we never die we are the cronulla sharks, were born fighters.
Official Richard Fisk
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we never die we are the cronulla sharks, were born fighters.
Mr Wright
Jaws
well said ROB SHARK, always seems we a fighting against something. Our club shows it can stand the test of time, as were still here after 40 years and still no premiership. Our supporters still stick with the club after the worst of the worst times. I'm proud to call myself a crounulla sharks supporter, even tho people will hand s**t on me.
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New Sharks CEO dives right in
New Sharks CEO dives right inBrisbane Times, AustraliaCRONULLA's newly-appointed chief executive, Richard Fisk , will head into the crowd at tonight's game between the Sharks and Brisbane at Toyota Stadium, to personally thank fans for their continued support of the club at a time when it has been the ...
Source: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/sport/new-sharks-ceo-dives-right-in-20090622-csoj.html
New Sharks CEO dives right in
Greg Prichard
June 22, 2009 - 12:30AM
THE BIG WRAP
CRONULLA's newly-appointed chief executive, Richard Fisk , will head into the crowd at tonight's game between the Sharks and Brisbane at Toyota Stadium, to personally thank fans for their continued support of the club at a time when it has been the subject of a torrent of negative publicity due to several scandals. Fisk's appointment was announced on Friday and he sees the timing of his first day in the new job as perfect. "I'll be in the office all day, but at the end of the day I'll get the opportunity to go across to the ground and meet with not only our corporate backers, who are obviously very important to the club, but also our fans," Fisk told The Big Wrap. "I'll be talking to them personally, out in the crowd, and not doing it over a microphone or anything like that. The biggest priority I have in the job, to start off with, is to win back the trust of the fans, the people of the Shire and the wider rugby league community. Our football club members have stuck with us through thick and thin. They have shown great loyalty and I want to show them my gratitude for that, on behalf of the club. I also want them to know that their opinions are going to be taken into account." Fisk was the general manager of media and marketing at Cronulla from 1995-98, and since then has performed a similar role at Sydney Roosters, with whom he finished up earlier this season. "It's great to be in a position where you've got a chance to make a difference," Fisk said.
<EDITED> Full article can be found here
New Sharks CEO dives right inBrisbane Times, AustraliaCRONULLA's newly-appointed chief executive, Richard Fisk , will head into the crowd at tonight's game between the Sharks and Brisbane at Toyota Stadium, to personally thank fans for their continued support of the club at a time when it has been the ...
Source: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/sport/new-sharks-ceo-dives-right-in-20090622-csoj.html
New Sharks CEO dives right in
Greg Prichard
June 22, 2009 - 12:30AM
THE BIG WRAP
CRONULLA's newly-appointed chief executive, Richard Fisk , will head into the crowd at tonight's game between the Sharks and Brisbane at Toyota Stadium, to personally thank fans for their continued support of the club at a time when it has been the subject of a torrent of negative publicity due to several scandals. Fisk's appointment was announced on Friday and he sees the timing of his first day in the new job as perfect. "I'll be in the office all day, but at the end of the day I'll get the opportunity to go across to the ground and meet with not only our corporate backers, who are obviously very important to the club, but also our fans," Fisk told The Big Wrap. "I'll be talking to them personally, out in the crowd, and not doing it over a microphone or anything like that. The biggest priority I have in the job, to start off with, is to win back the trust of the fans, the people of the Shire and the wider rugby league community. Our football club members have stuck with us through thick and thin. They have shown great loyalty and I want to show them my gratitude for that, on behalf of the club. I also want them to know that their opinions are going to be taken into account." Fisk was the general manager of media and marketing at Cronulla from 1995-98, and since then has performed a similar role at Sydney Roosters, with whom he finished up earlier this season. "It's great to be in a position where you've got a chance to make a difference," Fisk said.
<EDITED> Full article can be found here
Henchmann
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Did anyone else notice this in the previous news article posting?
He had wanted to stay to nurse through Cronulla's $90 million DA application on 29 June, but council has reserved its decision until August 4.
