Last placed Manly have appointed club legend and Rugby League Immortal Bob Fulton as a Strategic Football Consultant, to oversee recruitment and search for new talent to bring to the club.
The appointment is also designed to help stem the flow of talented players departing the club, however it would appear that it is too late now for such action.
This season, Manly are without stalwarts Glenn Stewart, who moved to Souths and Anthony Watmough, now at Parramatta, and both are continuing their consistently good form.
At seasons end, Manly will also lose both their young Test halves. Keiran Foran will be moving to Parramatta while Daly Cherry-Evans has signed a lucrative deal with the Gold Coast Titans.
Recently there has been the inevitable speculation that surrounds a poorly performing teams coach, with Toovey’s position allegedly under threat. Penrith coach Ivan Cleary and former Huddersfield and St Helens coach, now assistant at the Melbourne Storm, Nathan Brown, suggested as likely replacements.
However the club has quashed any talk of dumping Toovey in a statement today, citing how he received a tough initiation into coaching when then coach Des Hasler made a sudden decision to coach the Bulldogs, yet despite this, Toovey has taken the club to three successive finals campaigns.
Manly have lost their last 4 games, a feat they last achieved in 2009. This weekend they face a depleted Bulldogs side, where another loss would see them reach 5 in a row for the first time since 2005. However in both those years, the club still managed to make the finals.
Toovey said in a statement released by the club yesterday, regarding Fulton’s appointment, “Bob and I have shared considerable success in the past and I look forward to reviving that formidable partnership.”
“Bob has an incredible knowledge of the game and I’m heartened to have someone of his reputation supporting the club.”
Fulton said of his appointment “it is exciting to have an opportunity to help craft the future of the club.’’
Fulton won 3 premierships with Manly as a player and a further two as coach. Toovey was captain of Manly in 1996 when Manly won it’s last premiership with Fulton as coach.
