made when Manly held onto the ball, but their commitment on their own goalline was the main difference from the previous 2 weeks. Until they become stronger in defence across the whole field, especially in the middle, they will continue to be a trigger for supporters high blood pressure.
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
It's easy to be critical of coaches. It was easy to be critical of Ivan Cleary five years ago as well because he apparently hadn't been much good. I remember some ex players saying his record was proof that he wasn't any good. Absolute proof. Manly were poor and so were the Phins when they were smashed by Saints with Bennett at the helm in round one. Saints have been flogging Manly for years at home under different coaches , so if you think this game proves much about Siebold then I think you are wrong. Brian Smiths Dragons were not close to the Broncos in playing strength and Bennett hasn't won a title in the last 13 years , while he's had teams a bit more like Smiths teams in player strength.
steveng
Roar Rookie
Its NOT Seibs that is at fault with Manly, as Manly have been doing this and playing like last night for at least the last 3 years and way before Seibs was the coach. The type of RL that Manly played you won't see even in U10s Saturday junior league footy. What Manly showed in this game is probably the worst fundamental handling errors I've ever seen in a game by any RL club and especially an NRL club in any weather conditions never mind in perfect weather conditions like last night. Can't blame the coach when experienced players throw a 1m forward pass or a #9 can't throw a dummy half pass and throws it onto the ground etc etc which are all basics of footy.
BigGordon
Roar Rookie
Not sure what Siebold has done that warrants people getting down on him. Manly had a terrible night with unforced errors, but how is that down to the coach?
SSTID
Roar Rookie
While it might be an unfair comparison, I liken Seibold to former coach Brian Smith (numerous clubs). Many years ago he used to be a commentator in the ABC Radio RL coverage and I was always impressed with his depth and intellect that he brought to the game. I learnt a lot about the "science" of the game just listening to him speak. But this "smarts" never really transferred over to consistent coaching success. I think the same applies to Seibold. He is a man of ideas and science, which sometime work out well and other times complicates things too much to the point where players just have no idea what he wants and how to execute it. When you listen to most interviews with current players (as illuminating as they are - we did it for the boys), the majority all talk about coaches simplifying their game - knowing what their role is and just going out and doing that. I don't think Seibold does that, but he does the opposite. So I might not call him a con man, more a very good salesman who manages to convince the decision makers who don't have to execute "his" brilliant strategy that he is the right person for the job. On a white board in an Executive Meeting it might sound wonderful, but on a football field with so many moving parts it is prone to errors and occasional failure.
souvalis
Roar Rookie
Thought Jack De and Jack B. were both outstanding in effort among a group of 17 who had a real dig. Tom E. has been a good get as well under Flanno.
andrew
Roar Rookie
I think the Manly faithful won't tolerate too many results like last night. I wonder if Siebold still plays that rubbish dance music at training sessions.
aerial lizard
Roar Rookie
It might be considered a fair description down the track Andrew. I consider Ben Ikin a man of integrity and he issued a strong warning about Seibold being a con artist.
andrew
Roar Rookie
Hook 11, that's a low blow :laughing:
aerial lizard
Roar Rookie
Not convinced about Seibold at all and consider him Hook II.
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
I'm not sure we use the big O in the most effective manner. It looks a bit like under nines a lot of the time where we give him the ball with the defence set and he tries to drag five of them over the line. Now and again he does but I'd like to see him get the ball more often when the defence is stretched and he hits the ball at top speed. Our worst form in recent years seems to come straight after the players talk each other up after a decent game. Put a sock in it lads!
Maxtruck
Roar Rookie
Tom Trbojevic, shoulder ? hamstring? somethings not right
Tom G
Roar Rookie
It was a truly awful game with Manly being the major contributor to its awfulness. There is a massive issue with the frequency and nature of these errors which was also there last week. Seibold has a team loaded with talented players, but they seem to rush each play. There doesn’t appear to be any focus on the basics of completing sets, everything is hectic. Play that way next week and it will be a carve up for the ages.
KenW
Roar Rookie
The on-goal defence was good tonight, still concerning how easily Manly were making metres through the middle. Dropsies aside, Manly were getting better mileage out of their sets, especially in the first half. This has to be Flanno's big focus area. The good news for the Dragons is that the attack is generating opportunities. They are botching a heap of them, just like last week, but they are botching more chances than they even created last year - and still scoring some points while they do it. This one is an easier fix, a bit of polish on the finishing could see them at least capable of racking up points.
Tez
Roar Rookie
Well I am a Dragon supporter but tipping on form I did not tip this. Despite that I am smiling.
James 7
Roar Rookie
Early days yet but this could be a turning point for the saints. Sloan equal top try scorer with 6 is good to see.