Why does the Council keep passing over this?? For years they have kept the Club back and for years we have teetered at the edge of financial ruin. Why does the Council not see the big picture? Why do Councillors stick their heads in the sand and waste precious time??
If anyone in the Council reads this – DONT **** US OVER!!!!
See check this out –
Mayor and Deputy Mayor
The most recent mayoral election was held on Monday 29 September 2008. Councillor Lorraine Kelly was elected as Mayor, and Councillor Phil Blight as Deputy Mayor. The next mayoral election is scheduled for September 2009. In Sutherland Shire, the mayor and deputy are elected by the councillors.
We don’t even have the leverage to vote them in or out, pathetic !
We need to get angry people and bombard the Council with e-mails supporting the club and our future, we need to demand the Councils support.
Link – http://www.sutherland.nsw.gov.au/ss...uncilOpen+Hours+And+Contact+Info?OpenDocument
He had wanted to stay to nurse through Cronulla's $90 million DA application on 29 June, but council has reserved its decision until August 4.
Why does the Council keep passing over this?? For years they have kept the Club back and for years we have teetered at the edge of financial ruin. Why does the Council not see the big picture? Why do Councillors stick their heads in the sand and waste precious time??
If anyone in the Council reads this – DONT **** US OVER!!!!
See check this out –
Mayor and Deputy Mayor
The most recent mayoral election was held on Monday 29 September 2008. Councillor Lorraine Kelly was elected as Mayor, and Councillor Phil Blight as Deputy Mayor. The next mayoral election is scheduled for September 2009. In Sutherland Shire, the mayor and deputy are elected by the councillors.
We don’t even have the leverage to vote them in or out, pathetic !
We need to get angry people and bombard the Council with e-mails supporting the club and our future, we need to demand the Councils support.
Link – http://www.sutherland.nsw.gov.au/ss...uncilOpen+Hours+And+Contact+Info?OpenDocument
Murphy
Great White
i have a feeling this wont go threw
Henchmann
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Write to the Council Sharks? Pressure them!
Sharks have been and apparently remain very confident it will go through. dont think the coucil is too opposed to it. We cant vote out the mayor but can vote out the council and they make the decision so yeah thats something.
i hope you are wrong, the sharks really need this to go through
Mark^Bastard
Great White
Even though the two authors of this article are two of my most hated people in the world I thought this may be worth posting. Ignore the News Ltd propaganda at the start of the article.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...ocks-john-howard/story-e6freye0-1225785319949
Recruitment manager, LOL. :fergo:
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...ocks-john-howard/story-e6freye0-1225785319949
Recruitment manager, LOL. :fergo:
WillyInBris
Jaws
Well the board did say something along the lines that they were going to shake things up and have a clean out good to see it happening.
I doubt fisk is on the list though he was appointed by this board wasn't he and they are looking for another ceo for the development etc.
That wilson wasn't our wilson was it :fergo:.
I doubt fisk is on the list though he was appointed by this board wasn't he and they are looking for another ceo for the development etc.
That wilson wasn't our wilson was it :fergo:.
Mark^Bastard
Great White
Can't believe those wankers are making out like Fisk is the bad guy when they're the same people calling for the cleanout.
WillyInBris
Jaws
Had to find something to put in about the sharks I guess bloody tossers.
Probably a family member of rebecca wilson, craig wilson.
Wasnt Steve Litvensky just given that role? as football manger but if he has to go he has to go obviously a reason.
peachey
One of a kind
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f*ck me, cant we do anything right in the media's eyes, fair dinkum
its been long overdue that admin finally has a massive clean out, as some may remember ive always called for admin to be cleaned out something severe and now its happening, the media dont like it..
oi media people, f*ck right off
its been long overdue that admin finally has a massive clean out, as some may remember ive always called for admin to be cleaned out something severe and now its happening, the media dont like it..
oi media people, f*ck right off
BUZ
Paragon
Hey Richard... Are you out there?
Just interested to know how far the Sharks Connect Programme is connecting.
