Manly’s much-vaunted middle are bracing themselves for their biggest forward battle of the season in Saturday’s crunch clash with Melbourne.
Regarded among the competition’s best, Manly’s starting trio of Martin Taupau, Addin Fonua-Blake and Jake Trbojevic are arguably the in-form pack of the NRL.
The trio average a combined 391m per match – the third highest of any club’s regular starting middle behind Brisbane and North Queensland.
On Saturday though they face established Kiwis Test forwards in Jesse Bromwich and Nelson Asofa-Solomona and NSW State of Origin lock Dale Finucane.
“They’re massive,” Manly hooker Manase Fainu said.
“I’m up to their chest when they are running at me.
“I would probably say it is (the best two forward packs).
“If I wasn’t playing at Manly I would say Addin and Marty would be the hardest to tackle in the NRL. But since I play with them, the Melbourne (forwards) are.”
There are differences in the way both sides use their packs.
Melbourne have a heavier reliance on their bench while Manly’s play big minutes, called upon to keep going under coach Des Hasler.
Both however have been noted as among the best in the ruck this year.
That will be crucial at the Brookvale blockbuster given Manly’s preference to roll through the middle with second-phase play and dummy-half runs.
“I know Addin, Marty and Jake will lead us, and we’ve got to play off the back of them,” Fainu said.
“I love running and if they give us good play the balls and me, Chez (Daly Cherry-Evans), Walks (Dylan Walker) and Turbo (Tom Trbojevic) play off the back of it.”
Hasler had argued this year his side’s starting pack does not rank as the best, highlighting Melbourne and the Sydney Roosters’ when asked earlier this month.
But opposition teams aren’t buying it, knowing the danger the pack posses.
“They definitely have one of the best forward packs in the comp, there’s no doubt about that,” Melbourne utility Brandon Smith said.
“They’ve got Addin Fonua-Blake who is in career best form and he’s a really big body and he does the job.
“Martin Tapau is another international. He’s destructive when he wants to run the ball.
“And then you’ve got Jake with that subtle ball-playing ability that links them all together.”
HOW THE STARTING MIDDLES STACK UP
MANLY:
Addin Fonua-Blake: 154 average metres, 49 tackle busts, 29 offloads, 92 per cent tackle efficiency, 53 average minutes.
Martin Taupau: 140 average metres, 45 tackle busts, 37 offloads, 92 per cent tackle efficiency, 49 average minutes
Jake Trbojevic: 97 average metres, 3 tackle busts, 8 offloads, 93 per cent tackle efficiency, 78 average minutes.
MELBOURNE:
Jesse Bromwich: 112 average metres, 23 tackle busts, 13 offloads, 90 per cent tackle efficiency: 49 average minutes.
Nelson Asofa-Solomona: 112 average metres, 36 tackle busts, 28 offloads, 91 per cent tackle efficiency: 39 average minutes.
Dale Finucane: 115 average metres, 22 tackle busts, 8 offloads, 93 per cent tackle efficiency, 59 average minutes.
Stats: Fox Sports
