Round 13 2013 NRL: Cronulla Sutherland Sharks V Melbourne Storm, AAMI Park, Sunday 9th June, 6:30pm

[WillyInBris]

Flat as a tack.

 

[85Sharkie]

Last night showed how far we really are from winning a premiership. While we were nowhere near our best, the storms speed and execution in running their plays, defensive structure and kicking game were far superior to anything we have shown this year.

 

[Long Suffering Sharkie]

Last night showed how far we really are from winning a premiership. While we were nowhere near our best, the storms speed and execution in running their plays, defensive structure and kicking game were far superior to anything we have shown this year.

Last night showed the gulf that exists between coaches like Bellamy, Robinson and Maguire compared to the others....they know how to extract the best from their team as a whole.

One thing I picked up in that game was the fact that we were getting off their players too quickly and therefore unable to stall Melbourne's momentum. We were also making more one on one tackles that sometimes didn't work (Two of their tries came from palming off Todd Carney)

On the other hand, the Storm players were wrapping up our players usually three to a man, turning them turtle almost every time then peeling off the tackled player one at a time. Turning a player onto their back meant that the player took longer to get to their feet and play the ball which gave Storm valuable extra seconds to regroup as a defensive unit and thus kill our momentum in the process.

The second very good tactic was the method of Storm players to charge our defenders, bump out of the tackle, spin around and feed the ball to the man waiting behind them. This style of offload was less risky than the Tupou/Feliti Mateo/Gallen style of offload and ensured that for every set or six 'tackles' the Sharks had, the Storm had seven or eight 'tackles' to complete theirs.

Did anyone else notice that after we scored our solo try, while there was only a minute to go...it took Cameron Smith 30 seconds to walk slowly back to the kickoff and yet the ref did not hurry things up or stop the clock...? It is like the refs are in awe of the big three and don't question their actions.

 

[Bundy Shark]

Time to move on, its a horrible loss, hoping Flano makes the boys watch the whole game again in the video session, Fifita, Lewis, Wright, Toops & Heino can hold their heads up, its a worry we can dish this sort of thing up, I know we can't be on song every game but geez that's a long way from acceptable, anyone know what the story was with Ross?

 

[Deleted member 3365]

Carney was starting to play first receiver. You can tell he wants to start controlling the team.
All and all they werent up to scratch. They are a better side and I think theyll bounce back from this.

 

[Gards]

No, just highlighting what a hypocrite you are. You singled carney and poms out for their poor defence but you failed to mention the worst player on the field...your hero jeff robson. He was a massive reason why we got pumped yet you fail to mention it. Yes, the team was bad but it's to be expected when your halves dish up that.

Actually no I'm not. I was busy watching this game with some friends at the pub over a few schooners, not micro analysing every single touch of the ball from Robson and others. If Robbo had a **** game he had a **** game, fair enough.
What I saw in tries scored against us though was half ass tackle attempts from Carney and poor defensive decisions (as usual) from Poms. Our hookers are totally useless and did nothing. As big a problem as Half Back this year

I could watch the replay if I wanted to put myself through that torture again but I will just take the word of posters here who were obviously paying closer attention than I was.
You really need to chill and stop obsessing with Robson mate and also thinking that he is the only player I watch or something. Just cause i've stuck up for him in the past doesn't mean he is immune to justified criticism and it doesn't mean I think he is ausome and can do no wrong because he does.

 

[Bundy Shark]

I've said this before & it was a issue again last night, the majority of games this yr our kick chase pressure on the last tackle & especially the kick where the other teams halves either put the bomb up or do a cross field kick is woeful, yes Feki put down that kick but look back who took the kick & see for yourselves the pressure or lack of that we applied, no wonder the opposition kickers can put it on the spot against us.

I also heard on the coverage last night we are third in the league for conceding the most tries through kicks, hardly surprising.

 

[baanya]

:good:

Flat as a tack.

 

[djhabib]

The team should pay for my fuel and accom. That was a nightmare. If they pull that in Brisbane I'll head butt someone

 

[BlackWhiteBlue]

I dont understand what Carneys fascination last night with cut out to Pom/Ryan was. Especially on our 30-40 etc, with no room for either of them. If we wanna beat Melbourne, we out-muscle them, not run around them.

