2022 NRL Round 1: Cronulla Sutherland Sharks vs. Canberra Raiders @ GIO Stadium - Friday March 11 @ 6:00 pm

[Six Again]

Good that the over optimistic expectations for an instant Fitzucane miracle have been brought back to earth , but also good it has happened in Round 1.

Just glad Rapana was on the sidelines as he would have had a party out there last night .

Unfortunately we don't play the Tigers until Round 5

 

[Western Sharkie]

farrkk I walked out of work function....we up by 1
get to car - check score we lose it...
same ol Sharkies????

what the **** happened?

Is it worth a watch of the game or should I not bother because we are putrid and know how to lose a game

Same!

 

[Sir Chadley]

I’ve now had a chance to watch the second half.

Overall I think we can improve and still have a good season.

Just dumb mistakes and errors in the first half caused us to defend more than we should have. Hard for us or any team to keep them out with all the ball they had.

IMO the following players can hold their head up high:

Hynes
Finucane
Wilton
Fifita
Tolman (yes you read right!)
Brailey

WK was great in parts but the dropped ball and missed tackle blotted his copy book.

Ramien, Moylan were poo with the rest a bit meh.

 

[Western Sharkie]

I’ve now had a chance to watch the second half.

Overall I think we can improve and still have a good season.

Just dumb mistakes and errors in the first half caused us to defend more than we should have. Hard for us or any team to keep them out with all the ball they had.

IMO the following players can hold their head up high:

Hynes
Finucane
Wilton
Fifita
Tolman (yes you read right!)
Brailey

WK was great in parts but the dropped ball and missed tackle blotted his copy book.

Ramien, Moylan were poo with the rest a bit meh.

Ikuvalu ??

 

[Wiz]

Yeah, our 5th tackle options were atrocious.

This is when one of your halves takes charge and makes an effective last tackle play if the other one is tackled on the 4th.

Clearly Moylan struggles with that and that’s not a good sign

 

[Sir Chadley]

Ikuvalu ??

He was ok mate, I don’t mind him in the side.

 

[Matty C of the Shire]

Round 1. not too much expected

defence was better
dale was good, hunt looks like he is hungry.
Brailey hot and cold
WK missing his confidence.
hynes needs to be 5/8 and tricky be half round 3
moylan goneeeeee

when all troops are back, McInnes at lock, dale at prop
either we put teig as centre and Tracey on bench . Or we go with Tracey in centre and Metcalf on bench (no Moylan, the team looks confused in attack, no dominate half )

 

[Gards]

I imagine it's Steve Price in the dressing rooms with a bald cap on to simulate Fitz

We have Robbo on staff mate for these situations , just chock his shoes up to get the required height

Didn't know it was Wighton's 200th lol of course we were destined to lose.

We pretty much lose all those games when it's either a special moment for an opposition player or when a team/player needs to regain their form.

also games where it's one of our players having a special moment or milestone, especially those games actually

Obviously disappointed Sharks could not steal it at the death, after that mountain of work in the 1st half. Most pleasing for me was that is the first game in an eternity, that the Raiders pack did not motor up the middle with 60-70m sets before getting in attacking kicks. Who ever was locking up the middle - kudos. I have watched games recently against the Raiders where it looked like boys versus men (in the forwards) - not last night. Things are on the up.

You can thank Dale for that work in the middle

Yea agree was nice change from Morris/Hannay ball in that the opposition didn't seem to steam roll up field 80 metres every set into our red zone

errors in our backline and halves cost us in the end, I think the forwards made a good account of themselves generally speaking

 

[bort]

We have Robbo on staff mate for these situations , just chock his shoes up to get the required height

Sit him on prices shoulders in a long trench coat

 

[BurgoShark]

In case anyone was wondering - Fitz got the forward usage spot on in this one.

Fifita, Talakai and Hunt looked great as low-minute bench forwards, but as expected - Finucane, Tolman, BHU and Rudolf did most of the heavy lifting.

Hunt looks fantastic because the Sharks had the ball almost the whole time he was on the field.

 

[Walley_01]

In case anyone was wondering - Fitz got the forward usage spot on in this one.

Fifita, Talakai and Hunt looked great as low-minute bench forwards, but as expected - Finucane, Tolman, BHU and Rudolf did most of the heavy lifting.

Hunt looks fantastic because the Sharks had the ball almost the whole time he was on the field.