:cheers
BUZ
Just interested to know how far the Sharks Connect Programme is connecting.
:cheers
BUZ
Yahoo News
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One win will end Cronulla's curse
CRONULLA are a club in crisis after losing 13 games in a row. Sports Editor-at-large Phil Rothfield tracked down CEO Richard Fisk to find out what's going wrong.
Source:http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rs.../story-e6frexnr-1225848235693?from=public_rss
One win will fix Cronulla's woes: Richard Fisk
From: The Daily Telegraph
April 01, 2010 12:00AM
THE Cronulla Sharks are a club in crisis after losing 13 games in a row. Sports Editor-at-large Phil Rothfield tracked down the club's CEO Richard Fisk to find out what's going wrong
Souths were ordinary on Monday night but won 30-8. Would you agree the performance from the Sharks was nowhere near first-grade standard?
Without question the performance was not up to any of the standards we set. We're incredibly disappointed, knowing how much work went into the game preparation.
Have you had much of a backlash from fans?
I think the fans have been understanding. It is only three weeks into the season. With a little bit of luck we could have won the opening game. But we're not hiding from the fact Monday night was unsatisfactory. The important thing is everyone in our club knows that.
Ricky Stuart. Is his job safe?
Anyone who would even question Ricky Stuart being here does not know his work ethic and does not know the commitment he puts into the place. Personally, and I know I'm speaking for everyone, including the players, we're thrilled he's our coach and he's under contract until the end of 2011.
It's a big endorsement for someone who has lost 13 straight games.
It is a big wrap because I know the amount of work he's putting in. People who keep wanting to talk about 13 straight don't look at the circumstances. Last year was an aberration in many ways. I don't think any rugby league club has been through what happened here. Ricky Stuart was the man who held this club together in unbelievably trying circumstances. Anyone who wants to be critical of him doesn't have a memory of what he's done for this place.
Well, whose fault is it that the team can't win a footy game? Someone has got to start accepting some responsibility. The bottom line is you're not even in the ball game with other clubs. You're long odds-on to get the wooden spoon. Will someone please take responsibility?
The buck has got to stop somewhere. I think the players would be the very first people to put their hands up and take total responsibility for Monday night's performance.
Have they?
Yes, all the players I've spoken to have.
The recruitment: Morris, Collis, Cuthbertson this year and Tupou and Barrett last year. Your thoughts? Have they not aimed up as well as you expected? They're all seasoned footballers. They shouldn't need a settling-in period.
Recruitment was done prior to my arrival, but I think if you ask any of those players they would probably agree 100 per cent that they are not playing as well as they would like to play.
Why not? They're on good money?
If we could put our finger on it we'd be winning against Parramatta on Saturday evening. People forget one thing. Sport's a fickle business. Rugby league particularly and the results depend on the bounce of the ball and the luck. If you turn the ball over you can't win games. Look what happened last year at Parramatta. A bit of confidence can build momentum very quickly.
With respect Richard, they've got Jarryd Hayne, Fuifui, Hindmarsh and a heap of superstars. They won eight or nine in a row. I don't think this Cronulla side is capable of winning two or three in a row at the moment. You don't have the same roster as Parra.
No, but it's not that different a roster from two years ago when the club finished on top of the table. Ricky was the coach, the man people want to criticise today. I honestly think we're just lacking confidence. Once we get some back, I think you'll see a different football team.
I know Ricky Stuart well. I like him a lot and he writes a column for our newspaper. You're close to Ricky too. Are you too close to him? Isn't it the coach's responsibility to have a successful club? You've given him a very strong endorsement. My website blog gets inundated with fans every day asking when is Cronulla going to do something about the coach.
Buzz, you can say Ricky's got to go ...
No, I said that's what people on my blog are saying. I've defended him many times. I'm asking you: are you too close to him after spending great years together at the Roosters?
By being close to him, I very much understand him, I respect him and I appreciate him. By being close, I can talk to Ricky Stuart and he will listen to me. I've got nothing but the utmost respect for the man. I'm close to him but not too close. I see the work he puts in and I see the passion he puts into the place.
