Why DCE needs to end Manly ‘car crash’ now; Gutho exposes glaring Eels blunder — Crawls

Is it sections of the media?

Is it his coach Anthony Seibold?

His chief executive Tony Mestrov?

His former management?

His teammates who have also been accused of leaking information out of the club in the last week?

You could point a finger at all the above given DCE’s cryptic responses coming out of Sunday’s post-match media conference.

But let’s not beat around the bush here.

The natural assumption of most watching this car crash unfold was that DCE clearly had his club boss Mestrov directly in his sights.

So why not just say it and get it over with.

Because by drip-feeding more unclear information, all DCE is doing is creating his own smear campaign with more unfair and unfounded storylines for everyone involved that only further clouds the actual truth.

And in the end you can be guaranteed of one thing for sure and certain:

This will only further disrupt Manly’s preparations again this week heading into their round five game against the Storm on Sunday unless the two men at the centre of the controversy build a bridge and get over it.

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So is DCE’s priority trying to win a premiership in his final season, or blowing the club to pieces on his way out the door?

He needs to make a choice.

With Cherry-Evans sitting right alongside Seibold on Sunday, I was certainly left thinking there was no great issue between the Sea Eagles skipper and his coach.

But that is also not hiding the fact Seibold appeared caught in a world of divided loyalties knowing Mestrov is one of his best mates, but he also needs his skipper onboard to get the best out of his playing squad.

It just puts everyone in an uncomfortable position.

Regardless of whose side of the story you choose to believe, there is no denying this has been another dark chapter in Manly’s volatile history that could have so easily been avoided if everyone involved just showed a bit more respect from the get-go.

But even though the damage is done, it is now up to both DCE and Mestrov to move on in the best interests of the entire Manly club.

GUTHO DELIVERS MORE PAIN FOR PARRA

Dylan Brown or Clint Gutherson.

Who do you reckon Jason Ryles would choose to have at Parramatta if the rookie coach had his time over?

So much for Gutho being a spent force.

While Brown didn’t have a run in the second half until the dying minutes against Manly, 30-year-old Gutherson took it upon himself from the opening whistle to lead the charge for the Dragons in their shock upset win over the Storm.

In the first half alone he would have saved three tries with his defence while he set one up for Val Holmes. And he certainly didn’t slow down after the break.

Meanwhile, Brown looks so devoid of confidence you’d have to think he’d be desperately close to getting dropped to NSW Cup this week to allow someone else a crack wearing the No 6.

It’s not Brown’s fault he has been offered $13 million to go play at the Knights for the next decade.

But what is painfully obvious is that taking the deal has absolutely destroyed him for this season.

BENJI HAS NO REASON TO WHINGE

It’s a bit rich Benji Marshall complaining about the Tigers getting “no favours” in the loss to the Warriors.

How about the fact Jarome Luai stayed on the field when he should have been sin binned for direct contact to the head on Warriors winger Ed Kosi in the second half.

As for the penalty that decided the game, the fact is the shot from Alex Seyfarth clipped Warriors fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad across the chin and it also had to be a penalty.

It would have been as weak as water if the officials let that one go.

The Tigers had this game won and they blew it.

That’s not the ref’s fault.

GRUBBY REPUTATION WILL DESTROY MAHONEY

Reed Mahoney needs to cop the tip or else his grubby reputation could end up destroying his NRL career.

In the aftermath of Mahoney’s latest brain explosion, the rumours that have been swirling around the game for months have resurfaced.

That is that Bulldogs utility Bailey Hayward may end up with the dummy half duties down the track if the club decides Mahoney’s discipline is too big a problem.

Even though the club has previously denied Mahoney has ever been on the nose, you’d imagine the last thing the man himself would want to do right now is test the theory by allowing a suspension to potentially put his position in the team in jeopardy.

Because the one guarantee in all this is that young Hayward is in outstanding form and when Matt Burton returns from injury Hayward will have to find a spot in the team somewhere else other than five-eighth.

Yet Mahoney keeps coming up with knuckle head moments like he did on a defenceless Daniel Atkinson on Saturday night.

Seriously, how Mahoney didn’t get sent straight to the sin bin for this was a joke.

Even more embarrassing for the game was that he was then handed a pitiful $1800 fine and not suspended by the NRL match review committee.

You are entitled to ask what sort of message does the MRC want to send to all the junior players out there.

That is okay to launch into a defenceless opponent laying on the ground and try and drive your shoulder through their head?

I also thought it was a bit sad listening to Mahoney try and defend his actions on Fox League after the game.

When Yvonne Sampson put it to him that he had perhaps “overcooked” some of his moments, Mahoney looked a bit lost as he sheepishly attempted to make out “this is a tough sport” and his actions were “Bulldogs footy”.

