Manly halfback’s confession after field goal failure
George Clarke |
Jamal Fogarty knows his big-game composure will be freshly scrutinised but the Manly halfback is relishing the chance to prove he can be the ice-cold killer the Sea Eagles need when the game is on the line.
Fogarty described himself as “cranky” after missing two conversions and two field goal attempts in last Saturday’s 13-12 loss to Canterbury.
No goalkicker is immune to an off night with the boot but Fogarty’s failure to land a match-winning field goal will be the focus of further discussion as Manly’s season approaches September.
Fogarty struggled to kill off close games during his time at Canberra, most notably in last year’s heartbreaking finals loss to Brisbane.
“I had a moment to ice the field goal, but didn’t, and that’s something that I’ve been working on,” Fogarty said.
“Obviously there’s going to be a bit of chat about that and I know that I’ve got to improve on that and it’s the same with my goalkicking.
“You’ve got to own the set, there’s a certain part of the field you want to get set up for myself and we clarified that on Monday.
“It’s about me making sure I know what the score is and how long’s left, owning the moment because we’ve got a set that’s designed for that.”
Fogarty claims he is his harshest marker and while not a golfer, likened his struggles from the tee to a case of the yips.
“I don’t read articles and don’t really care what other people think, I have very high standards of myself,” Fogarty said.
“When I miss a goal kick, like you’ll probably see by the time I get back to the 50-metre line I’m still a bit cranky at myself, talking to myself.
“I just need to get a process to say when something doesn’t go my way, just forget about it, and stay in the next moment, because it’s not that moment that probably lets you down, it’s the couple after.”
Fogarty’s mea culpa came as the Sea Eagles announced a new deal for talented playmaker Joey Walsh, who is viewed as a long-term halves option for Manly.
Walsh has signed an extension that keeps him at Brookvale Oval until 2029.
First-choice five-eighth Luke Brooks is off contract in 2027, while Fogarty’s deal runs out at the end of the 2028 season.
“He (Walsh) is the future and seeing him develop in the past 18 months, it’s been incredible,” said Manly captain Tom Trbojevic.
“The way he came in last year, he was quite raw, and what he’s developed into and the player he is now (is impressive), and he’s ready to make that jersey his own for a very long time.”
AAP