Round 16 2017 Cronulla Sutherland Sharks vs Manly Warringah Sea Eagles, Sunday 25 June @ 4pm, SCG Stadium

[HaroldBishop]

Yes mate, our premiership defence overall has been below average. Everyone is out to get us and we haven't coped at all.

I don't really think that's it mate. We've been our own worst enemies really, can't expect to go deep in September when you have the worst completion rate and give away more penalties than any other team.

Also, losing Ennis and Barba is a huge hurdle that we can't get over in attack. I just can't see that improving.

 

[Shark in Mexico]

You know ..... Guys / Gals ... I watched this ( Sharkies on TV ..... it's my religion in Melbourne .... has been since I re-located '85 )
We were crap ..... the spine ( Fifita, Maloney, Graham, wingman Holmes ...... ok . the Birdman as well ) were very tired.
Manly were rested and revved up ... besides which they are ALWAYS hard for us to beat.
But .... CAN WE PLEASE REST THAT HISTORICAL JUMPER !!!
Everytime we play in it we play just like they did when we wore it.
It's old news. One out, one off the ruck ...... rubbish.
Pedestrian.
Let's play the rest of the year in the Premier's Strip ..... and be real proud to wear it !
Arrggghhhhhh !!!
Driven me to drink ! ( Luckily it's high end Laphroig ...... things can still be looking up ! )

 

[sharks2010]

I really don't see us improving a lot tbh. Apart from a handful of games we've been very average all year.

I haven't written us off yet, this state of origin period hasn't helped things. We've had a lot of our key players missing because of it and would have been barely training at all. It's not helping things having them in and out over the past month and a bit.

I still think we will improve once the origin period is done and dusted, we've shown what we can do when we keep to our structures and actually control the ball but at the moment it's hard for us to attack because we just aren't able to get into our groove and build any kind of pressure. When we do we are extremely hard to stop but at the moment our attacking players have little impact because of the lack of good field position we actually get.

Just need to get back to basics and show more respect for the ball in attack and discipline in defense and most importantly be patient when we have the ball and we are right in it

 

[HaroldBishop]

I haven't written us off yet, this state of origin period hasn't helped things. We've had a lot of our key players missing because of it and would have been barely training at all. It's not helping things having them in and out over the past month and a bit.

I still think we will improve once the origin period is done and dusted, we've shown what we can do when we keep to our structures and actually control the ball but at the moment it's hard for us to attack because we just aren't able to get into our groove and build any kind of pressure. When we do we are extremely hard to stop but at the moment our attacking players have little impact because of the lack of good field position we actually get.

Just need to get back to basics and show more respect for the ball in attack and discipline in defense and most importantly be patient when we have the ball and we are right in it

Our attack has been ordinary all year though apart from against Canberra and Penrith, not just during the SOO period.

I'm not writing us off but I don't have much faith in our error-ridden, clumsy attack improving much. 15 games down, nine to go. We'd want to start the change soon.

I wasn't worried at all last year when we had our flat patch at the back end of the year because we'd shown up until that point what we were capable of. I don't have the same feeling this year.

 

[HaroldBishop]

Just to add, we still have the best defence but our attack is now 11th in the comp.

 

[slide rule]

I liked the part where Lewis took the intercept.

 

[sharks2010]

Just to add, we still have the best defence but our attack is now 11th in the comp.

we are still creating chances though. Not sure if we still do but we were coming first a couple of weeks ago for linebreaks. It's just about turning those chances into tries

The canberra and penrith game we showed what we can do when we control the ball and the game. I know our ball control has been bad for most of the year and it may sound easier said than done but if we fix it up there's no reason why we can't give this title a real crack

It's not like we are dominating games with a high completion rate and good field position like the bulldogs and struggling to score

 

[hank]

spot on! Flanagan made a big mistake not resting some of the origin players. Capewell was MOM last week yet was hardly sited. Have to have faith in some of the younger lads. Just look at what they are doing for Melb. Also, Gal missing tackels last 2 weeks he never misses. Is he injured?

 

[slide rule]

Yeah, you have to wonder whether if we had more ball from cleaning up the mistakes we would be going better.

But I don't think we look threatening very often. We rarely score from a well constructed backline movement. We don't even look organised.

I don't really care. Stumble thorugh the season and Maloney will turn up for the finals.

 

[sharks2010]

I don't really care. Stumble thorugh the season and Maloney will turn up for the finals.

we have a talented experienced squad that is capable of flicking the switch on when it matters

Maybe flanno just doesn't want to show all of his cards at the moment haha

 

[slide rule]

we have a talented experienced squad that is capable of flicking the switch on when it matters

Maybe flanno just doesn't want to show all of his cards at the moment haha

We *can* mix it with the best.

We only need to play a couple of good games at the end of the year and we win the premiership.

 

[Sir Chadley]

We *can* mix it with the best.

We only need to play a couple of good games at the end of the year and we win the premiership.

I'm worried the players are thinking like this as well. We've got to make the semis first.

 

[HaroldBishop]

We *can* mix it with the best.

We only need to play a couple of good games at the end of the year and we win the premiership.

Kind of what the Western Bulldogs did in the AFL last year. No where near the best team during the season but went on a run during the finals.

 

[HaroldBishop]

I'm worried the players are thinking like this as well. We've got to make the semis first.

We only need a few more wins, we'll definitely make the finals.

 

[Sharkyle]

We only need a few more wins, we'll definitely make the finals.

In this competition you pretty much have to make the top 4, yes we will make the finals but it's more a question of will we make the top 4 and actually be competitive? I still think yes but if storm finish minor premiers there's no way in hell I'd wanna finish 4th and play them in Melbourne first up. If we can somehow finish 2nd or 3rd I think we will make a real charge.

 

[slide rule]

If we finish 3rd and the Roosters finish 2nd it will be the same game (probably) played at the same ground.

 

[Sharkyle]

If we finish 3rd and the Roosters finish 2nd it will be the same game (probably) played at the same ground.

Exactly. Best case scenario if roosters and us finish 2/3

 

[egg]

We only need a few more wins, we'll definitely make the finals.

5 more wins plus the bye and we'll be close to top 4 .
Must pull the socks up and win them still .

 

[HaroldBishop]

If we finish 3rd and the Roosters finish 2nd it will be the same game (probably) played at the same ground.

We'll get their dressing room though. That'll show 'em.

 

[slide rule]

We'll get their dressing room though. That'll show 'em.

Hopefully having to turn right instead of left will make them disoriented and they'll run backwards.