Post Match Warriors v Manly - [Round 2, 2025]

[wizard of Tauranga]

At the airport with the Manly team filing through.

Unnamed Manly player: “Didn’t sleep well last night…. Really sore”

THAT is what we want when they leave our fortress!

 

[The Undertaker]

For the last two weeks whilst others were losing their shit, hinting at a Sack the Coach thread, talking about how our bottoms were going to be soanked by a nice new wooden spoon for our collection, I’ve been telling you we are a good frikken team. To believe. To not be emotional and lose your heads.

Last night was the first step towards vindication. We were not perfect - but we were good.

This team if we stay injury free will make the 8. If we work for each other and stop doing dumb shit, we are good enough to rip teams apart.

Defensively, we can match it with the best. And we have Rocco and DWZ to come back for additional attacking threat, though Tuaupiki has to be in the side - probably at FB.

That was a solid performance against a good team - a team I can’t stand. Frikken Manly. Siebold, DCE and their band of smug little fukkers.

To stick it up them like that was satisfying. Roosters winning last night also benefits us - we get them coming down from an emotional high after beating the premiers.

We have a team ladies and gentlemen. Well done on last night. Today we turn our attention onto the Chooks.

Another big performance like that should earn us two points at home. The Chooks are another team I hate. 2002 still burns.

I feel like roast chicken dinner.

Solid performances all round from Cup and NRL teams. Let’s do it again next week.

 

[Completion Rate]

The effort needed to break Manly was huge. I hope Webby really uses that as a benchmark because we're going to have to play like rabid dogs to pick up wins.
We don't have gamebreakers the likes of many other teams and so to scrap like that for a win is the only way for us this year. Can it be sustained?
Clarke MOTM for me, he's the real junkyard dog, Jazz is a cat.

 

[Sol man]

Again, as in Vegas, our two young bucks (Halasima & Vaimauga) don't come on until later in the second half. Just checked the stats, both played less than 20 mins!

Maybe this is Webbys take on the bomb squad strategy used by the springboks to rip shit and bust the close of the game? It actually worked last night to close out the game.

Seems bloody risky to me to keep two bench players in reserve until the last 20 mins. This strategy runs the risk of the game being out of reach after 60 minutes like what happened against the raiders last week. And if it's not a deliberate bomb squad bench, then what the hell is he doing with his bench use!?

I guess it has the potential to work while we have our best 17 available and Egan playing 80. The strategy is also probably unsustainable without both Fish & Barnett being available.

Long story short, I'm still not sold on the use of the bench.

I won't query Webby any longer, a great win that was totally unexpected by myself! Long live the rollercoaster!

 

[juju]

View: https://www.tiktok.com/@kyla.birss/video/7481608483629010183?_r=1&_t=ZS-8ugUZnYX1kr

Poor Jazzy

 

[Boston Boy]

I love those two young boys. Leka is so powerful and awkward to tackle and Vaimauga is strong and has some mongrel. Both of them have heaps of potential. I think we need to work out how to use Leka on an edge because he has some power and dynamism. Great win again.

 

[John Nick]

I love those two young boys. Leka is so powerful and awkward to tackle and Vaimauga is strong and has some mongrel. Both of them have heaps of potential. I think we need to work out how to use Leka on an edge because he has some power and dynamism. Great win again.

Shows what you can achieve when you turn up for each other with intensity & determination.
Just wanted the W more. Very simple game .Dont over complicate it.Everyone was 100 % improvement on the Vegas debacle.

 

[Garry Saloon]

To be fair, that RTS try was 100% a double movement.

Definitely not. He was still sliding.

 

[tyrael]

Leading by 14 before that last try and we were hanging on? What is this faf.

 

[Feeltheheat]

What a team performance led beautifully by Barnett.

Thought the young guys off the bench provided nice impact at the end too, not sure why people continue to over analyze the bench rotations, think you need to look at how other teams manage the bench as well and you would see this is standard across the NRL and to be honest it gets pretty boring reading about it ad nauseum especially after a great win.

Also have to say TT has really had a go on the wing, definitely not his natural position but he has looked so dangerous, I think when DWZ comes back he needs to go FB which would give us a very dangerous exciting back 3.

