Happy Round 9! Game Day is this Sunday 2pm back at Fortress Brookvale. The enemy? Canberra Raiders. Be there! It will be nice to head home once more and hopefully the boys will be able to back last weeks win up. Unfortunately it seems Kieran Foran will have another week off and his older brother Liam should take his place. More on the upcoming game later in the week...
So I am a massive Manly Sea Eagles supporter. I have been supporting this team since I was a little girl but these last few seasons have seen a notable increase in my interest of the game. Last year I went to as many games as I could but this year I wanted to "Earn my wings" so I did just that and it has been the best decision. The following are 9 (bias) reasons why I love the Manly Sea Eagles.
Reason 1: The Manly Sea Eagles all look good in maroon and white. Think about it. Every time one of the players dons a different coloured jersey, be it Australia's green and gold, NSW blue, QLD maroon or either of the City vs Country jerseys, it just looks plain wrong. Now don't get me wrong there is nothing I enjoy more than seeing one of the team chosen at a representative level!
Reason 2: When I was a little girl my mother, sister and I loved watching Geoff Toovey play, and now he is the coach! I love the fact that even though we lost a great coach when Des left we kept it "in the family" and our current coach is a former Sea Eagle himself.
Reason 3: The Manly Sea Eagles are a tight-knit team who celebrate each others victories and support each other when needed. I love the fact that every time we score a try, the entire team runs over to the try scorer and celebrates with them as though they themselves had just scored a try. There is no 'I' in their team and each person plays their part in contributing to the overall result.
Reason 4: The Manly Sea Eagles appreciate their fans and supporters. Even when there is no victory to celebrate the majority of them manage to take a few minutes after the game to visit fans, say hello and even sign a few hats. It does not matter if it is a home game at Brookvale or an away game. One of my favourite moments of last week's game was when the team came over to the supporters bay and joined in the celebrations that were still underway long after the game ended.
Reason 5: Despite the Manly Sea Eagles having a not so hot start to the year, they do not seem as though they are stuck in rut. A losing streak can often have a degrading and demotivating effect on a team but I can see that although they are not exactly overjoyed with their efforts they know they can play better and that they will eventually overcome this rough patch in the season.
Reason 6: Each individual in the Manly Sea Eagles makes me love my Manly Sea Eagles even more! I cannot think of one single team member that I enjoy watching over any other. There is the undeniable talent of the two halves, the speed and consistency of the fullback, the sometimes unnoticed but hugely important efforts of the hooker, the two centres who often cross the line in a seemingly effortless attempt, the wingers who do an incredible job of returning the ball and gaining valuable metres after a kick, and the forward pack who defend tirelessly and are often the difference between winning or losing.
Reason 7: One thing I love about getting to a game is the atmosphere that is created by the Sea Eagles supporters. I've said it before and I will most definitely say it again, the atmosphere and spirit at those games are thrilling and like none that I have felt before. I feel very proud to be part of the crowd cheering our boys on.
Reason 8: The Manly Sea Eagles are the 2011 premiers... enough said! Watching them win game after game last year was brilliant. I watched my boys win that Grand Final from a small bar in Thailand where I was holidaying - where were my priorities! - and despite the many Australians hoping that the Warriors would win we dug deep and reaped the rewards for the efforts put in by every single team member. It was possibly the highlight of my year!
Reason 9: The Manly Sea Eagles NEVER give up. Even if there is only a few minutes left on the clock to score 3 tries nobody gives up or puts in less than their full amount of effort. The time on the clock does not seem to factor in to their game. They play football and play it until the last siren is sounded. I have seen numerous losing teams simply give up when the time draws closer to 80 minutes and often the other team will capitalise on that and score more. My team NEVER gives up!!!
So there it is. Bias, I know, although I would just like to point out that I am not suggesting that these traits are exclusive to the Manly Sea Eagles as I am sure there are many other teams out there in the NRL as well as other sporting teams, professional and non-professional, that probably possess many of the traits I have mentioned. I just love my team!
So Happy Round 9, and bring on this Sunday 2pm!!
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