A bit of talent, just not all in-together ya know?

Always be weary of the quick-fix. That's the over-arching vibe coming out of Manly after their 2016 NRL campaign, one that started with a bit of hype thanks to their plan to splash the cash and fast-forward the rebuilding process but this only saw the Sea Eagles look fairly disjointed, lacking a particular style or identity.

The writing was on the wall that Manly would be entering a rebuilding phase and with new coach Trent Barrett coming in, I thought a sensible way of approaching the 2016 season would be to snap up low key signings and develop young talent like the Trbojevic brothers. Instead, Barrett and Manly supremo Bob Fulton splashed the cash and raised expectations, snapping up a range of blokes led by Martin Taupau who offered value to the Sea Eagles but didn't necessarily make them a better team.

Taupau was the standout signing and he finished the season in the sort of form that we expect from Taupau, giving Manly a similar forward to Jason Taumalolo. Manly's forward pack wasn't all that bad when they were all in the squad, healthy and eager to bring the ruckus (Taupau and Darcy Lussick are prime examples). This simply wasn't often enough though and even when they were at full-strength, it still felt as though Manly were missing something.

Trying to pin-point what that something was, is difficult. They had the cavalry as a forward pack consisting of Taupau, Lussick, Nate Myles, Jake Trbojevic, Siosaia Vave, Jamie Buhrer etc should be dynamic and dangerous. However they aren't overly skilled which limits their ability to go down this route in terms of style of play, nor do they have the collective power of other forward packs. Probably a case of a few too many forwards who are similar in size and what they offer.

Perhaps Manly's problems run much deeper, with the cracks far too big for a wheelin' and dealing to cover up. Sure, guys like Dylan Walker, Steve Matai and Jamie Lyon had their seasons hampered by injuries, yet other clubs have to also battle a constant wave of injuries.

The difference is that other clubs have juniors coming through who can do a job and offer excitement about the future, Manly don't quite have that talent coming through, hence they feel the need to spend on blokes from other clubs.

The Trbojevic brothers are the exception for sure. Jake was strong all season in the No.13 jersey and Tom has effectively put Brett Stewart out of a job with Manly, such was his form at fullback when he wasn't clearly hampered by an injury that will require surgery this summer.

Manly will benefit from having Walker and Daly Cherry-Evans build on their combination, with Walker's running game nicely suited to DCE's control. Manly fans could/should be a wee bit worried about DCE's form though as he is yet to reach the heights that he reached a few seasons ago and while Manly did well to snap him up long-term, long-term deals bring comfort and I wouldn't be surprised if we don't quite see DCE kick on and be the best halfback in the NRL.

Further complicating my perception of Manly, is their decision to make another wholesale cut in their roster, apparently bidding farewell a gang of squad members now that the season is done. Doing this two seasons in a row is weird and although Barrett and Fulton obviously aren't happy with the quality of their roster, they are putting growth and development off for another season as wholesale changes this summer will only mean more time for the team to build combinations and their identity.

Given that Manly played without much of an identity this season and lacked combinations thanks to new signings and injuries, it's hard to envision 2017 being much better. That's despite the likes of Taupau, Trbojevic bros and DCE all playing at a high level, it's just not enough.