It was a tough Saturday night at the office for the Sea Eagles in going down 34-6 to South Sydney.
Here are some of the things we learnt as we try to make your Sunday better!
That hurts!
Ok, Manly fans, we got beaten badly. Souths were as desperate as those hands reaching in for the KFC bucket we see on TV! Yes, the Sea Eagles were off like expired milk left in the fridge for too long. It was a disappointing performance, no sugar coating that, but it happens in footy. As Manly Coach Trent Barrett rightly points out, you only need to be off your game a fraction in the NRL and teams will hurt you. The boys were certainly hurting alright after that performance. As are you our ‘faithful’ Manly fans.
‘There’s always next week’
That’s the beauty of a loss in round 3…round 4 is just a few days away! Is there no better saying than ‘there’s always next week’ after seeing your team get beaten!
Here comes the ‘complacency’ word!
The talk all week was ‘will Manly be complacent’ after their record club win over the Eels against a winless Souths side? Being on the end of a 34-6 scoreline might suggest so, but Souths were far more efficient in all areas across the park. Remember, ‘there’s always next week’.
Bring back the sun
Rain, rain, stay away…the Sea Eagles just didn’t handle the wet weather. We dropped the footy more times than a slippery Cozens soap (no relation) in the shower. Maybe the near 40 degrees we played in against Parramatta did take its toll in the end, but then again, we have won in the wet before. Put it down to a bad day out, we all have them. Manly are a much, much better side than that. The boys will bounce back!
‘Parks’ keeps standing up
Got to give a wrap to young centre Brad Parker. For the past two weeks, ‘Parks’ has gone about his business quietly. A fine defensive centre, Brad certainly shut down Parramatta’s Michael Jennings the week before, and last night, kept another international Greg Inglis quiet in attack. And we know this proud Manly junior can attack too once given more quality ball and room to move. Also, well done Jackson Hastings on another fine game.
The Raiders are coming!
Our dear friends from the Nation’s Capital, the Canberra Raiders, are coming our way. Won’t this be a beauty at Lottoland next Saturday night! We’ve had the old rivalry of Parramatta and Souths, but it’s time now for the latest rivalry with Ricky Stuart’s Raiders. We got them twice last season in Golden Point and with the Raiders currently 0-3, they will come to our beaches (a nice sea change for them) very pumped up. But then again, our boys will be hurting badly after the Souths debacle, so this will be an absolute cracker!
Time to return ‘home’
After playing in that huge Homebush colosseum, how good will it be to return to our beautiful, sweet, antique home of Lottoland! It may not have all the bells and whistle, or even a giant video screen (coming soon) but it’s ‘Our Fortress’. Grab the kids, tell Grandma and Pop you are taking them out for an Easter treat, suck in the fresh ocean air, and enjoy Saturday night footy on the beautiful Northern Beaches. Visit our new Food Alley and take in the entertainment in the precinct pre-game. There’s plenty of joy to be had. And you may even see the Easter Bunny and receive a nice little egg or two. See you at ‘home’.
