Halfback depth.

[Hacky McAxe]

We are a bit light on centres too. There's Morris and Lafai who both prefer the left side and on the right we have Inu who prefers to get lost and do little.

Morris, Lafai, Inu, Stanley, Ed Murphy, it's not exactly a position that we have to worry about too much. We're not exactly going to sign a superstar centre to sit in the NSW Cup until someone gets injured.

 

[blueyedsamurai]

You are right, especially when you consider that Reynolds may well be missing due to origin rep..assuming he keeps up his very good form from last season.
If a back up isn't signed, the only thing I can think of is Maitua (who plays a utility role), moves into the halves. Don't know if that's a great answer, but with Feeney, Templeman not been ready as of yet..don't think we have another option.

I'm worried about next season, although at least I wont let down by having huge expectations from the previous year.

 

[Bad Billy]

Plenty of young haves have been thrust into the "big show" before people thought they were ready and excelled. DCE, josh Reynolds and Adam Reynolds come to mind. We have some real quality in our lower grades that may just need the opportunity, mbye and templeman specifically.

 

[Chris Harding]

We need someone with smarts around the play-the-ball area. Ideally, a player with quick speed off the mark, and "fast between the ears". That is a big ask.

 

[immortalbulldog]

Surprise surprise another negative thread.

 

[Dex]

Get rid of players you say?

Players we've let go in the last 2 seasons compared to the players we've signed.

Let go: Wright, Keating, Goodwin, Romelo, Stagg, McDougall, Taupau, Halatau, Payne, Turner and Barba.
(All featured in our 2012 Grand Final year)

Gained: TRex, O'Hanlon, Maitua and Stanley.

Correct. And what happens when you have a marquee player you wants to sign and u have players like Keating, Wright, Goodwin, McDougall etc who have 2 years left in their contract and are there just to fill the numbers and consume more cap money than young players trying to get into first grade ?

Its not always as simple as keeping all the players (hence the Salary Cap).

They obviously also get more opportunity and better offers from other clubs as well

 

[Papa Joe]

The word is that Manly will be strugling to keep all their uncontracted stars next year due to the huge back ended deals of some of their contracted players. Lyon is yet to be signed & has won a premiership both as a centre & at 6 under des. He could be our 2014 halves cover.

In all honesty, I believe our number one target comes of contract at the end of 2014, but we are allowed to negotiate a deal after November 1 this year to lock him in for 2015 - just like the Rorters did with Maloney. Shaun Johnson would be my number 1 target & he would feel right at home steering around all our Kiwi boys. He has a good all round game with some touches of brilliance - brilliance is what we are missing.

 

[finchie]

Id sign harry sejika from the dragqueens for hb depth. He is out of contract and the dragqueens have williams and widdop going there. Plus drinkwater and kyle stanley.

 

[Freakzilla]

Jaelen Feeney is pretty good.

 

[immortalbulldog]

I'd say Moses Mbye ill cover the role that Romelo filled as back up hooker/half with maitua able to also over 5/8. If Romelo was released you'd think it would to be to free up room to sign somebody this year. His contract only had 1 more year to run so if the squad was going to remain unchanged there would be no point freeing up room

 

[Natboy]

I don't want to sign anyone like Lyon at the arse end of their career.
Anyone remember Ricky Stuart, Brad Clyde & others?
I hope we give some young guys a go

 

[Bulldog John]

I think we should take a punt on a good young halfback. There's not much on the market anyway. Also, Des should try and play to our strengths, which are our forwards. Need to add some starch in defence, like 2004 maybe?

 

[bcmf]

As much as I'd like to see the kid (reynolds) go on to get more rep duties, I dont see it happening anytime soon.

It'll be mitchell pearce and carney in the halves. possibly maloney in for carney. One of them needs to get injured before reynolds is in with a chance, and even then it'll be a three way race between areynolds and mullen.

However, I do see him as a future origin star. His tenacity reminds me alot of greg bird, minus the grubbiness and the glassing of his significant other. Jreynolds is built for origin and its only a matter of time before he is a shoe in.

 

[Baseball Furies]

What about Jason Seage as back-up? I don't know anything about this kid at all, but I do remember someone saying on here a while back that Des may have been interested? Looks like he is off contract at Manly and is unlikely to be seeing first grade anytime soon...

There is a clip of him on YouTube (hey who hasn't got a clip in this day and age) and it is Schoolboy Rugby but he (if nothing else) looks very quick.

Again, I don't know anything at all, just a mention - no head biting off please!

 

[Zenna]

Hokko is on the rise but how much better can he get

 

[DogsFan4Life]

Hokko is on the rise but how much better can he get

Any player can get better just has to focus on specific training a halfbalk needs and he will learn more .
We had kimmorly as a halfback coach last year and now we have orford seriously were like the richest club as if we cant have joey johns training our halves look at dce at manly hes evolved into a superstarand so has foran

 

[doggieaaron]

Hokko is on the rise but how much better can he get

I agree i was his biggest critic in last 3 games he totally lost us those games his terrible halfback play in oppositions 20 made us rudderless,but he did improve this year and was good for most of it ,i think it could be a make or break year for him if he fixes this part of his game hell be a gun halfback if not bye bye

 

[moronista]

even with manly I remember des smashed all his cap on around the top 15players and the depth was always shit house

I'm just wondering if this is the same Manly team that Des won 2 premierships and made another GF with?

So much has been said for so many years about the so called lack of depth at Manly - look at 2013, they allegedly had none, yet still made another GF. It's just players you don't yet know. You don't make finals 9 years straight with no depth.

 

[Hacky McAxe]

While Des was there Manly spent their money on junior development and recruiting juniors rather than buying established NRL players. The good thing about this is that it instills pride in the juniors and gets them playing with that pride.

 

[Natboy]

While Des was there Manly spent their money on junior development and recruiting juniors rather than buying established NRL players. The good thing about this is that it instills pride in the juniors and gets them playing with that pride.

I wish we could do that without our juniors all being poached. Not many players seem to leave Manly once they are there.
I guess it's a good lifestyle and area because the club & facilities are rubbish