How's he coping? If you run a business that has struggled for nine months, you start to doubt yourself. How's he coping mentally? Is he starting to doubt himself?
Where Ricky's at right now is nothing that a win won't fix. The great thing about Ricky Stuart is that he questions everything that happens. And he'll always stick his hand up to accept responsibility, often when it should be pointed at other people.
I've said before he's too loyal by hanging on to under-performing players for too long.
I think that's his greatest attribute - his loyalty. I would much rather a man who is too loyal than a disloyal person.
You know in this whole interview, you still haven't guaranteed he'll be at the club for the remainder of his two-year term.
No one can guarantee anything in life and I don't want to deal in hypotheticals. But there is absolutely no reason to suggest he won't be here, at least until the end of next season.
You've admitted some players haven't been aiming up. Would you do what happened a couple of years ago with Josh Hannay and Buster Seymour and send them back to park footy with the Gymea Gorillas or another of the local clubs?
We're three rounds into the competition and we still think we are finals contenders. There's not a hope in Hades of that happening at the moment.
I'm asking these questions because you've lost 13 straight games. You'll equal the record for the worst ever losing sequence on Saturday if you lose to Parramatta.
I actually get frustrated that everyone wants to transport 2010 back to 2009.
As you know, I was nearly 14 years at the Roosters and in 1966 they didn't win a game. Sport goes in cycles. I'm quite excited that we've got good young people coming through. Previous management had a different approach to recruitment.
You keep defending Ricky. You don't sign players the coach doesn't want. Surely he's been responsible for the roster you have at the moment.
I'm not just defending Ricky Stuart. We have a recruitment team. We don't have the money for the big players like Melbourne and Brisbane.
If you had your time again, should the club have kept Greg Bird? Did the club act too hastily in getting rid of him? Could you have got him back when he was cleared?
I wasn't here when it happened. The observation I had is the club acted correctly. I think the brand of the Sharks is more important than any individual. The hard work that has been done by the board and everyone working at the club has lifted the brand which had been damaged by certain individuals.
We had to rebuild that brand. If we hadn't rebuilt it, we wouldn't be sitting here today with Hisense as a major sponsor or with Poker Stars on a great two-year deal as sleeve sponsor. That's happened because our brand has got credibility.
Everywhere but the footy field?
I think everyone who follows rugby league would have nothing but the utmost respect for our players and their achievements last year against all that adversity. However, I keep saying, you've got no idea how one win is going to change this place.
The financial situation is still shaky. Be fair dinkum: can this club survive to pay the players and run the operation?
The club is financially viable in where we are at the moment. Being honest, this club would not have survived without the new board of directors and the new management team that has been implemented. We've had to go through a whole variety of cost-cutting measures to ensure we only spend what we can afford. That's why we will survive.
You're guaranteeing you'll be here next year? Aren't you dependent on crowds to survive?
We all rely on crowds but there's one thing people underestimate about this place ... no one can guarantee anything in life ... but what I can say to you is that with a leagues club owning its own ground, with the development that the board is rejuvenating, and with the football team, we have very strong asset backing and a whole variety of options are being investigated to ensure the best structure is there for the longevity of the club. We've learnt from mistakes. This club has wasted money in the past by buying players they couldn't afford and by implementing structures they couldn't afford. And paying out coaches they couldn't afford.
You've got assets, but what about the cash flow? You can't keep borrowing money.
We've put a lot of work into the restructure of the club in making sure we only spend what we can afford. I'm very proud of what we're doing. Very few clubs in just a six-month period would replace its board of directors, have a new CEO, have a new commercial manager, a new football manager, a new recruitment manager and a new membership manager. We've got record membership figures, a new jersey sponsor and a new sleeve sponsor. Because of what we inherited, we've had to restructure the entire business and culture. We are understaffed but everyone here is really striving to make a difference. Everyone has got one ambition and that's to make this club successful. It's not about nine to five. Everyone's putting in big time. Some very talented people are working their butts off.
