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Stuart sticks by Kelly after Rabbitohs' air raids help them to record a ... - Brisbane Times
Source:http://news.google.com/news/url?fd=...0.html&usg=AFQjCNFYa9aMxW7YUhW0rM6-w9c6GU9iKQ
Stuart sticks by Kelly after Rabbitohs' air raids help them to record a victory at last
GLENN JACKSON
March 29, 2010
Sharks 8 Rabbitohs 30
In a match that Souths hooker Issac Luke almost missed, it will be Albert Kelly who will be hoping that fans had problems catching the game, Unfortunately for poor Kelly, he was unable to catch much himself.
The bombs that tormented the 19-year-old as the Sharks' losing streak hit 13 matches were big, but not big enough to open up a hole he could creep into.
In just his third first-grade game and his first at fullback, he was targeted with dipping and swerving high balls by the Souths halves John Sutton and Chris Sandow, which brought down proof of life on Mars.
''I don't feel for him because he's learning,'' Cronulla coach Ricky Stuart said of Kelly.
''There's a lot of better catchers in the game that wouldn't have caught those bombs. That's his first game of first-grade football for 80 minutes. What I'm wishing is I had another 16 of him. That kid's brilliant, he's going to be a real player, that kid, but I'm certainly not going to burn him out at this level. He's just learning. We had a chat this week; he expects a lot of himself, but I think it was a relief when I told him that he wasn't going to be the player I think he will be until 2012.
''He's got two years of under-20s, that boy, but he's better than a lot of other players I've got so I've got to play him in first grade.
''He's a real tough competitor, he's a real tough kid. He's something we haven't got.''
That they haven't got a win either is the result. The Sharks remain the only side yet to win this season and with matches against Parramatta and Manly to come, the light at the end of the tunnel is barely flickering. The Sharks are one short of the worst losing streak in NRL history, earned by Western Suburbs in 1998-99, and the carnage could well continue.
''The result's always going to be the same if we keep making those errors with the football,'' Stuart said. ''We can't keep giving teams a leg-up, which we are doing at the moment and continuing to do. We've done it since our first trial.
''You get a little bit sick of looking around the changing rooms and seeing poor body language and heads down after a game. We've got to try and break that cycle … soon.''
After the Sharks had opened the scoring through winger Luke Covell (not just Luke was late to this game, obviously; a number of Rabbitohs clocked on late for the first try), Souths hit back with three tries in 10 minutes to put some distance between the two teams.
The first came via the cool hand of Luke. The hooker did well to grip a greasy ball and handed centre Beau Champion the first try for his side.
The Rabbitohs were adapting to the wet conditions. Their forward pack, big in size and reputation but not in their opening two performances, were mudlarks, rumbling forward as Luke and other livewires took advantage.
Champion scored again in the 18th minute and four minutes later Colin Best scored against the club for which he made his debut. Then just two minutes into the second half, the forward with possibly the biggest reputation of all, Sam Burgess, scored his first NRL try for his new club, stretching to score after good work from latecomer Luke.
The night was not perfect for the Rabbitohs, who lost interchange Dave Tyrrell to a possible fractured cheekbone. But after a peculiar start, it certainly finished well for them.
SOUTH SYDNEY 30 (B Champion 2 C Best S Burgess I Luke tries I Luke 4 C Sandow goals) bt CRONULLA 8 (L Covell B Ferguson tries) at Toyota Stadium. Referee: Shayne Hayne, Brett Suttor. Crowd: 10,741.
Source:http://news.google.com/news/url?fd=...0.html&usg=AFQjCNFYa9aMxW7YUhW0rM6-w9c6GU9iKQ
Stuart sticks by Kelly after Rabbitohs' air raids help them to record a victory at last
GLENN JACKSON
March 29, 2010
Sharks 8 Rabbitohs 30
In a match that Souths hooker Issac Luke almost missed, it will be Albert Kelly who will be hoping that fans had problems catching the game, Unfortunately for poor Kelly, he was unable to catch much himself.
The bombs that tormented the 19-year-old as the Sharks' losing streak hit 13 matches were big, but not big enough to open up a hole he could creep into.
In just his third first-grade game and his first at fullback, he was targeted with dipping and swerving high balls by the Souths halves John Sutton and Chris Sandow, which brought down proof of life on Mars.
''I don't feel for him because he's learning,'' Cronulla coach Ricky Stuart said of Kelly.
''There's a lot of better catchers in the game that wouldn't have caught those bombs. That's his first game of first-grade football for 80 minutes. What I'm wishing is I had another 16 of him. That kid's brilliant, he's going to be a real player, that kid, but I'm certainly not going to burn him out at this level. He's just learning. We had a chat this week; he expects a lot of himself, but I think it was a relief when I told him that he wasn't going to be the player I think he will be until 2012.
''He's got two years of under-20s, that boy, but he's better than a lot of other players I've got so I've got to play him in first grade.
''He's a real tough competitor, he's a real tough kid. He's something we haven't got.''
That they haven't got a win either is the result. The Sharks remain the only side yet to win this season and with matches against Parramatta and Manly to come, the light at the end of the tunnel is barely flickering. The Sharks are one short of the worst losing streak in NRL history, earned by Western Suburbs in 1998-99, and the carnage could well continue.
''The result's always going to be the same if we keep making those errors with the football,'' Stuart said. ''We can't keep giving teams a leg-up, which we are doing at the moment and continuing to do. We've done it since our first trial.
''You get a little bit sick of looking around the changing rooms and seeing poor body language and heads down after a game. We've got to try and break that cycle … soon.''
After the Sharks had opened the scoring through winger Luke Covell (not just Luke was late to this game, obviously; a number of Rabbitohs clocked on late for the first try), Souths hit back with three tries in 10 minutes to put some distance between the two teams.
The first came via the cool hand of Luke. The hooker did well to grip a greasy ball and handed centre Beau Champion the first try for his side.
The Rabbitohs were adapting to the wet conditions. Their forward pack, big in size and reputation but not in their opening two performances, were mudlarks, rumbling forward as Luke and other livewires took advantage.
Champion scored again in the 18th minute and four minutes later Colin Best scored against the club for which he made his debut. Then just two minutes into the second half, the forward with possibly the biggest reputation of all, Sam Burgess, scored his first NRL try for his new club, stretching to score after good work from latecomer Luke.
The night was not perfect for the Rabbitohs, who lost interchange Dave Tyrrell to a possible fractured cheekbone. But after a peculiar start, it certainly finished well for them.
SOUTH SYDNEY 30 (B Champion 2 C Best S Burgess I Luke tries I Luke 4 C Sandow goals) bt CRONULLA 8 (L Covell B Ferguson tries) at Toyota Stadium. Referee: Shayne Hayne, Brett Suttor. Crowd: 10,741.