View attachment 26989

Hunt should have been on at least 20

 

[BurgoShark]

Hunt should have been on at least 20

Yeah, maybe. What I meant was that keeping those 3 guys all under 25 and Rudolf under 40 is a positive.

 

[Greg86]

Yeah, maybe. What I meant was that keeping those 3 guys all under 25 and Rudolf under 40 is a positive.

That’s been a massive correction, for first game it’s good to see improvements here. Instead of burning guys down until empty.

 

[Sparkles]

In case anyone was wondering - Fitz got the forward usage spot on in this one.

Fifita, Talakai and Hunt looked great as low-minute bench forwards, but as expected - Finucane, Tolman, BHU and Rudolf did most of the heavy lifting.

Hunt looks fantastic because the Sharks had the ball almost the whole time he was on the field.

View attachment 26989

Rudolf looked good at those minutes

 

[Rob]

Was nowhere near as bad as most here have suggested.
95% of our problems are easily fixed with the 17 that took the field let alone with our players coming back in.
Was very impressed with working the ball out of our own end the best we have done in years.
Nicho long kicking game.
Our line defence looked good.
Our backs all looked out of sink but that’s normal for RD1.
We looked fit, could of played another 20 with ease.

 

[Gumby]

Are any of our injured players due back this week?

 

[bort]

Was nowhere near as bad as most here have suggested.
95% of our problems are easily fixed with the 17 that took the field let alone with our players coming back in.
Was very impressed with working the ball out of our own end the best we have done in years.
Nicho long kicking game.
Our line defence looked good.
Our backs all looked out of sink but that’s normal for RD1.
We looked fit, could of played another 20 with ease.

I agree, I thought it was more rustiness than actually looking bad. Played fairly well for the most part given very little ball, just made a few bad decisions or errors which for the most part are fixable.

Are any of our injured players due back this week?

NRL website actually has Tracey listed as Round 2 return. Think Williams also a possibility and Pele off suspensions but doubt he’d get a run

 

[Gumby]

For me williams comes straight back in for nikora.

I’d go with

8. Frudolph
9. Brailey
10. Tolman
11. Wilton
12. Talakai
13. Finucane

14. Williams
15. Hunt
16. Uele
17. Metcalf

18. Fifita
19. Nikora

 

[Gards]

Yeah, maybe. What I meant was that keeping those 3 guys all under 25 and Rudolf under 40 is a positive.

I knew there was a reason I voted for Rudolf, he looked alot better than usual, according to your graph and from what I can see on NRL stats he got through alot of work in those minutes. Was starting to worry I imagined it.

And positive change giving him under 40 mins and 2 shorter stints. Thanks for the graph.

Unfortunately missed alot of tackles (6) in those limited minutes which was most in team tied with the diabolical Ramien but we were absoutely under the pump during his first stint. I thought his carries were great, strong, energetic and he worked hard in defense and made some good tackles.

I thought the rotation and minutes from forward starters to bench was handled alot better. Hunt getting the typical cameo 10 mins bench spot means there is still capacity to reduce other forwards minutes further. Hunt is too good to be only given 10 mins and we may as well just pick a utility if the 4th bench forward only gets such limited game time.

I still think play Rudolf from the bench, let Tolman and Dale keep things tight in the middle the first 20-35 mins of the game but do we contiune to start BHU or find an alternative @ 13 until McCinnes is back letting Dale move to prop

 

[Sparkles]

I knew there was a reason I voted for Rudolf, he looked alot better than usual, according to your graph and from what I can see on NRL stats he got through alot of work in those minutes. Was starting to worry I imagined it.

And positive change giving him under 40 mins and 2 shorter stints. Thanks for the graph.

Unfortunately missed alot of tackles (6) in those limited minutes which was most in team tied with the diabolical Ramien but we were absoutely under the pump during his first stint. I thought his carries were great, strong, energetic and he worked hard in defense and made some good tackles.

I thought the rotation and minutes from forward starters to bench was handled alot better. Hunt getting the typical cameo 10 mins bench spot means there is still capacity to reduce other forwards minutes further. Hunt is too good to be only given 10 mins and we may as well just pick a utility if the 4th bench forward only gets such limited game time.

I still think play Rudolf from the bench, let Tolman and Dale keep things tight in the middle the first 20-35 mins of the game but do we contiune to start BHU or find an alternative @ 13 until McCinnes is back letting Dale move to prop

Rudolf (and other no big boppers) will need a hand through the season, so I'm sure Hunt and the other benchies will get a chance at more minutes