You talk about cost-cutting. Will the Sharks always be able to spend the full $3.8 million on the salary cap or might it get to a stage where you have to trim it back to, say, $3.5 million?
We'll make that decision on a year-to-year situation, based on our budgets. Some clubs spend every cent of their cap.
And more!
You can say that. It doesn't guarantee you success. The Wests Tigers won a comp in a year they didn't spend all of their salary cap. We're rebuilding a football club. People want to snipe but I think we're being unfairly criticised for losing three games. One win could turn our entire season around.
Attachment: Dejected ... Paul Gallen (left) and his Cronulla team walk from the field on Monday. Source: The Daily Telegraph
CRONULLA are a club in crisis after losing 13 games in a row. Sports Editor-at-large Phil Rothfield tracked down CEO Richard Fisk to find out what's going wrong.
Source:http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rs.../story-e6frexnr-1225848235693?from=public_rss
One win will fix Cronulla's woes: Richard Fisk
From: The Daily Telegraph
April 01, 2010 12:00AM
THE Cronulla Sharks are a club in crisis after losing 13 games in a row. Sports Editor-at-large Phil Rothfield tracked down the club's CEO Richard Fisk to find out what's going wrong
Souths were ordinary on Monday night but won 30-8. Would you agree the performance from the Sharks was nowhere near first-grade standard?
Without question the performance was not up to any of the standards we set. We're incredibly disappointed, knowing how much work went into the game preparation.
Have you had much of a backlash from fans?
I think the fans have been understanding. It is only three weeks into the season. With a little bit of luck we could have won the opening game. But we're not hiding from the fact Monday night was unsatisfactory. The important thing is everyone in our club knows that.
Ricky Stuart. Is his job safe?
Anyone who would even question Ricky Stuart being here does not know his work ethic and does not know the commitment he puts into the place. Personally, and I know I'm speaking for everyone, including the players, we're thrilled he's our coach and he's under contract until the end of 2011.
It's a big endorsement for someone who has lost 13 straight games.
It is a big wrap because I know the amount of work he's putting in. People who keep wanting to talk about 13 straight don't look at the circumstances. Last year was an aberration in many ways. I don't think any rugby league club has been through what happened here. Ricky Stuart was the man who held this club together in unbelievably trying circumstances. Anyone who wants to be critical of him doesn't have a memory of what he's done for this place.
Well, whose fault is it that the team can't win a footy game? Someone has got to start accepting some responsibility. The bottom line is you're not even in the ball game with other clubs. You're long odds-on to get the wooden spoon. Will someone please take responsibility?
The buck has got to stop somewhere. I think the players would be the very first people to put their hands up and take total responsibility for Monday night's performance.
Have they?
Yes, all the players I've spoken to have.
The recruitment: Morris, Collis, Cuthbertson this year and Tupou and Barrett last year. Your thoughts? Have they not aimed up as well as you expected? They're all seasoned footballers. They shouldn't need a settling-in period.
Recruitment was done prior to my arrival, but I think if you ask any of those players they would probably agree 100 per cent that they are not playing as well as they would like to play.
Why not? They're on good money?
If we could put our finger on it we'd be winning against Parramatta on Saturday evening. People forget one thing. Sport's a fickle business. Rugby league particularly and the results depend on the bounce of the ball and the luck. If you turn the ball over you can't win games. Look what happened last year at Parramatta. A bit of confidence can build momentum very quickly.
With respect Richard, they've got Jarryd Hayne, Fuifui, Hindmarsh and a heap of superstars. They won eight or nine in a row. I don't think this Cronulla side is capable of winning two or three in a row at the moment. You don't have the same roster as Parra.
No, but it's not that different a roster from two years ago when the club finished on top of the table. Ricky was the coach, the man people want to criticise today. I honestly think we're just lacking confidence. Once we get some back, I think you'll see a different football team.
I know Ricky Stuart well. I like him a lot and he writes a column for our newspaper. You're close to Ricky too. Are you too close to him? Isn't it the coach's responsibility to have a successful club? You've given him a very strong endorsement. My website blog gets inundated with fans every day asking when is Cronulla going to do something about the coach.