 

[Feeltheheat]

View attachment 12056

Leading by 14 before that last try and we were hanging on? What is this faf.

Was the Roosters who hung on by the skin of their teeth, what a rubbish headline

 

[tyrael]

Also have to say TT has really had a go on the wing, definitely not his natural position but he has looked so dangerous, I think when DWZ comes back he needs to go FB which would give us a very dangerous exciting back 3.

I'm surprised they didn't match Saab on TT.

 

[snake77]

On the bench use. The improvement in the first half compared to round 1 means you have the option of keeping the starters on for longer, giving the flexibility with the interchanges in the second half.

I thought it round 1 they probably should have made some changes earlier to get some fresh players on when they were losing up front.

This week I was watching the clock expecting Walker to come on after 20-25 minutes. They did hold off a bit.

It was good they got the two young guys on more as a tactical change. Halasima got some good minutes. Vaimauga it looked like he came on for brief period and then came back on later. Not sure if that was an interchange or an HIA.

 

[snake77]

Was the Roosters who hung on by the skin of their teeth, what a rubbish headline

You are right as that game was closer with the possibility of the Panthers coming back. Our game we got past a 12 point margin to seal the game and then scored again.

The headline is reads like. We need to mention both games in the headline for convenience purposes and Manly looked so good last week that this shocked us.

 

[Po11um]

I not getting excited it's just 1 win string 3 or 4 wins together then maybe

 

[tyrael]

I not getting excited it's just 1 win string 3 or 4 wins together then maybe

You don't need to get your hopes up for sure. It's a long season.

But be happy with this performance. Live in the moment.

 

[Old Sid]

Great win and a superb team performance. Erin Clark, RTS, Egan, CHT and Barney standouts. Thought Capewell stood up really well. His best game for a long time.
Manly fell into the trap we did in Vegas. Came with a plan. Started off good and it worked for a short while. But failed to adjust the plan as the game progressed. No offloads and kept trying to go out wide.
I was shocked that they played exactly the same the second half.

 

[Canonball]

Interesting to see the panthers go down like that - we run similar (not exactly the same) structures - the penchant for turning a centre or a second rower inside is an obvious one - worked for us, didn't for them. Also the clear tactic of jamming hard from the wing I think did a lot to make Manly's play very predictable and thus easier to defend - of course you risk being outflanked often but it looked like a calculated loss for the many times it happened - good coaching, good prep -- but it also betrays a lack of confidence in our edges and outsides to mark up straighter if that makes sense (charitable reading is we know where we're weakest) - it's like playing zone rather than man on, or the other way round.

 

[Inruin]

That Manly decision to take the two was a weird one. Thought going from 4 to 6 didn't really warrant it and at the time they had us on the ropes a bit

 

[RiceOwl]

Watched it from my usual seats in bay 27. It felt good to be at home. I’m sure the boys appreciated the support too, although I did notice that it was a lesser crowd than last seasons sellouts.

Some thoughts on the game:

Bench use: I noticed at about the 20mins both Leka and Dem were up off the bench warming up and thought they may have come on then, but tbh I was glad they were held back till the 60th min or so yesterday. The old heads were playing well (thought Capewell stood up, and even Niukore had some big charges), so imo would’ve been risky to bring those young bucks on. Where possible I think knits best to still manage their minutes.

Egan: Cracking game from him. Some probing runs from dummy half.

Clark: He was the enforcer out there last night. Really pleased with him as a buy and do think he is a Jazz upgrade.

TT: Got to be in the 17. His footwork and pace are too big of an asset. F’n loved his try leaving Jazz clutching at straws.

JFH vs AFB: Though Fish had another strong game. The big difference I’ve noticed in comparison to AFB is how he shores up our middle on D. Does a fantastic job with that.

Metcalf: A better game but just needs to be given more time. A few poor options at times and can be a bit clunky with set moves at times. More time needed but felt pleased for him to have a much better game.

Webby: I’m a big Webby fan and supporter. He is the coach for us imo. Calls for him to get the sack were way too premature after one terrible game imo. The club have put in so much ground work with development and we just need to be patient.

Wearing my jersey proudly today! Well done boys to restore some pride and confidence.