Round 9: MANLY vs TITANS (2023)

[Titanic]

AJ
Lofi
Schoupp
Jojo
Sami
Foran (last chance against old club)
Boyd
Mo
Randall
Tino
Dave
Stimson
Liu

JC (after 30 mins for the fark knarkle)
or JC at 6, Foran out then Sammy Mac in
Leeming
Haas
Mikaele

[Dobes]

Good Evening
I hope you are all well.
The last few years have been terrible for me but I’m fighting on.
I won’t go further into it.
I don’t miss social media at all but I decided at the start of this year that I would make an appearance whenever I deem a game to be a “MINI GF”.

Well this is it. Holbrook can survive and our season can still be potentially a positive one if these brain dead and at times heartless super talented footballers turn it around this week and give us a famous win for all the diehard supporters of our beautiful little city.

I still lurk and honestly I lurk because of HS and MDREW.

And yes it is me.

I’ll post again after the MINI GF.

Miss ya bodsy, good to see ya pop back in!

[Blade07]

1. Brimson
2. Sami
3. Shoupp
4. Jojo
5. Spry
6. Campbell
7. Boyd
8. Mo
9. Randall
10. Tino
11. Fifita
12. Haas
13. Liu
14. Leeming
15. Stimson
16. Mikaele
17. McIntyre

[Gold Coast 88]

It was Holbrook's idea to bring Foran to the club.
The selection over the next few weeks will provide a view on whether JH is protecting himself but not dropping his marquee signing or if he is selecting the side based on form and poor games are punished by time on the bench or QCup.

[DIEHARD]

Good Evening
I hope you are all well.
The last few years have been terrible for me but I’m fighting on.
I won’t go further into it.
I don’t miss social media at all but I decided at the start of this year that I would make an appearance whenever I deem a game to be a “MINI GF”.

Well this is it. Holbrook can survive and our season can still be potentially a positive one if these brain dead and at times heartless super talented footballers turn it around this week and give us a famous win for all the diehard supporters of our beautiful little city.

I still lurk and honestly I lurk because of HS and MDREW.

And yes it is me.

I’ll post again after the MINI GF.

Welcome back! I'm delighted to have you guest star. I hope we can have many MINI GFs to come. You've been missed.

I agree about HS and MDREW. Their work has been very selfless and they have been very generous with sharing their time and knowledge and insights. In fact I think I'd go further and say that it has certainly rubbed off and had a lasting impact on many fans and focused them on the positive coming from the grassroots.

One day we will get the blocks of this club to click together. And I think we are half way there.

I love following an underdog club, but it's a bit much sometimes!

[DIEHARD]

I'm at a loss about Foran. I was gung-ho for him but he hasn't delivered. I thought he'd be a competitor, organiser and calming influence.

As Titanic says, let's see how he goes against his former club. Hopefully that fires him up.

I want to see a lot of JC. He has a never say die spirit and energy.

I've been enjoying David Fifita this year. He is getting more involved beyond his brief.

I want us to be cold and methodical, the opportunities will come. Don't just "Play footy", "Put em to the sword!" Show some steel!

[Titanic]

The majority of our breaks and points yesterday came either down the middle or on our right edge. Lofi has been largely ignored in recent weeks (since Foran came back) and that is either Foran or BK or both, at least DF tries to put him away. There seems to have been a lot going on that doesn't spell great signs since the "benching" incident. Any conspiracy theorists like to comment on that.

[Seaside Garbo]

If we have to do a short drop-out or a short kickoff, can we please aim for 15metre mark. I am sick of seeing the ball land around 5-8m and giving away a penalty. The players should have more than enough time to get to the ball at 15m-20m, they would also have more momentum to contest the ball in the air.

[MaroonTitan]

I'm at a loss about Foran. I was gung-ho for him but he hasn't delivered. I thought he'd be a competitor, organiser and calming influence.

As Titanic says, let's see how he goes against his former club. Hopefully that fires him up.

I want to see a lot of JC. He has a never say die spirit and energy.

I've been enjoying David Fifita this year. He is getting more involved beyond his brief.

I want us to be cold and methodical, the opportunities will come. Don't just "Play footy", "Put em to the sword!" Show some steel!

Yep. Put em to the sword, Diehard. I like it. Bang on about Foran. If he is to play against Manly. I hope Holbrook trains JC there more than normal for him to feel the hot breath down his neck. This is it Kieran - do what we signed you for or go to SuperLeague. Quite possible that Holbrook has contributed to Foran's form.

