The Cumberland Throw

From The Stands (Lounge) – Manly Outraged And All Is Well

Allay any concerns you may have had – the footy is well and truly back!

And what better way to reinforce it than via controversy in a Parra and Manly game – who would have ever thought of that!

For the record I don’t think “that pass” was forward, but to suggest that one call in an 80 minute game robs a team of victory is short sighted. In this case it was definitely not a true reflection of that game. Besides that, I don’t really care how we beat Manly as long as we do.

We could discuss the previous 79 and a half minutes, after all, they had a fair bit to do with the result! There were numerous contentious calls that went against both teams – as will always be the case in a game contested by two highly talented teams, and controlled and adjudicated on by human beings.

The unavoidable truth that all Manly supporters must accept is that their team pushed the envelope with marginal passes throughout the entire game and they ultimately paid a late price.

The post match reaction was absurd. I expect that fake ‘outrage’ rubbish from journalists who just want the clicks, but ex players and NRL administrators should know better. Let’s hope that pandering to an outraged media’s wishes is not the new norm for the NRL that I will have to get used to.

On the game itself, I found it hard to select a standout. I thought all of the players did their job. Some made crucial errors and some made brilliant decisive plays, but again that will happen in every game and for the most part they defended the errors well.

Dylan will benefit from Nathan Brown’s return.

I thought we missed Nathan Brown. Manly rushed up in defence all night in an umbrella style  and we tried to pass over it. It gave them time to slide. Nathan Brown and his short passing game would have exposed the gaps on the inside presented by the rushing defence and given more time to Moses and Dylan Brown. With that in mind, I was surprised we did not kick in behind the rushing defence even more than we did.

So this week we move onto another rivalry. Rivalries are not all the same but many have one thing in common – one team believing they are big brother and the other team wanting nothing more than to show them that they are just as strong.

Parra’s rivalry with Manly had its roots in the Silvertails early success. The accompanying superiority complex of their club and fans naturally annoyed Eels fans.

This week is different.

Sweet, sweet victory

Penrith see Parra as the big brother, the one who see themselves as bigger and superior, the one who had success earlier. For Penrith, Parra is the big rival. This is the game Penrith fans have to win.

For Parra supporters we see them as the annoying little brother who often surprise us. It is a danger game for Parra because Penrith will be up for it.

I find Penrith to be a predictable and boring team to watch. But I have seen this script before. Against Parra they play for 80 minutes. If we turn up with the right attitude, and have the right mix of aggression and composure, we will win. If not, Penrith will be there in the 80th minute snapping at our heels waiting for the ball to bounce their way.

Over to our team. They have improved, I have no doubt about that, but this is another test.

Can they match Penrith’s energy and desire?

Only time will tell.

Shelley

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17 thoughts on “From The Stands (Lounge) – Manly Outraged And All Is Well

  1. BDon

    I had a couple of same thoughts Shelley. There was an equality of contribution and effort across the team, one senses without the simple errors we would have gradually pulled away from Manly, not flogged them, just put them away nicely. Important to nullify the second stints of Tapau and FonuaBlake, but we gave them plenty of momentum instead. And how many times did Cherry Evans harass our first receiver as he caught the ball…Reed M’s service is not slow! But Manly got a crucial penalty on their own line, when they were flagging late in the first half, our line was straight, full and fast…no one-out trespassing. I just don’t know what game Hasler watched.

    1. The rev aka Snedden

      Dessy is an always will be a Manly maniac. Blame everyone from the Queen to the Pope John Paul to scomo for Manly Losing. Never cops it sweet n say well it’s just football. Instead he threatened to ring the ref n the new CEO of the NRL abdo or what ever his name is.

      The Day dessy says we list to a better team will be the Day it snows in the barharmurs.

      1. sixties

        Yet people having been praising Desi for not blaming the officials? I must be in a bizarro world.

