The day Mannah wanted out of the Eels

Thu 16 Apr, 2015, 7:00pmBy Matt Encarnacion, Western Sydney Correspondent, NRL.comEMAIL PRINTHe'll complete a real captain's knock when he reaches 150 not out on Sunday afternoon, but there was a time when Tim Mannah was going to fall short of a century at the Eels.It came almost immediately after the Nathan Hindmarsh era, when the Eels collected their second-straight wooden spoon and he wasn't sure whether Parramatta was the place to be."I love the club. Obviously I've been here my whole life," he told NRL.com this week."[But] there was a time where the direction of the club was pretty unclear. As a playing group and as an individual, I was wondering whether the place was the right place to be."The always-affable Mannah wore the losses like a punching bag, but never lost his cool. He wanted to wait it out, take the hits. There were so many times he thought he saw the light at the end of the tunnel, only for the club to turn the corner and plunge further into darkness."We've had some real tough times at this club, but ever since Brad's been on board the direction of the club has been very clear and very bright," he said."It's definitely the place I want to be and also a lot of other players. You've seen a lot of players show a lot of interest in the club. That just gives credit to the staff and the squad we have here at the moment."The former NSW prop isn't much of a sentimental bloke, "only because you get so caught up in wanting to get back on track," he says. Except now he can't help but reflect on what he's had to go through to reach this milestone."What makes it special is knowing how much I'm enjoying my footy now compared to those years," he said."As frustrating as those years were, they definitely made me a lot more appreciative, a lot more grateful now, to be part of the squad I'm in now, to have the coaching staff we have at the moment, and just to see the direction we're heading in."Having signed on for an extra three years last season, the 27-year-old now has designs on becoming a rare one-club man."Absolutely, I do. I love the place. I'd love to be here for my career. This place is pretty special to me. I love the club, I love the city of Parramatta, I love playing with this group of boys that we have as well," he said."I think we're building something nicely here as a squad, and it's definitely a place that I want to spend my [entire] career at."Mannah isn't the only one that will hit a personal milestone on Sunday afternoon.While the Eels skipper was destined to have a long career in the blue and gold, fate had the once-troubled Sandow on a one-way ticket to Cherbourg.The enigmatic halfback's issues with alcohol and gambling came to the fore two years ago, when he was first dropped to reserve grade by then-coach Ricky Stuart and then forced to check in to rehab.And that was when questions were raised on when Sandow's next game would come, let alone his 150th."It's massive, especially in NRL teams, because a lot of people don't get to 50 games because of injuries and stuff. So I've been lucky," he said."I did have thoughts about going home when things were going wrong. But it takes a good man to stick things out when the going is tough. You've just got to have good people around you in your life and keep them close. They've been a big part of me going forward and I do thank them a lot."It's been an emotional roller-coaster ride for Sandow at Parramatta, where he remembers first choking on the expectations that came with his hefty price tag."Before, I took it personally. I let things get to me, because I wear my heart on my sleeve. But I know how to manage it more now. I've got to work really hard on my game. I'm a naturally gifted football player, but I've got to work hard to keep that under tabs," he said."I didn't quite expect the big expectations coming here to Parramatta. I did find that really tough. I had to work really hard – I didn't quite do that at the start – to get my body where it should've been at the time."Negotiations continue with the Eels on another deal, but whatever the outcome, he says he's more prepared for what's coming at whichever club he plays his football at next season."Now, I'm a few years older and a bit more mature and wiser. It takes time as an NRL player, it's not easy. Everyone's looking at you off the field, and everyone wants to bring you down when you're not playing well," he said."You've just got to have the right people around you, stick with them. If they make you happy off the field, you're going to be happy on the field."http://www.nrl.com/the-day-mannah-wanted-out-of-the-eels/tabid/10874/newsid/85436/default.aspx

"That's nothing new though right I mean sticky was saying his team made 60 odd tackles before his team saw the ball and still came back and won.It feels like you could go to almost any contest any week and pick apart these wild inconsistencies within…"

Replies

Alan Hunt April 16, 2015 at 9:36pm

Gee how would have the club coped with losing our inspirational skipper????
- jamesy > Alan Hunt April 16, 2015 at 9:37pm
  
  pretty well
- Camo73 > Alan Hunt April 16, 2015 at 9:48pm
  
  I think it's a hard one. Timmy is a good bloke and a good club captain.
  Sadly though, it seems that he is content being an ok player rather than being the best in his position.
  I want to see Timmy stay but not the Timmy we've seen for the last 2-3 years. I want to see the guy who came with big expectations; the guy who played for NSW early on and held his own.
  Come on Tim. FIRE UP!!
Leigh T. April 16, 2015 at 9:41pm

What a perfect ambassador for our club off the field, hope he signs on again. I think he cops it abit on here unfairly. He's probably got his brother in the back of his mind. Not an Eels great but an honest footy player.
- Nutcracker > Leigh T. April 16, 2015 at 10:59pm
  
  Yep, I agree.
This reply was deleted.
- GRUNTA - Death of a Salesman April 16, 2015 at 10:08pm
  
  ...and they may.
  
  Well said though by the big fella.
Frank The Tank April 16, 2015 at 10:06pm

Mannah has shown that you can survive in Rugby League without a great deal of talent. Apparently smiling a lot and regurgitating the same few lines is all you need nowadays.

Its great that he has remained loyal but seriously we need front rowers who scare the opposition not make them feel like breaking into a hillsong prayer session.
- Snakey - Sack Dylan Brown > Frank The Tank April 16, 2015 at 10:26pm
  
  Tims what our clubs always been built on, on the park, mediocrity...
Frank The Tank April 16, 2015 at 10:17pm

Mate if salaries were aligned with smiling he would be the highest paid player in the game. Seffa would run a close second.

What do they have in common? Yep you guessed it, Hillsong.
eelsy April 16, 2015 at 10:42pm

It makes me wonder would've hayne still decided to go to the nfl if the club wasn't such an unhappy place for those few years?