Tough season hard to take for Manly as past success haunts Barrett

FINAL VERDICT: The Manly Sea Eagles struggled through the season and have some tough decisions to make before 2017. There is light at the end of the tunnel, though.

THE Manly Sea Eagles struggled through the season and have some tough decisions to make before 2017. There is light at the end of the tunnel, though.

Daily Telegraph journalists Matt Logue and Nick Campton give their final verdict on the Sea Eagles.

By MATT LOGUE

What went right:

The Trbojevic brothers Jake and Tom were brilliant for Manly this season. Jake stepped up to skipper the Sea Eagles on multiple occasions, while Tom showcased class and skills well beyond his 19 years.

Tom Trbojevic and Jake Trbojevic were standout players for Manly in 2016. Picture: Gregg Porteous

What went wrong:

Injuries to stars Brett Stewart, Steve Matai, Jamie Lyon and Nate Myles cruelled Manly’s season. The Sea Eagles were also forced to deal with numerous off-field issues, highlighted by match fixing allegations.

By NICK CAMPTON

What went right:

Just about everything the Trbojevic brothers did turned out OK. Jake is clearly a long-term future captain of the club and was the most consistent forward all season. Tom was Manly’s most dangerous attacking player despite carrying an ankle injury for much of the year and should be the fullback next season. Martin Taupau waxed more than he waned despite being moved around the forward pack an awful lot and Matt Parcell looks to be a real goer.

Manly Coach Trent Barrett has some work to do to keep his job. Picture: Mark Evans

What went wrong:

Moving on from the glory years will be a real problem for the Sea Eagles and they have some tough choices to make on Brett Stewart and Steve Matai. A match-fixing scandal continues to hover over the Silvertails and high-priced recruit Dylan Walker was a bust at five-eighth before doing better at centre. Daly Cherry-Evans tried hard but battled injury and form problems for much of the season, as well as lacking the playmaking support he required. There were rumblings about the future of coach Trent Barrett and the power balance at the club remains shrouded in mystery. There will be more questions than answers for Manly heading into next season.

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