With a pack consisting of blokes like Wade, heighno, Fifita, Lewis and Bakuya, we should have been able to make some meters up the field. Instead we used our useless as **** 1-5 too much, and they just werent up to. Although J Wright was alright i will admit. Gordon had his worst game for us yet, but we know he is better than that

 

[hitman124]

If we are going to have a loss like that, then let it be last night. If we can win the next 4, then last night will most likely be forgotten.

 

[Bundy Shark]

Agree but we really need to limit the gap between our best performance & our worst, I know we got pumped last night but for me the Storm weren't brilliant either which in a way is scary cause we could have got a real towel up otherwise.

 

[hitman124]

Our performance reminded me of Melbourne's in the 08 GF, from minute one, we just got stood on and dominated.

I do wonder however, if Gal was playing, would the result have been any different?

 

[Born&bred]

That was balls - only highlight was beers with the usual suspects and meeting Thresher, vicsharksfan & Everton Shark for the first time.

Was good to meet yas

 

[Thresher]

Yeah good times apart from the game, got the hangover to prove it too.

You're lucky you don't get hangovers B & B.

 

[squiddy]

Guys we were always going to get ambushed down there , think about it , Melbourne has been flat the last few weeks , the qld connection were looking to bounce back , smiths milestone game , we were a long shot at best no matter how well we played.

Having said that , I said it somewhere here last year , our defense can not handle fast sweeping back line movements , as soon as melbourne went wide and slater chimed in we were in massive trouble , we need to improve our D against this style of attack or else.

No one should be dropped for the next game , it's how we bounce back that will show how good we are going , not last nights performance

 

[MakoMan11]

Surely Flanagan has to drop Pomeroy after last night. Enough is enough!

I know we are weak in the centres, but you can't contend for a title when you have such a horrible defender in one of the two most important defensive positions, especially when he offers very little in attack. I can't for the life of me understand why he Flanagan keeps picking him ahead of Stewart Mills, who is a natural right centre and is rock-solid in defense. Mills also doesn't turn the ball over every time he's in a half-break by throwing a complete speculator to no-one and - unlike Pomeroy - he actually knows how capitalise on a two-on-one situation. And if - for whatever reason - Flanagan is hell-bent on picking Pommers, then play him at left centre so Robbo can give him some protection, instead of on the right alongside Carney, who is an equally bad defender.

This is perhaps a moot point anyway. Because if Cronulla want to win a premiership before the Gallen, Lewis, Carney era ends, then they need another coach. Flanagan is a decent first-grade coach and has proven to be an excellent recruiter, but he doesn't have anywhere near the tactical nous of a Bellamy, Hasler, Bennett, or even younger guys like McGuire, Robinson, Cleary that is required to take a team to a grand final.

 

[Born&bred]

Yeah good times apart from the game, got the hangover to prove it too.

You're lucky you don't get hangovers B & B.

Got no voice left today lol

 

[Paul C]

Surely Flanagan has to drop Pomeroy after last night. Enough is enough!

I know we are weak in the centres, but you can't contend for a title when you have such a horrible defender in one of the two most important defensive positions, especially when he offers very little in attack. I can't for the life of me understand why he Flanagan keeps picking him ahead of Stewart Mills, who is a natural right centre and is rock-solid in defense. Mills also doesn't turn the ball over every time he's in a half-break by throwing a complete speculator to no-one and - unlike Pomeroy - he actually knows how capitalise on a two-on-one situation. And if - for whatever reason - Flanagan is hell-bent on picking Pommers, then play him at left centre so Robbo can give him some protection, instead of on the right alongside Carney, who is an equally bad defender.

This is perhaps a moot point anyway. Because if Cronulla want to win a premiership before the Gallen, Lewis, Carney era ends, then they need another coach. Flanagan is a decent first-grade coach and has proven to be an excellent recruiter, but he doesn't have anywhere near the tactical nous of a Bellamy, Hasler, Bennett, or even younger guys like McGuire, Robinson, Cleary that is required to take a team to a grand final.

I agree Pomeroy has to go. His defensive reads are poor and he had hard hands.

Overall, we got a touch up but Melbourne were white hot and got some fortunate bounces early. We couldn't recover.

I was happy to see the boys throw the ball around. It looked like the Sharks of old when we could score tries. Maybe they keep that up. Nothing better than watching Jonathan Docking and Barry Russell carve up on a Sunday afternoon.

 

[WillyInBris]

OT

But thought some of you need a laugh.