Buzz, you can say Ricky's got to go ...
No, I said that's what people on my blog are saying. I've defended him many times. I'm asking you: are you too close to him after spending great years together at the Roosters?
By being close to him, I very much understand him, I respect him and I appreciate him. By being close, I can talk to Ricky Stuart and he will listen to me. I've got nothing but the utmost respect for the man. I'm close to him but not too close. I see the work he puts in and I see the passion he puts into the place.
How's he coping? If you run a business that has struggled for nine months, you start to doubt yourself. How's he coping mentally? Is he starting to doubt himself?
Where Ricky's at right now is nothing that a win won't fix. The great thing about Ricky Stuart is that he questions everything that happens. And he'll always stick his hand up to accept responsibility, often when it should be pointed at other people.
I've said before he's too loyal by hanging on to under-performing players for too long.
I think that's his greatest attribute - his loyalty. I would much rather a man who is too loyal than a disloyal person.
You know in this whole interview, you still haven't guaranteed he'll be at the club for the remainder of his two-year term.
No one can guarantee anything in life and I don't want to deal in hypotheticals. But there is absolutely no reason to suggest he won't be here, at least until the end of next season.
You've admitted some players haven't been aiming up. Would you do what happened a couple of years ago with Josh Hannay and Buster Seymour and send them back to park footy with the Gymea Gorillas or another of the local clubs?
We're three rounds into the competition and we still think we are finals contenders. There's not a hope in Hades of that happening at the moment.
I'm asking these questions because you've lost 13 straight games. You'll equal the record for the worst ever losing sequence on Saturday if you lose to Parramatta.
I actually get frustrated that everyone wants to transport 2010 back to 2009.
As you know, I was nearly 14 years at the Roosters and in 1966 they didn't win a game. Sport goes in cycles. I'm quite excited that we've got good young people coming through. Previous management had a different approach to recruitment.
You keep defending Ricky. You don't sign players the coach doesn't want. Surely he's been responsible for the roster you have at the moment.
I'm not just defending Ricky Stuart. We have a recruitment team. We don't have the money for the big players like Melbourne and Brisbane.
If you had your time again, should the club have kept Greg Bird? Did the club act too hastily in getting rid of him? Could you have got him back when he was cleared?
I wasn't here when it happened. The observation I had is the club acted correctly. I think the brand of the Sharks is more important than any individual. The hard work that has been done by the board and everyone working at the club has lifted the brand which had been damaged by certain individuals.
We had to rebuild that brand. If we hadn't rebuilt it, we wouldn't be sitting here today with Hisense as a major sponsor or with Poker Stars on a great two-year deal as sleeve sponsor. That's happened because our brand has got credibility.
Everywhere but the footy field?
I think everyone who follows rugby league would have nothing but the utmost respect for our players and their achievements last year against all that adversity. However, I keep saying, you've got no idea how one win is going to change this place.
The financial situation is still shaky. Be fair dinkum: can this club survive to pay the players and run the operation?
The club is financially viable in where we are at the moment. Being honest, this club would not have survived without the new board of directors and the new management team that has been implemented. We've had to go through a whole variety of cost-cutting measures to ensure we only spend what we can afford. That's why we will survive.
You're guaranteeing you'll be here next year? Aren't you dependent on crowds to survive?
We all rely on crowds but there's one thing people underestimate about this place ... no one can guarantee anything in life ... but what I can say to you is that with a leagues club owning its own ground, with the development that the board is rejuvenating, and with the football team, we have very strong asset backing and a whole variety of options are being investigated to ensure the best structure is there for the longevity of the club. We've learnt from mistakes. This club has wasted money in the past by buying players they couldn't afford and by implementing structures they couldn't afford. And paying out coaches they couldn't afford.
You've got assets, but what about the cash flow? You can't keep borrowing money.
