The reasons why the Sharks have failed the last few years

[Steve Kneen]

The reasons why the Sharks have failed the last few years are due to poor management and poor player recruitment.

1/Greg Bird was sacked from the club. No matter what you think about this affair players of Bird's calibre should never have been let go if YOU want to win a competition. Bird was judged by media fans and commentators. Bird legally found not guilty. Bird, yes he acted inappropriately by blaming his mate but that doesn't mean he should have been sacked/released by the club. This is part of the reason for Sharks poor run over the last few years. And for all you saying 1 player doesn't make a team, Bird is an elite player, an Origin player, and a player for his country. Anyone that understands anything about sport will know that he would have been a lifetime Cronulla player.

Was Brett Stewart punted? No! Manly & Des Hasler actually have a clue. Even though I dislike Manly.

2/ Beau Scott was let go( I remember at the time all the expert fans saying he's no good) another good player gone from Sharks. Plays for Australia and plays Origin.

3/ Brett Seymour was punted and should have been kept. Here is a halfback 90 kgs 26 years old. Yes he had some problems they could have been sorted out. But now we sign a 29 year old that isn't half of what Seymour is. You can talk all you like about Townsend, he's a kid and an apprentice. Seymour should have been kept.

4/ We should have kept Isaac De Gois the last few years. I hear you say we didn't have the money. Why would that be? We signed a guy named Karl Filiga on 200k untested at 1st grade level? Someone hasn't got a clue.

5/ Players like Bryan Norrie are let go and HE IS a good 1st grade player playing for the side coming first. This begs the question for all you Sharks fans. You didn't care when he left because you think he's hopeless. If therefore your opinion is of any value then how is he playing for the Storm squad, the BEST side in the comp at present, and performing week in week out.

Enough said, it is what it is. You can all say "move on". I won't move on until we start to look like a threat for a competition which is a long way off. You can all accept the mediocrity that is Cronulla. But I, do not accept the continuing mediocrity at the Sharks. We have no decent outside backs. Our centres are Colin Best and Pomeroy. You will not, & cannot win comps with this team.

Insert Bird Seymour and De Gois into this side over the past seasons and tell me we wouldn't have been closer to the eight. Cronulla need some decent backs.
Cronulla should do something about getting Bird back to the club in the future so he can finish playing at the Sharks. But I know they won't because they have no clue and don't want to win a competition. They will keep on signing retreads.

 

[squiddy]

The reasons why the Sharks have failed the last few years are due to poor management and poor player recruitment.

1/Greg Bird was sacked from the club. No matter what you think about this affair players of Bird's calibre should never have been let go if YOU want to win a competition. Bird was judged by media fans and commentators. Bird legally found not guilty. Bird, yes he acted inappropriately by blaming his mate but that doesn't mean he should have been sacked/released by the club. This is part of the reason for Sharks poor run over the last few years. And for all you saying 1 player doesn't make a team, Bird is an elite player, an Origin player, and a player for his country. Anyone that understands anything about sport will know that he would have been a lifetime Cronulla player.

Was Brett Stewart punted? No! Manly & Des Hasler actually have a clue. Even though I dislike Manly.

2/ Beau Scott was let go( I remember at the time all the expert fans saying he's no good) another good player gone from Sharks. Plays for Australia and plays Origin.

3/ Brett Seymour was punted and should have been kept. Here is a halfback 90 kgs 26 years old. Yes he had some problems they could have been sorted out. But now we sign a 29 year old that isn't half of what Seymour is. You can talk all you like about Townsend, he's a kid and an apprentice. Seymour should have been kept.

4/ We should have kept Isaac De Gois the last few years. I hear you say we didn't have the money. Why would that be? We signed a guy named Karl Filiga on 200k untested at 1st grade level? Someone hasn't got a clue.

5/ Players like Bryan Norrie are let go and HE IS a good 1st grade player playing for the side coming first. This begs the question for all you Sharks fans. You didn't care when he left because you think he's hopeless. If therefore your opinion is of any value then how is he playing for the Storm squad, the BEST side in the comp at present, and performing week in week out.

Enough said, it is what it is. You can all say "move on". I won't move on until we start to look like a threat for a competition which is a long way off. You can all accept the mediocrity that is Cronulla. But I, do not accept the continuing mediocrity at the Sharks. We have no decent outside backs. Our centres are Colin Best and Pomeroy. You will not, & cannot win comps with this team.