  2. Shelley

    You are right, Cherry Evans spent more time in our attack then he did in his defensive line. It does not worry me as we played a simple possession game. If we play them later in the year, without the dew and slippery conditions I feel we could get them by turning it back on the inside. I feel there is a lot more improvement in Parra. I rate Manly but they will show us nothing more come finals time.

    1. sixties

      They say they will take confidence out of the game because they weren’t at their best and came close to winning. I’ve got news for them. Parra was way off their best and won.

  3. Shelley

    It is good to have a team that is getting the balance right between playing smart and entertaining. As long as we are willing to defend our mistakes we will keep getting better

    1. Ace Eel

      Good assessment Shelley…forward pass or not…had it been awarded… we would be reading how great Manly’s comeback was… not about Parra who was the better 80 minute team and deserved the 2 competition points ….

  4. DDay

    Looking forward to having NBrown back – agree he’s a valuable link player and he’ll add something to our already impressive defence. Eels fans enjoy some real rivalry (Dogs, Eagles, Riff and even the WestTigers). We should win next week…

  5. The rev aka Snedden

    Good write up Shelley.

    I like you are very happy with any win vs Manly no matter how we do it. A wins a win no matter how the team gets it.

    This afternoon I watched on YouTube a young kid about 16\18 yrs old blowing up about how Manly was robbed.
    I told him Manly had 79 other minutes to win the Game. Was funny he was blaming everyone from the ref to us Eel fan’s to the ppl running the Game.

    The longer he went the more stupid he sounded.

    On the Penrith Panthers game. Officially we are the only team un beatin this is a game for Waqa n RCG to stand up to their former team mate’s n show them
    ( Penrith Panthers) what they are missing n what we have gained. RCG has played very well the last few weeks and needs to back that up with big Running numbers again.

    Hopefully Ferguson and Waqa get their heads switched on for this Game. We left a few tries on the field. Ferguson almost intercepted try n kaufusi’s blunder. We score them n Manly don’t get even Close.

    With Brown back I’d more than likely say Brad Arthur will push Marata back to the bench n use him more with Kane Evans and RCG n junior Paulo as our rotation of the bench.

    On Penrith they get there number 7 back n I’m sure as the sun comes up that his daddy can’t wait to put him in their alongside who ever they go with.

    We have grown back n he will give us that punch up the middle with the of offload in his game to create 2nd faze play. He needs to control his aggression in a good way.

    Anyhow it should be a great Game n a Game we need to get revenge for last yr when they beat us at bank West stadium. With fan’s back hopefully we out number the Panthers fans.

    #Eels4life#

    1. Shelley

      My favourite thing about the way our team is developing is mainly with our defensive efforts. We are getting the ability to be able to take the best player out of the opposition and see if the others can beat us. We did that to Hass by stopping his offloads and to Tommy T by our kicking game and line speed.
      We have three big games coming up against a good team in Penrith and in my opinion the best 2 teams at the moment. All three have key players, Cleary, Teddy and Hodgson who control the other team and can beat teams by themselves. We will need to use different tactics to nullify them and it will be interesting to see if we can.
      To win the comp you need to be patient, score points through pressure and minimise the opposition stars. I feel we can do this but need to become more consistent with it.

      1. The rev aka Snedden

        I agree we are learning to be more patient n keep other team’s star player’s quite. We need to push aside furtigue n keep our line intact.

        With the Panthers game I think our fowards are better then theirs our back’s are also better. There for I see a Eels win.

        The rooster’s on the other hand all new Ball Game with them. They have attacking weapons across the Park. From teddy to the forward pack. Again like the Manly Game we must kick away from Teddy n have a great line speed to shut him diwn

  6. Jim

    Forward Pass – Blar blar blar.
    If the ref doesn’t blow the whistle, Sean Lane would of knocked Garrick over the side line & he wouldn’t of got the ball down. Eels were the better team on the day & that is why they won.

  7. Anonymous

    To say Manly were robbed is/was premature, pretty sure our inside defenders Brown/Lane heard the whistle and backed off

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