It’s just a shame that this even partly overshadowed what was such a brave and convincing performance over a rival top four contender.

I’ve said it before that Mahoney comes across as a good young bloke off the field.

And he is certainly too good a player to continue to allow his reputation to be trashed because of a few isolated but grubby moments.

But Mahoney is the only person who can change the image he has created.

It’s certainly not too late to change.

But it soon will be if he doesn’t cop the tip now.

JOEY UNLOADS ON NICHO

What about Andrew Johns’ brutal assessment of Nicho Hynes’ performance against the Dogs.

After watching the Sharks once again stumble against quality opposition, the eighth Immortal certainly didn’t miss with his honest analysis about where the Sharks chief playmaker is now at.

“I don’t know how Craig Fitzgibbon rebuilds Nicho Hynes’ game,” Johns told The Sunday Footy Show.

“At the moment he is just so low on confidence.

“When the game was on the line you sort of didn’t see Nicho the last 15 minutes. I really don’t know how they rebuild his confidence.”

Asked by Billy Skater if he was working at Sharks what conversations he’d have, Joey added: “I really have no idea.

“I don’t know how to rebuild it … when the game is on the line you want your halfback handling the ball two or three times a set. We didn’t see that.”

GUN HALF UNSIGNED FOR 2026

At a time when so many teams are on the hunt for a top class No 7 for next season, Jake Clifford remains unsigned at the Cowboys beyond this year.

Clifford was easily the best player on the park in the 30-20 win over the Raiders.

He scooted past six defenders to score his first on the back of a dropped bomb from Kaeo Weeks.

While Clifford’s second was even more stunning when he flew through the air and took the ball straight out of Weekes’ arms to touch down.

Now 27, Clifford has had an up and down NRL career since debuting at the Cowboys in 2018.

He actually claimed the Dally M Holden Cup player of the year in 2017 and at that point looked likely to become the next big thing.

But it’s no secret he struggled adjusting to the cutthroat pressure of playing NRL, initially under Paul Green at the Cowboys and then under Adam O’Brien at Newcastle.

However, since returning from a stint in the Super League he has been on the improve and now looks ready to stake his claim for the long haul.

You’d think a few clubs will be keeping a close eye on his contract situation in the coming months.

RICKY BACKS TROUBLED FULLBACK

It was great to see Ricky Stuart back his young fullback after Kaeao Weekes had another tough night in Townsville.

After a forgettable performance last round against the Sea Eagles, Weekes struggled again under the high ball.

He dropped one bomb that led directly to a try, on another he was outjumped by Clifford who scored, and on a third occasion he didn’t even contest the ball because his confidence was obviously shot.

While the Raiders have a pretty handy back up in NSW Cup in young Chevy Stewart, coach Stuart was clear Weekes had the full support of his teammates and would not pay the price for a couple of average games.

Still, Weekes should expect the onslaught to continue when they take on the Sharks on Thursday night.

WHY UNDERPERFORMING WALSH IS GIVING MADGE A GIANT HEADACHE

The jury’s still out on what Michael Maguire will do when Ezra Mam is back from his suspension.

While Ben Hunt has been solid playing five-eighth, you get the feeling Broncos glamour boy Reece Walsh is still not entirely comfortable playing with Hunt instead of his little mate, who Walsh had formed such a great bond on and off-field in recent years.

And it must be giving Madge a giant headache.

Walsh was again steady in the 20-10 win over the Dolphins and strong defensively.

But let’s face it, the player formerly known as the game’s most exciting fullback has hardly set the world on fire this year like we know Walsh is capable of.

He finished the game on Friday night with 12 runs for 84m that included four tackle busts, a line break assist and a try assist.

His only try so far of the season was in the round one flogging of the Roosters.

BENNETT HAS HUGE CALL TO MAKE ON GRAY V MITCHELL

It is amazing South Sydney’s energizer bunny Jye Gray is leading the Dally M Medal count after four rounds but faces getting dumped this week.

Wayne Bennett sure has a huge call to make on where Latrell Mitchell plays when the superstar Rabbitoh returns from injury in Friday night’s blockbuster against the Roosters.

Because the latest injury to strike winger Alex Johnston only makes it more intriguing.

While Bennett has said previously Mitchell is the first-choice fullback and that is the end of the debate, the Rabbitohs’ backline injury crisis at the moment puts a different slant on what may be best for the team.

With Campbell Graham injured along with young Tyrone Munroe and now Johnston, the Rabbitohs look desperately thin in the outside backs.

Perhaps Gray could play in the centres, but we all know Mitchell is world class in both positions.

I’m no supercoach but I know which way I’d go given the players available right now for selection at Souths.