Official Craig Fitzgibbon

[bort]

You’d have to say no worse than top 6, considering Morris got us to the bottom of the 8 for the previous two seasons (not including least season as he only coached a 1/4 of the season before he & club parted ways)
He has a full cap to work with
He has a better squad than previous years
He has had influence or was able to bring in some key players he wanted
Players that were blooded in Morris tenure are now more experienced & would have or close to 50 games in FG

Yeah 9 or bellow is a disaster because not only had he done worse with better squad and more money but club tanked the season before for it too

 

[Super Impose]

To win a finals match would be a reasonable goal ..

 

[Paul C]

I think within the top 4 is very achievable.. anything less would be a fail tbh.

Roosters and Eels we should be able to beat

And play in GF

 

[Shortfin Mako]

Yeah 9 or bellow is a disaster because not only had he done worse with better squad and more money but club tanked the season before for it too

I think it is premature to talk about this. We just do not happen what is going to happen with regards to injuriries and all that. A quarter of the league is finished and in my mind, Fitzy is successful and we are heading in the right direction.

Under normal circumstances, I think we will finish somewhere between 3-6 and that is a very very good result.

 

[The Punisher]

Yeah 9 or bellow is a disaster because not only had he done worse with better squad and more money but club tanked the season before for it too

I dont know where this talk of us finishing outside the 8 has come from?
Despite the Broncos loss (which hurts) id still say that as things stand in the 2022 competition we're a top 4 team with only Storm and Panthers being the level above us.

Weve beaten Manly & Eels already.
Bunnies & Roosters arent the teams they used to be and arent setting comp alight.
Then theres Cowboys whove been a suprise package - but even theyre only @ or around same level as ourselves

 

[HaroldBishop]

I think it is premature to talk about this. We just do not happen what is going to happen with regards to injuriries and all that. A quarter of the league is finished and in my mind, Fitzy is successful and we are heading in the right direction.

Under normal circumstances, I think we will finish somewhere between 3-6 and that is a very very good result.

Of course we don't but it is a forum, conversations like these are always based on if significant injuries don't occur.

 

[Shortfin Mako]

Of course we don't but it is a forum, conversations like these are always based on if significant injuries don't occur.

Fair enough. I'll shut up

 

[HaroldBishop]

Fair enough. I'll shut up

Haha no need to do that

 

[Gal The Goat]

Has been mentioned just recently that we have the easiest remaining draw. Not sure if they based off last years ladder or the current ladder.

Just had a look. Warriors twice, Titans twice, Bulldogs twice, Raiders, Tigers, Dragons and Knights again. Obviously they will be a lot harder than they look on paper but all should be games we are aiming to win.

With that said we should now be aiming for 3-4th with hopes of making a preliminary final. 5-6th would be a good pass mark with winning atleast one finals game

 

[Sparkles]

Has been mentioned just recently that we have the easiest remaining draw. Not sure if they based off last years ladder or the current ladder.

Just had a look. Warriors twice, Titans twice, Bulldogs twice, Raiders, Tigers, Dragons and Knights again. Obviously they will be a lot harder than they look on paper but all should be games we are aiming to win.

With that said we should now be aiming for 3-4th with hopes of making a preliminary final. 5-6th would be a good pass mark with winning atleast one finals game

We'll have to look at these as good chances to rack up the points for our F/A. Full 80 min games will probably decide our season

 

[bort]

I dont know where this talk of us finishing outside the 8 has come from?
Despite the Broncos loss (which hurts) id still say that as things stand in the 2022 competition we're a top 4 team with only Storm and Panthers being the level above us.

Weve beaten Manly & Eels already.
Bunnies & Roosters arent the teams they used to be and arent setting comp alight.
Then theres Cowboys whove been a suprise package - but even theyre only @ or around same level as ourselves

... probably relates to the question just before it started?

So what would be a successful year this year for Fitz? Obviously we all want a premiership but realistically:

1. Make the finals and be competitive

2. Have a core group of players that Fitz can base his future team around that has bought into his work ethic and culture

3. Have a manageable salary cap that gives Fitz room to operate over the next few years

 

[Gal The Goat]

We'll have to look at these as good chances to rack up the points for our F/A. Full 80 min games will probably decide our season

Yeah they are the games that help cement teams in a top 4 position. Win when expected and win reasonably well.

The last few years we continued to lose to teams like Titans, Dogs, Knights, Raiders etc when it mattered and that’s why we would run 7-9th

 

[Wiz]

So we all agree top 4 -6 it is

 

[Western Sharkie]

So we all agree top 3- 6 it is

 

[CrazyMatt]

I dont know where this talk of us finishing outside the 8 has come from?
Despite the Broncos loss (which hurts) id still say that as things stand in the 2022 competition we're a top 4 team with only Storm and Panthers being the level above us.

