Game Plans against the Big Guns

HaroldBishop

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Couldnt agree more.

We are solid this year and I'm feeling more confident than in previous years with our structures. Our defence and forward attack is vastly improved, Nicho has his hands on the ball less, bench is the best in the NRL - The only speed bump is trindall - he's really let the club down but fingers crossed atkinson stars for us. So I wouldn't change much.

What is this obsession with the top eight?? Its ridiculous. Of course we can beat anyone regardless of the top eight. We lost to the tigers and they arent in the top eight. We beat the doggies who are. We also beat the Cows and warriors who I think will make the eight.

The top eight is no imaginary threshold we cant pass.

Lasty year we beat the Roosters, Knights, Raiders and lost a final by a point to the roosters, 3 top eight teams. Of last years top eight, we have beaten warriors, raiders x 2 already this year.

5 weeks in a row we have scored 30+, 2 weeks we have put on 82 points with 6 against, we are currently the best defensive team in the comp, with the best bench in the comp, 5th best attack and we are coming first with barely any injuries - we can beat any team in this comp regardless of where they sit on the ladder.
We've had a poor record against the better teams for a few years now, I completely get the obsession with it. Only we can change it.
 

andrew's_sharks

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It might sound odd, but I think it is important we don't provide the better teams too much respect. But that I mean, don't beat ourselves and take the game too them. So what if they are rep players. They are just men and our men can beat there men at this game.
 
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We've had a poor record against the better teams for a few years now, I completely get the obsession with it. Only we can change it.
Yep. Until we compete with them/knock off a couple it will stay, and rightly so. It's nice to have the best defence, but it doesn't have the shine to it with the softest draw. If we cop 40 from Penrith/Broncos we'll be in no better spot than previous seasons.

That said, hope we're focused on this week first. It would be silly to have one eye on Melbourne and drop the ball here.
 

andrew's_sharks

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Yep. Until we compete with them/knock off a couple it will stay, and rightly so. It's nice to have the best defence, but it doesn't have the shine to it with the softest draw. If we cop 40 from Penrith/Broncos we'll be in no better spot than previous seasons.

That said, hope we're focused on this week first. It would be silly to have one eye on Melbourne and drop the ball here.
I really think that Hazleton, and Kaufusi really help here. They don't miss many. Our other props often miss a few more. Iro taking Talakai's spot seems to be helping a lot too.
 
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Yep best defence talk won't excite me if we hold the panthers storm broncos to 14 points each but we only score 12. About firstly competing but ultimately winning games against the big teams. Really looking forward to the litmus test we face next 5 weeks. Im confident we’ve learnt and are a better team than previous years but only time will tell. In a results driven business it’s all about the W’s.
 

Shortfin Mako

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I think we need to realise that we ****ed their forwards in the first 15 minutes and then they were toast (Good tactics to use our backs early on to do that).

We could've benched half our team and walked in a win.

The 40/20 from Nicho was a great kick, but I could have stopped it from going over the sideline from another state!

They were pathetic and massively soft.

I don't know if we can do that with the better teams.
The best thing about them being soft though, was that it was Atkinson’s first game. Much better than his first game being against Melbourne or the Panthers.
 

apezza

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Yep best defence talk won't excite me if we hold the panthers storm broncos to 14 points each but we only score 12. About firstly competing but ultimately winning games against the big teams. Really looking forward to the litmus test we face next 5 weeks. Im confident we’ve learnt and are a better team than previous years but only time will tell. In a results driven business it’s all about the W’s.
Personally - if we lose 14 - 12 against Penrith and Broncos I would be ok with - as long as we played well.

What I don't want to see is the old sharks - poor handling and giving away dumb penalties etc.

I think our actual performance is as important than the two points. Prob won't be enough to satisfy the media but who cares.

Obviously come semi's time it's a different conversation.
 
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Personally - if we lose 14 - 12 against Penrith and Broncos I would be ok with - as long as we played well.

What I don't want to see is the old sharks - poor handling and giving away dumb penalties etc.

I think our actual performance is as important than the two points. Prob won't be enough to satisfy the media but who cares.

Obviously come semi's time it's a different conversation.
Completely agree. If we are right in the game competing and it's close, I'll take enough away that we could win on another day.

This assumes we play well and they don't play poorly though.
 
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Seems like the game plan against the big guns was voodoo dolls.

Arey, Paps and potentially Hughes could be out. Gutho a chance to miss our match with the Eels too.

At this rate of the 5 games in that stretch, we may only match up with the Roosters and Penrith at full fitness.
 

Vichyssoise

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Seems like the game plan against the big guns was voodoo dolls.

Arey, Paps and potentially Hughes could be out. Gutho a chance to miss our match with the Eels too.

At this rate of the 5 games in that stretch, we may only match up with the Roosters and Penrith at full fitness.

There's still a fair bit of work to do then. We need more voodoo dolls.
 
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We are getting some decent luck with opposition injuries.
Melbourne - Pap and Hughes
Broncos - Reynolds
Eelsb- Gutho
Penrith - potentially without Cleary.

Changing my tune. I want us winning minimum 3/5, potentially 4 would be ideal.
 

HaroldBishop

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We are getting some decent luck with opposition injuries.
Melbourne - Pap and Hughes
Broncos - Reynolds
Eelsb- Gutho
Penrith - potentially without Cleary.

Changing my tune. I want us winning minimum 3/5, potentially 4 would be ideal.
What happened to Cleary?
 

bort

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7 full days between this game and when we play them but surely if he comes off pre halftime you don’t risk him next week.

But injured on the 10th, play us on the 25th - certainly a chance to play given just reported as irritation at this stage. Then if he gets through that he has a week and a half until origin.
 

apezza

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7 full days between this game and when we play them but surely if he comes off pre halftime you don’t risk him next week.

But injured on the 10th, play us on the 25th - certainly a chance to play given just reported as irritation at this stage. Then if he gets through that he has a week and a half until origin.
Don't we have Roosters next week?
 
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Don't we have Roosters next week?
Yep he's saying if it was only a week you could be sure he's out.

I did say potentially, so no sure thing, but it's definitely a possibility that they give him some extra rest.
 

GF78

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Couldnt agree more.

We are solid this year and I'm feeling more confident than in previous years with our structures. Our defence and forward attack is vastly improved, Nicho has his hands on the ball less, bench is the best in the NRL - The only speed bump is trindall - he's really let the club down but fingers crossed atkinson stars for us. So I wouldn't change much.

What is this obsession with the top eight?? Its ridiculous. Of course we can beat anyone regardless of the top eight. We lost to the tigers and they arent in the top eight. We beat the doggies who are. We also beat the Cows and warriors who I think will make the eight.

The top eight is no imaginary threshold we cant pass.

Lasty year we beat the Roosters, Knights, Raiders and lost a final by a point to the roosters, 3 top eight teams. Of last years top eight, we have beaten warriors, raiders x 2 already this year.

5 weeks in a row we have scored 30+, 2 weeks we have put on 82 points with 6 against, we are currently the best defensive team in the comp, with the best bench in the comp, 5th best attack and we are coming first with barely any injuries - we can beat any team in this comp regardless of where they sit on the ladder.
Great post. I hope your last sentence proves to be right over the next 4 weeks. If all teams are at full strength, I fear there is still a gap of varying degrees between Sharks and Penrith / Storm / Broncs / Roosters.
 

GF78

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Many suttle differences from the 2023 side. The big differentiation is arguably the size of the Sharks pack and bench. No more opposition packs rolling up field with ease, putting our halves under constant pressure via poor field position. It was a constant when playing the top 4 teams through the year and in 2022 & 2023 finals.
 
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