- - - Updated - - -

If we have to do a short drop-out or a short kickoff, can we please aim for 15metre mark. I am sick of seeing the ball land around 5-8m and giving away a penalty. The players should have more than enough time to get to the ball at 15m-20m, they would also have more momentum to contest the ball in the air.

And no. No more short kick offs. Let's focus on being a good defensive team and play field position to test our resolve. Agree with HS that the messaging is all wrong around the touch footy approach. Whether we're 26-0 up or not, let's roll our sleeves up and get into it.

I hope I'm wrong about this but as good as AJ is, he looks to have the wrong attitude. It worries me. Will he be one of the great wastes of potential? It hurts me to say this, as I love him as a player.

[MaroonTitan]

Just read this:
https://www.titans.com.au/news/2023/...a-cup-triumph/

Is he a chance for selection? Big unit and rock solid for PNG in the middle during the WC. He played big minutes against that Tongan pack and stopped them every time. There's something about him.

[Hail Sezer]

Just read this:
https://www.titans.com.au/news/2023/...a-cup-triumph/

Is he a chance for selection? Big unit and rock solid for PNG in the middle during the WC. He played big minutes against that Tongan pack and stopped them every time. There's something about him.

I’ve been cheering for him but he’s got some defensive flaws that could get exposed at NRL level.

To be honest, I’ve been pretty disappointed with Alick this year in Qcup for the most part

[Titanic]

Yes that’s a difficult one because he has demonstrated a level of talent and shown enough to be in the squad. Maybe it’s a case of “you never never know unless…. “ I doubt he’s more of a risk than last week’s bench.

[Hail Sezer]

Yes that’s a difficult one because he has demonstrated a level of talent and shown enough to be in the squad. Maybe it’s a case of “you never never know unless…. “ I doubt he’s more of a risk than last week’s bench.

Probably right T

[willhelm]

Would like to see Maumalo come in for AKP.

Kelly has to be on his last chance, else Jojo takes his spot and Schoupp comes back in at right centre with Sami at right wing.

Foran we need to persist with because he is proven quality and has been the only half to consistently put Fifita through holes since he joined us. Fifita is just playing much better in general outside Foran, so we need to judge Foran on his overall team contribution not just individual stuff ups like the failed short dropout and kick for AKP this week and Riki try the previous week. That's just him trying too hard and overplaying his hand.

We're losing through the middle so I'd like to see Stimson, who has been doing well for us on the edge, shift to bench middle and Haas or Sam Mac play edge.

Drop Clark who is completely incapable of defending in the middle. I think he is the main reason that we are falling apart when Tino and Mo go off. He's not skillful enough to play 7 or 6, doesn't have the vision, game awareness, or agility to play 9, and doesn't have the size to play middle. What is his role in the squad other than hype man?

Persist with Mikaele but tell him to just focus on the fundamentals. Run hard, tackle hard. It's not rocket surgery.

The JC conundrum I really have no idea. If we drop him to reserves, I think he leaves the club, but is he a better 14 than Leeming? Probably not, but I'm leaning towards keeping JC as the 14, dropping Leeming, and playing Randall for 70-80.

I'd like to see this week's team as follows:

1. AJ
2. Maumalo
3. Kelly
4. Jojo
5. Sami
6. Foran
7. Boyd
8. Mo
9. Randall
10. Tino
11. Fifita
12. Haas
13. Liu

14. JC
15. Stimson
16. Mikaele
17. Iszac

[Cowabunga]

I think only one of Leeming and Clark can play if JC stays and Haas come in and I think the rotation would be OK if Holbrook wasn't stupid with them. I'd move Moe back to the bench and have Mikaele start each half or around it for the second one for a 10/15 min stint to save Moe for later in the game. You could bring Haas on after 20 get and Stimson in the middle for a 10 min stint then bring him back on with 20 or so on the edge without the fatigue.

I'd be splitting up Tino and Moe so one of them are always out there. I think most of the reason we're getting ahead then dying in the ass is because we're cooking ourselves getting ahead and Holbrook not remembering that games go for 80 mins instead of 50. We might sacrifice a bit of a start but we should be a stronger team coming home.

We only need around 25 or so mins from a prop and 35ish or so from Haas, Anything more is a bonus. I MISS JJ SO MUCH, He'll make us a lot better taking those mins.