Round 7 2015 Cronulla Sutherland Sharks vs South Sydney Rabbitohs, Monday 20th April 2015, 7.00 pm @ Remondis

[coogeeboy]

Two wins on the trot should give you blokes more confidence & yes i think the Sharks have the players to make that difference.
There is too much emphasis on being the Premiers from the previous year as Souths proved on Monday night.
I much as i respect, admire & support Michael Maguire as a coach that has turned my club around the same can be said for Shane Flanagan with the Sharks.
The 1-6-7-9 from both sides will be a major factor on who wins because think Luke Keary has got the best set of hands in the game (just my opinion mind you) but the Sharks have Jack Bird who is starting to gain the headlines for all the right reasons.
Ennis is playing good, solid footy, Robsons earning his keep, Barba's still an x factor & the match up in the forwards is going to be a contest & a half.
Souths have to improve from Monday night's game if we are to win but i won't be underestimating the Sharks either so may the best team get the 2 points & may there be no injuries to either side.

 

[Born&bred]

Inglis still seeing the Rabbitohs external Physio daily. Nowhere near 100%.

Yep and his break-even is woeful this week

 

[Gards]

1 Valentine Holmes
2 Sosaia Feki
3 Gerard Beale
4 Ricky Leutele
5 Michael Gordon
6 Jack Bird
7 Jeff Robson
8 Sam Tagataese
9 Michael Ennis
10 Chris Heighington
11 Luke Lewis
12 Wade Graham
13 Paul Gallen (c)

Interchange
14 Ben Barba
15 Anthony Tupou
16 Matt Prior
17 Jayson Bukuya
18 Tinirau Arona

So literally half our team is backrowers, not a genuine full time prop to be found unless you count Gallen...
heighno and prior will do honest jobs but Toops dunno if he has the fitness these days to do longer minutes if required and Taga could well be his usual lazy, soft self

I have some real concerns about this sqaud's ability to bend the line and not get dominated but expect Gallen to have a mammoth game and at least one of our benchies/part timers to step up in the forwads
Is going to be a test for Bird in his first game where our forwards are unlikely to have the momentum and ascendency, but I think he will deal with being on the backfoot if that's the case, will still look to make things happen and likely have them come off

 

[Harty]

I think tupou has looked as dangerous as ever this year, actually looks interested and wants the ball bends the line and always looking for an offload, jut my 2cents

 

[Gards]

I think tupou has looked as dangerous as ever this year, actually looks interested and wants the ball bends the line and always looking for an offload, jut my 2cents

agree, he has been great. I'm questioning his ability to do much longer minutes if required, not his form or ability

He runs and tackles hard but is sucking them in pretty early into his spells at least form what I have seen and is carrying around more bulk than back a few years ago when we used him more so as a backrower/ edge runner than up the guts

I say all this as I don't have a mountain of faith in Taga's ability to get the job done out there but Gallen will cover alot of the extra work and Prior should get more minutes than usual as well.

 

[snowman]

I don't mind that team I spoke with someone who went to the nsw cup game and they said taga was just destroying people and running like a freight train

he needs to take more than 5 runs, if he takes 5 runs as a starting prop, then we will lose

also, houma is no where near ready for firsts from the report I got, apparently his fitness is puss

roqica hurt his arm and is out, I would have liked him in the side just as a big body

I think we can still get them with mobile forwards, we have a game plan atm that does not suit the bunnies, I am not over confident, but I don't think we will get belted by 40

I think if we put in the same effort and commitment as the last 2 weeks, then we will be there and there abouts to beat the bunnies

 

[Capital_Shark]

I think tupou has looked as dangerous as ever this year, actually looks interested and wants the ball bends the line and always looking for an offload, jut my 2cents

Yeah Toops has got better each game and was looking really good the last 2 games. Running flatout with the threat of a pass before the line, through the line or as always an offload. This has always been Toops' game but like you say he looks interested and goes after the ball more. Last week I recall him coming onto the ball from the back fence and offloading just before the line, then yelling for the ball on the next play to take the hitup this time round. In some games gone by he'd drift out and run decoys for a couple sets after having a run.

 

[Sutty]

I'm pretty confident. They don't have a halfback, they have a below-top-form Inglis and the only other non-dud back is Johnston (Assuming Walker is still out). I'd assume Sutton is back by Monday so that leaves them will an interesting proposition of keeping Grevsmuhl as a starter or leaving McQueen. Hopefully they give Grevsmuhl as few minutes as possible, I like the look of him.

 

[CHOGM]

Regardless of the apparent rule changes the bunnies still wrestle a lot and slow the play the ball down a lot too. There are opportunities here to win penalties if we can get the refs to see what they're doing. They got away with it a lot in the Cowboys game.

 

[Thresher]

Beware the injured Inglis, he always scores 3 tries when it's least expected

 

[GymeaGorilla 72]

I'm hoping Dylan Walker sits this week out, he is all class and will be handful if he plays

 

[Bundy Shark]

I'm pretty confident. They don't have a halfback, they have a below-top-form Inglis and the only other non-dud back is Johnston (Assuming Walker is still out). I'd assume Sutton is back by Monday so that leaves them will an interesting proposition of keeping Grevsmuhl as a starter or leaving McQueen. Hopefully they give Grevsmuhl as few minutes as possible, I like the look of him.

Same, impressve young player.

 

[Sparkles]

I think tupou has looked as dangerous as ever this year, actually looks interested and wants the ball bends the line and always looking for an offload, jut my 2cents

Totally agree, he looks dangerous with every run. One thing I did notice was that his play the ball looks really slow... Not sure if it's fitness or old age catching up!

 

[XGinga]

Darren Nicholls from the ponnies has joined the bunnies effective immediately, he played for the Bears before going up north. He is a halfback and i'm guessing he could play on Monday against us seeing as he may have played with a few of the current players during his Bears days.
Anyone know anything about him?

 

[BlackWhiteBlue]

Darren Nicholls from the ponnies has joined the bunnies effective immediately, he played for the Bears before going up north. He is a halfback and i'm guessing he could play on Monday against us seeing as he may have played with a few of the current players during his Bears days.
Anyone know anything about him?

Know nothing. Rookie half back could be a bit wobbly game 1 with the team coming off a loss.

 

[coogeeboy]

Played for the Broncos in the Auckland Nines this year as well & has been playing with the Norths Devils up in the Brisbane feeder system.
Could be tested on Monday night but he was selected to play for North Sydney this week anyway.

 

[Mr Wright]

Nicholls is good mates with Todd Murphy and Barba. Nicholls and Murphy played in the halves together for Norths in the Q Cup last year. Handy player, but murphy was the star of that pairing.

 

[CHOGM]

Has anyone seen Dillon play in NSW cup this year? He's a tackling machine by all accounts. It would be good to see him get a crack if he is going well enough.

 

[IronShark]

Reckon we should be half a chance in this game. Souths suffer badly without the kicking game of Reynolds.

Even without the Fifita boys, we were able to give it to the Souths forwards in the Nines and, despite it being a completely different game, I think we can handle them again

The big difference will be in the backline, for mine with our wingers competing for the high ball against the likes of Johnston and Inglis (and Walker, if fit).

Need to get up in their face, play aggressive in defence and pressure their kicker.

 

[BlackWhiteBlue]

Has anyone seen Dillon play in NSW cup this year? He's a tackling machine by all accounts. It would be good to see him get a crack if he is going well enough.

Well theres a job for tagataese. Run at him all night haha