NRL - Manly Sea Eagles 2018 Season Preview and Prediction
Manly Sea Eagles 2018 Season Preview
Last Season - 6th, 14 Wins, 10 Losses, 552 Points Scored, 512 Points Conceded
Last 5 Seasons – 4th (Lost Grand Final), 2nd, 9th, 13th, 6th
2017 Review - Not many people expected much last season from Manly, including myself, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. Expectations were generally low, at least from the outside, for a team that finished in the Bottom 4 in 2016 and appeared in a state of flux. After a nightmare start, where they were belted by the Eels and Rabbitohs at home in their opening two games, the Sea Eagles rallied to become one of the most dangerous attacking sides in the NRL. The Sea Eagles form was fantastic on the road, beating strong sides like the Roosters, Cowboys and Raiders in their own backyard.
The side looked flaky defensively, especially on the edges at times throughout the season, and that’s something they will have to address if they want to take another step forward in 2018. Despite the 14 wins being a great achievement, overall Manly would have been disappointed with their Round 1 finals’ exit to Penrith, a side they beat by 3 points the previous week.
2018 Gains: Jack Gosiewski (Rabbitohs), Toafofoa Sipley (Warriors - 2019), Lachlan Croker (Raiders - 2018), Joel Thompson (Dragons - 2019)
2018 Losses: Pita Godinet (Wests Tigers), Blake Green (Warriors), Brenton Lawrence (retired), Jesse Martin (Rabbitohs), Steve Matai (retired), Brett Stewart (retired), Billy Bainbridge, Jarrad Kennedy, Joey Lussick (released)
What to Make of their Gains and Losses - Manly have had a very quiet summer, with the Salary Cap storm that enveloped the Club as rumours of them being over the cap surfaced. They did manage to snare Dragons’ back rower Joel Thompson for the next three seasons, which is a handy pick up to a forward pack lacking depth. Thompson is a hard-nosed back rower who, whilst not explosive, is a defensively strong and mentally tough sort of player.
The big loss for the Sea Eagles was that of five eight Blake Green, who I thought was excellent for them last season. He played the perfect fit for Daly Cherry Evans, and his experience was vital in earning repeat sets and steering the Sea Eagles around the park. It will be interesting to see whether Lachlan Croke rcan have anywhere near the same impact, given he seems certain to start in the Number 6 jersey.
Head Coach - (Trent Barrett) - Whilst Trent Barrett would have been frustrated with Manly’s inability to add to their roster in the off-season, he really put his imprint on this side last season. He suffered a real baptism of fire in his debut coaching season, when Manly finished 13th and he is definitely a coach that wears his heart on his sleeve. However, last season Barrett moulded a style of football that was expansive and aggressive in the image of the side he had at his disposal. Manly seemed a confident and happy team for most of the year and, whilst Barrett could occasionally lose his rag in post-match press conferences, he has a good hold on what he is doing with this roster. The biggest battle for Barrett in 2018 will be staying out of the politics of how the Penn family run the Manly Club, and managing a roster that, whilst talented, lacks depth as a squad.
Most Important Player - Daly Cherry Evans - Cherry Evans was back to his dynamic best in 2017 after a couple of seasons where his form had dipped alarmingly. Whilst he was still snubbed by Queensland, he played like the best halfback in the competition for large periods of 2017. He stepped up in clutch moments with big field goals, as well as playing some sparkling attacking football, whether through his passing, kicking or rejuvenated running game. He led from the front as Captain, and they won’t be able to ignore him at Rep level if he reproduces his 2017 form this season.
2018 Likely Side - Sea Eagles 1. Tom Trbojevic 2. Aquila Uate 3. Brian Kelly 4. Matthew Wright 5. Jorge Taufua 6. Lachlan Croker 7. Daly Cherry-Evans 8. Marty Taupau 9. Apisai Koroisau 10. Darcy Tussock 11. Curtis Sironen 12. Joel Thompson 13. Jake Trbojevic 14. Lewis Brown 15. Addin Fonua-Blake 16. Lloyd Perrett 17. Frank Winterstein - Unavailable: Dylan Walker (ankle)
2018 Verdict - 6th - I just think this side is being underrated heading into 2018. I know they have lost Blake Green, however I still think they have some key players that are about to go to another level in their careers. I think Tom Trbojevic is a superstar who can genuinely challenge James Tedesco for the Number 1 role with the Blues. I think Trbojevic is also an outstanding player and, in the absence of Blake Green, will step up and show he is also an excellent ball player. Daly Cherry Evens was mesmeric at times last year, and I think as long as Lachlan Croker can take a few eyes off him, Cherry Evans can be just as dominant. Apisai Koroisau is my tip to be the Blues hooker this year, so I think that gives Manly a really dangerous and creative spine that will worry all teams in the competition.
Throw in Martin Tapua, Dylan Walker, Akila Uate and a decent back row of Curtis Sironen and Joel Thompson and I think this side has a lot of strike power. Undoubtedly, the question mark over this side is their ability to defend and be resilient in games. Last year they conceded a number of big scores when they were beaten, and they were not the most resilient side when things went against them. Another concern would be a genuine lack of depth as, whilst I believe their best 17 is a very decent side, I think they lack the depth of other sides that I expect to be in and around the Top 8 finishing in 6th spot side in 2017.