We've put a lot of work into the restructure of the club in making sure we only spend what we can afford. I'm very proud of what we're doing. Very few clubs in just a six-month period would replace its board of directors, have a new CEO, have a new commercial manager, a new football manager, a new recruitment manager and a new membership manager. We've got record membership figures, a new jersey sponsor and a new sleeve sponsor. Because of what we inherited, we've had to restructure the entire business and culture. We are understaffed but everyone here is really striving to make a difference. Everyone has got one ambition and that's to make this club successful. It's not about nine to five. Everyone's putting in big time. Some very talented people are working their butts off.
You talk about cost-cutting. Will the Sharks always be able to spend the full $3.8 million on the salary cap or might it get to a stage where you have to trim it back to, say, $3.5 million?
We'll make that decision on a year-to-year situation, based on our budgets. Some clubs spend every cent of their cap.
And more!
You can say that. It doesn't guarantee you success. The Wests Tigers won a comp in a year they didn't spend all of their salary cap. We're rebuilding a football club. People want to snipe but I think we're being unfairly criticised for losing three games. One win could turn our entire season around.
Attachment: Dejected ... Paul Gallen (left) and his Cronulla team walk from the field on Monday. Source: The Daily Telegraph
Attachments
I couldn't agree more Fisk.
This will sound like over optimism.
I've been encouraged by what I've see so far this year, rather than discouraged. Young blokes have progressed further physically during the off season than I expected, and guys like Morris, Kelly and Cuthbo have started better than I had hoped.
I think we have the most talented roster for a number of seasons, particularly with the addition of Smith. We don't want to treat him as a saviour, but then again there's also a reason you don't win many games without a good halfback.
Barrett's in bad form, but both him and Smith in top form could be one of the best balanced, most composed, controlling, creative, dominant halves pairings in the game. In the same class as Prince/Bird, Wallace/Lockyer, Cronk/Finch.
I think when Collis is fit for any length of time, he and Fergo will form a really deadly edge combination with Tupou.
Similarly, I think whoever ends up in the left centre position- probably Tuatai or Matt Wright for mine with Stapo on the wing- will be solid, quick and dangerous, particularly with Cuthbo playing more minutes on that fringe.
When was the last time we had two edge combinations that were quick, creative, classy and young? They may not have happened yet, they might not even be playing there yet for whatever reason, but the potential is there.
I like the way Kelly runs. He's quicker than he looks. He's got some Benji like trick passes and some great attacking kicks. And he's such a natural footballer. Improve his work under those bombs or avoid it altogether by getting someone else to catch them and he'll be an ongoing revelation at fullback I reckon.
Doug and Snow are no where near their best and they're still going well. Same with Gal. Vave looked right at home the other night, and Mannah will be back eventually. The best two emerging rep props plus two of the best baby props.
Morris and Aiton have been great.
When we're playing finals footy at the end of this season, I'd like to see a side that looks like this:
1) Kelly
2) Ferguson
3) Collis
4) Wright/Tautai
5) Stapleton
6) Barrett (c)
7) Smith
8) Snowden
9) Morris
10) Douglas
11) Cuthbertson
12) Tupou
13) Gallen
14) Vave
15) Mannah
16) Bukuya/Millington/B.Wright
17) Aiton
Find me a poor footballer in that team. Someone without talent or that doesn't try hard enough. There aren't any.
And as I posted in the tactics "If I were Ricky..." thread we do have an attacking game plan and it would/will/could be deadly if we just hold on to the footy and get some confidence.
Confidence is what we need. It comes, it goes, whenever it pleases.
Point is, the team is a good one. Better than I expected at the start of the year. And I reckon we do have the potential to do a Parra- maybe not to teh granny, but certainly to win quite a few games.
Just need to jag that first win.
Sharky Pete
Great White
I couldn't agree more Wilson.
Phil Rothfield is like the clowns on our official FB page calling for Ricky's head tbh.
I hate it when these fairweather fans whinge and complain and say they won't attend games when we're losing.
I will definitely be there on Saturday and I look forward to singing Up Up Cronulla at full time.