Weve beaten Manly & Eels already.
Bunnies & Roosters arent the teams they used to be and arent setting comp alight.
Then theres Cowboys whove been a suprise package - but even theyre only @ or around same level as ourselves

I think the Roosters will click sooner or later, that roster is too good not too. I just hope we’ve built enough of a buffer between us and them before that happens.

I actually thought Souths would be worse then they are while they blooded their new halfback. Reynolds was so damn important to them.

I’m stunned about the Cowboys, I had them in the bottom 2. Good on Todd Payten for figuring out a way to get the most out of what he’s got up there.

Pre season my expectation was 5th to 8th and it kinda still is in a way. Although I would be deflated if we finish 7th or 8th. Top 4 would be a fantastic and a very gettable achievement for us this year providing we fine tune the attack structure a little bit. Top 2 is probably out of reach with Penrith and Melbourne clearly a step or several ahead of everybody. I would love to finish 3rd and get stuck into the Storm down there, it’ll be a far better Sharks team then when we went down there earlier in the year I feel.

Early days though.

 

[stormshark]

Yeah they are the games that help cement teams in a top 4 position. Win when expected and win reasonably well.

The last few years we continued to lose to teams like Titans, Dogs, Knights, Raiders etc when it mattered and that’s why we would run 7-9th

And that IMHO is what we are courting with all the Sharkies Media Hype, $10 Premiership odds etc etc. We not clear from the risk of Depth charges that would hit the Sharks of old. Another yr of this onwards and upwards course and i might believe.

 

[Gards]

After the way we started the season not finishing top 4 would be a serious disappointment - I still think we are the 3rd best team in the comp but we have the rest of the season to prove it.

No one is near Penrith or Storm. Storm are on a mission this year and Panthers just keep finding a way to win every week. I don't know who can seriously challenge them if their form doesn't drop away at the back end or they aren't impacted by injuries.

So yea aim for 3rd spot, best of the rest - 1st of the plebs

Not winning at least 1 finals game would be bit of a fail IMO but at least we should get 2 bites of the cherry

Fitz has shown he is the real deal in the opening rounds and so my expectations have risen along with that.

 

[Sir Chadley]

After the way we started the season not finishing top 4 would be a serious disappointment - I still think we are the 3rd best team in the comp but we have the rest of the season to prove it.

No one is near Penrith or Storm. Storm are on a mission this year and Panthers just keep finding a way to win every week. I don't know who can seriously challenge them if their form doesn't drop away at the back end or they aren't impacted by injuries.

So yea aim for 3rd spot, best of the rest - 1st of the plebs

Not winning at least 1 finals game would be bit of a fail IMO but at least we should get 2 bites of the cherry

Fitz has shown he is the real deal in the opening rounds and so my expectations have risen along with that.

Agree with all that Gards and our mission starts this Sunday. If we are serious, if we are fair dinkum, we absolutely towel up the Warriors on Sunday. We really need to be ruthless and put them to the sword. Of course we have to careful about not trying to score off every play but if we put real pressure on them in the first 20 minutes, I think they'll crumble, make mistakes and leak points. It'll be a dry day out there so there are no excuses.

Our loss to the Broncos has made others second guess us, before that game they were keen to include us in the conversation of someone to challenge Penrith and Melbourne. I am hoping that a pasting of the Warriors will put us back in that conversation.

 

[Sparkles]

Agree with all that Gards and our mission starts this Sunday. If we are serious, if we are fair dinkum, we absolutely towel up the Warriors on Sunday. We really need to be ruthless and put them to the sword. Of course we have to careful about not trying to score off every play but if we put real pressure on them in the first 20 minutes, I think they'll crumble, make mistakes and leak points. It'll be a dry day out there so there are no excuses.

Our loss to the Broncos has made others second guess us, before that game they were keen to include us in the conversation of someone to challenge Penrith and Melbourne. I am hoping that a pasting of the Warriors will put us back in that conversation.

Yep, that's what the serious teams do. Even if the opposition comes out firing they absorb it, wear them down and finish over the top while piling on plenty of junk time points. We couldn't do that against Brisbane (though we were crook, goes the story) but we need to do it to teams like them and the Warriors

 

[Gards]

Yep, that's what the serious teams do. Even if the opposition comes out firing they absorb it, wear them down and finish over the top while piling on plenty of junk time points. We couldn't do that against Brisbane (though we were crook, goes the story) but we need to do it to teams like them and the Warriors

yea think of all the teams that have hung with the Storm in the first 40 mins and got absolutely annihilated in the second half. we seem to try do it the other way around and then all the pressure is on us in the second half instead of the opposition