First Elimination Final: Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks vs South Sydney Rabbitohs, Sunday 13th September 2015 4:10pm @ Allianz Stadium

snowman

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ok, i have digested the game, and the delicious chicken wings, so here goes.

that is how i thought we would win the game. not the margin, but the game plan. bash them in the forwards, spread it wide, rinse - repeat.

we won because gallen actually lead from the front, but taking the tough hit ups, and getting us into the red zone, then getting out of the way.
we hit the edges nice and early. joey said that the rabbits would eat that up all day but they couldnt. no one can stop wade graham in his current form.

taga and heino followed the platform laid by gallen. taga was brilliant. his runs had purpose and looked like they stung the defence. if he backed himself he could be anything. the thing with taga, like fifita, he never gets tackled 1 on 1, and rarely 2 on 1. so the energy is being sapped by a few defenders and quick play the balls gets us on the front foot again.
i will say this, gallen is the king of a hit up on the back of a quick play the ball.

michael ennis is also a huge huge player to have. my only regret on him now is we didnt get him 6 years ago. i would say he made the correct decision 95% of the time yesterday. his darts at the markers are ridiculous, and he uses them as a shield to get an extra 6-7m.
i also think ennis did a good job limiting robsons involvement in the game.
robson got to put a few kicks in that got repeat sets and tries, but thats about it. not a blight on robson, he is a blight on himself, but having a halfback at hooker works well for us.

the backs did their job, aimed up and delivered. although, ricky needs to not slide on the line.
we also need to get val more ball, so he needs to push gordon to the wing. but he apparently got corked in the first half so was hooked. if everyone was fit though, flash should have gone off after 30. he was pretty bad.

i think we did a good job nullifying reynolds kicking game, and kearys running game, and that comes on the back of their 9 being a dead set spastic. McInnes? i thought he was going to be brilliant but he looks worse than politoni. tough times coming ahead from souths.

the final thing that was easily noticable - the impact fifita had. not just on the game, but the crowd. fast forward to the momentg just before fifita enters the game and close your eyes. the crowd response is insane. from their, the crowd erupted into "Sharkies" and the atmosphere didnt die down.
his runs had purpose, his fends hurt and he upset people.
yeh, he gave away a penalty and had his stupid play the ball moment, but you knew he was on. he was switched on, and you know the bunnies knew he was there.

that was honestly, the best game we played this year, in our most important game we have played so far.

now we need to take this and improve again.

Up Up.
 

stormshark

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That's funny, I just got a text from a mate who was at the game saying we should leave Fifita out! I Thought he was awesome, wonder if Prior should come in for Bakuya but?
 
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the backs did their job, aimed up and delivered. although, ricky needs to not slide on the line.
we also need to get val more ball, so he needs to push gordon to the wing. but he apparently got corked in the first half so was hooked. if everyone was fit though, flash should have gone off after 30. he was pretty bad.

i think we did a good job nullifying reynolds kicking game, and kearys running game, and that comes on the back of their 9 being a dead set spastic. McInnes? i thought he was going to be brilliant but he looks worse than politoni. tough times coming ahead from souths.

the final thing that was easily noticable - the impact fifita had. not just on the game, but the crowd. fast forward to the momentg just before fifita enters the game and close your eyes. the crowd response is insane. from their, the crowd erupted into "Sharkies" and the atmosphere didnt die down.
his runs had purpose, his fends hurt and he upset people.
yeh, he gave away a penalty and had his stupid play the ball moment, but you knew he was on. he was switched on, and you know the bunnies knew he was there.

Up Up.

I think Val got the cork when he took that drop out early in the game, which is ironic because Ennis was going to kick it but Holmes came infield and wanted to do it. Straight after he kicks it he's hobbling abit and for most of the game he's trying to stretch it out untill he's replaced obviously.
 

HaroldBishop

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I think Val got the cork when he took that drop out early in the game, which is ironic because Ennis was going to kick it but Holmes came infield and wanted to do it. Straight after he kicks it he's hobbling abit and for most of the game he's trying to stretch it out untill he's replaced obviously.

How do you get a cork from taking a drop out?
 
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Good post snow, Michael ennis making the correct decision from dummy half is the biggest reason we have improved so much this season.
 

IronShark

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Wow! what a great day!

I almost didn't make it to the game as I had to get off work. Thank the Lord that worked out or I would have missed what is now my favourite Sharks victory of all time.

Yeah, we've gone deeper into the finals before but not since the days of the 78 Grand Final, when I was just a little tacker of eight years old can I remember Club spirit being so high.

After all we have been through in the last ten years - and especially the last three - to come out and give South Sydney that sort of flogging was just amazing.

Think about it, South Sydney - a team with virtually unlimited finances and the swooning support of just about every Rugby League media outlet. A team that has the most third party payment of any in the NRL; and that's just the legal ones.
A team that Phil Gould took great delight in repeatedly describing as having "forgotten how to lose" during the early rounds of the season.

Well, you know what?...They got a free ****ing lesson on losing last night and they got it from US! You know, the team everyone says is a "niggly, grinding, negative" team with no point scoring ability.
How'd that "grind" feel Souffs? 28 blot until you got gifted a couple of consolation tries in garbage time.

Anyway, the feeling in the crowd with the CSSC was unbelievable. when the call went up "SHARKIES!", the reply was thunderous from all around the SFS. When the game was beyond doubt, our trumpeter fired up the Twisted Sister classic, "We're Not Gonna Take It" but the lyrics hurled at the Souths Sydney players who were unlucky enough to be near us were;

"YOU'RE NOT IN THE FINALS, YOU'RE NOT IN THE FINALS, YOU'RE NOT IN THE FINALS, ANYMOOOOOOORRRRRE!'

The big "SHARKS" Tifo got flown, "Up, Up, Cronulla!" was sung loudly and repeatedly and many more songs of victory were sung on the "Bus of Dreams" back to the Club (as well as a few beverages drunk).

The end of the night, to me was something that summed up everything that is great about our Club. Whilst having a beer in the Steve Rogers Bar, Fitz elbowed me in the ribs, "Look at that" he said.

There, in a corner of the bar was Shane Flannagan with a couple of the coaching staff, quietly watching the match replay on one of the TV's. Right in the middle of the Leagues Club with the punters. Not tucked away in some hi-tech video review facilty.

I walked past on my way out, shook his hand and said, "Congrat's mate, good job"

"Thanks", he said, "but the jobs not done yet."
 
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How do you get a cork from taking a drop out?

No idea, but he wasn't limping before he took the kick and after the kick he started limping, if he did it another time happy to be proven wrong, just what I saw when I was stalking errr I mean watching Holmes.
 

Sparkles

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Hey IronShark... Awesome write up. That's some Rolling Stone Magazine quality journalism you got going on there mate!
 

Greg86

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Man I loved Toops try, just seeing him full flight onto the ball. Did well to hold onto it, Great to see
 
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