NRL Round 25, 2011: Cronulla Sutherland Sharks v Cowboys, 7:30pm Sat 27 Aug @ Dairy Farmers Stadium

[Boundos]

maybe the best we've played in some time but its not good enough to make us anywhere near a premiership threat.

Absolutley no idea in offence inside the opposition 20 meters apart from throw it wide or kick, has been that way all season. Is this a player problem? are they not making the right choices? or is it that they are being coached this way?

Our general kicking game is attrocious. not only kicking but kick returns. 90% of the time we are caught out of position on kick returns, whereas 90% of the time our kicks goes right down the throat of a winger or fullback. ask the question why?

Are our players just unlucky that opposition defenders are in the right spots to catch and return? or are our guys just not being taught where to be in defense?

Repeat sets and pressure is what we need, yet all season we have struggled to get repeat sets inside the 20. For mine this is because the boys are being told to execute a dismal gameplan.

I say that confidentley because if they were told to play for repeat sets, and disobeyed the coach every single game to kick wide, they would be hooked asap for not listening. They havent been, so therefor my blame lies with our offensive coaching.

 

[dier]

I think we scored 16 points, they may have scored 38 or something, who knows

I was lost in a sea of dreadlocks.

 

[A.Snowden]

Nah, the effort was there and to be honest we were the better team on the night, mainly because the Cowboys just didn't turn up in the first half. It just annoys me that every week the same old lines getting trotted out. Either Flano or Gal blaming the refs for something.

And the last part about the players turning up for him? Please. If they were turning up for him we would be in the bottom of the 8 now not 7 from 23 and about to make a red hot go at our record losing streak.

Fair enough, i took the line from flanno

“I can’t take away from the effort the players are putting in; they’re turning up for me.

“They could put the cue in the rack but they’re not. As I said I thought we put ourselves in the game to win, and a couple of crucial decisions went against us, either lack of a decision.”

as him saying that they are still listening to him, and putting in an effort, instead of the line he follows up with. I actually enjoyed the game.

How many actually thought we would get within 20 points last night? Let alone lead the game most of the way.

 

[A.Snowden]

I was lost in a sea of dreadlocks.

haha as was i, haha dreadies, brings back good memories!

 

[Sharks Fan 160]

was it just me or did anyone notice when sims broke his leg that they were given a penalty for a rake. there were no hands near the ball it was the pain that made him drop it. not saying we should have got the ball its just they had an extra set and scored from it when im pretty sure they were well into the set when the penalty was blown

 

[squiddy]

Fair enough, i took the line from flanno as him saying that they are still listening to him, and putting in an effort, instead of the line he follows up with. I actually enjoyed the game.

How many actually thought we would get within 20 points last night? Let alone lead the game most of the way.

I'd love to know why we keep kicking for penalties - go for the 6 FFS

 

[A.Snowden]

was it just me or did anyone notice when sims broke his leg that they were given a penalty for a rake. there were no hands near the ball it was the pain that made him drop it. not saying we should have got the ball its just they had an extra set and scored from it when im pretty sure they were well into the set when the penalty was blown

Yeah i think it was Kelly come over the top with a tackle, and they deemed him to have raked it.

 

[bjrshark]

haha as was i, haha dreadies, brings back good memories!

haha dreadies on a rickshaw! tosser

The difference this round is that there will be the biggest Gronk convention ever staged happening.

Whether that makes a difference...

yes it will be. i hope it does

Dude, we are playing the Tigers. We will get beat by 50.

who ****ing cares. will be the biggest of all big nights ever!

 

[A.Snowden]

I'd love to know why we keep kicking for penalties - go for the 6 FFS

That was stupid. We were never going to win by kicking penalty goals. Is that the coaches decision, or Gals decision?

 

[Jigsaw]

After settling down for a day....... How good is Albert kelly

 

[Born&bred]

Do you remember what the score was against Brisbane?

I was going to say do you remember the game, but I don't think anyone can really remember the game.

What? we didn't win that one? damn - was that ****ing barrier cop responsible or was it dreadies?

Ah now I remember - it was SHARKSTER's fault for missing that tackle early on...

 

[dier]

What? we didn't win that one? damn - was that ****ing barrier cop responsible or was it dreadies?

Ah now I remember - it was SHARKSTER's fault for missing that tackle early on...

I still gave sharkster the 3, cause he really tried, and at the end of the day isn't that all that matters? haha

 

[Fitzy2513]

There was an article in the paper a month or so ago on Ron Massey after his operation. In it stated how Bennett and other coaches including Flanno are regular visitors to Ron, running footy related issues past. It also goes on to say that in Rons opinion, you always take the 2. Well it's quite evident that Bennett has taken Rons advice. Maybe Flanno has adopted the same policy.

 

[A.Snowden]

I can see where there are times where you should take the 2, but we have nothing to play for, we were attacking well, making good metres, i believe the better option for us was to go for points.

 

[Fitzy2513]

I can see where there are times where you should take the 2, but we have nothing to play for, we were attacking well, making good metres, i believe the better option for us was to go for points.

I agree and form St George, well last year anyway, who could grind out a win and rely on there defence then taking the 2 works cause they wear you down. Us well that's a different story.

 

[SHARKSTER]

I tried my best, but wasn't good enough

 

[teflon77]

After settling down for a day....... How good is Albert kelly

He was excellent. They tried to single him out down that right hand side but he was up to the task most times. Very sharp with the ball in hand, Toops is much better for having Kelly in the lineup. If Kelly can stay fit and Gards can make his way back from the void then we can improve next year.

 

[brently]

Three of the best tries we've scored all season happened in last night's game, so that's something to cheer. I have to say I am worried about the tigers game; they do everything so damn quickly, we'll do well to keep up with them. go sharks.

 

[Vichyssoise]

I agree with pretty much everything that was said above.

2 things really bother me...
- Taking the two points instead of keeping the pressure (run the ball, get repeat sets for ****'s sake!). Only 14 points scored in half where we have over 60% of the ball is pretty average (in the second half, possession stats are the complete opposite, and the cowboys score 22 points). If we don't attempt to score tries when we have the opportunity where are the points supposed to come from?
- Constantly putting blame on the referees... Seriously was there any decision (or series of decisions) that wrongly changed the game? Stop the whinge and play the damn game.

- How about our back play? The fact is our wingers never... (that's as in not EVEN once) got a pass from their centers who had no quality ball to play with in the first place.
- How about interchange? I don't remember Tagatese playing a lot of football in the second half (none at all in fact). Did he get no minutes or was he a passenger?
- How about playing for more than 70 minutes for a change?

So yeah, good and brave effort against a top 8 team in search of a second wind.
Pretty entertaining game and nothing to be truely ashamed of in the end, but so so so many things to address... Yet again. It's like groundhog day week after week.
How did we manage to win those 4 games on the trot?

Ah well at least the spoon is not headed our way.

 

[Lumpy]

Bring on 2012. Lets see what the team can do with this year behind them. I am hoping for better days.