Insert Bird Seymour and De Gois into this side over the past seasons and tell me we wouldn't have been closer to the eight. Cronulla need some decent backs.
Cronulla should do something about getting Bird back to the club in the future so he can finish playing at the Sharks. But I know they won't because they have no clue and don't want to win a competition. They will keep on signing retreads.

Very hard to argue against any of that , throw in Latu's sacking earlier because that is what started the rot , and also Preston's treatment.

Birdy might come back to Sydney but it won't be with us , he'll Stick with a club going places and recruiting well

 

[shark 101]

Agreed except seymour he was repeated offender

 

[Hughesy215]

Do you think that all these players that have left and improved needed to change clubs and change circumstances before they were going to get any better?

Also the players that have left and sorted their behaviour out have done so because of the change in circumstances?

 

[Shark]

Gee, thanks Scoop!

Whilst I have a fairly sound theory, personally I don't think we'll ever find out exactly what series of events or what conversations occurred that led to Bird being sacked. Let's remember, the two key decision-makers in that process were Zappia and Stuart. Now, Sticky will tell anyone who will listen NOW that he didn't want Bird gone, but the bottom line is, it was HE and ZAPPIA who made that decision, with the consent of Barry Peirce as Chairman.

Come on, we ALL know what Stuart is like - Seriously, how do you think he'd have reacted when it became clear that Bird had flat-out lied to his face, regardless of any guilt or charges or whatever?

Please...get off the grass. Sticky would have told him to go to Hell, without passing go, without collecting $200. Anyone who thinks differently doesn't know Stuart. Sure, it was a rash decision, I am not suggesting otherwise, I am sure Stuart would not suggest otherwise. Would Stuart have backflipped if he could have? You betcha. But the horse had bolted - Or, should I say, the Bird had flown.

Greg Bird is no longer a Shark because he blatantly lied to his Head Coach and the GM of the club.

END. OF. STORY.

Now, can we leave 2008 behind and move on?

 

[SHARKSTER]

that may all be very accurate Shark, but that's not what Steve is talking about in isolation. I agree Steve, we have had a rough run and it is not just players, their behaviour or the clubs reactions/decisions. We have had some muppets running this club and to my way of thinking the rot started when they brought Anderson to our club. It has been nothing short of garbage since. Having said that, this year is very different, in that I believe we have solid leadership addressing the clubs direction and doing everything possible to create a solid future financially. If successful, I believe that success will follow onto the footy field as our club will be able to put the structures in place that are needed for an NRL side and our stable financial position will attract quality players.

I prefer to hang onto the possibilities to come, rather than dwell on the past

 

[Fitzy2513]

The rot started when the knife was plunged into the back of Peter Gow.

 

[since1967]

The reasons why the Sharks have failed the last few years are due to poor management and poor player recruitment.

1/Greg Bird was sacked from the club. No matter what you think about this affair players of Bird's calibre should never have been let go if YOU want to win a competition. Bird was judged by media fans and commentators. Bird legally found not guilty. Bird, yes he acted inappropriately by blaming his mate but that doesn't mean he should have been sacked/released by the club. This is part of the reason for Sharks poor run over the last few years. And for all you saying 1 player doesn't make a team, Bird is an elite player, an Origin player, and a player for his country. Anyone that understands anything about sport will know that he would have been a lifetime Cronulla player.

Was Brett Stewart punted? No! Manly & Des Hasler actually have a clue. Even though I dislike Manly.

2/ Beau Scott was let go( I remember at the time all the expert fans saying he's no good) another good player gone from Sharks. Plays for Australia and plays Origin.

3/ Brett Seymour was punted and should have been kept. Here is a halfback 90 kgs 26 years old. Yes he had some problems they could have been sorted out. But now we sign a 29 year old that isn't half of what Seymour is. You can talk all you like about Townsend, he's a kid and an apprentice. Seymour should have been kept.

4/ We should have kept Isaac De Gois the last few years. I hear you say we didn't have the money. Why would that be? We signed a guy named Karl Filiga on 200k untested at 1st grade level? Someone hasn't got a clue.

5/ Players like Bryan Norrie are let go and HE IS a good 1st grade player playing for the side coming first. This begs the question for all you Sharks fans. You didn't care when he left because you think he's hopeless. If therefore your opinion is of any value then how is he playing for the Storm squad, the BEST side in the comp at present, and performing week in week out.

Enough said, it is what it is. You can all say "move on". I won't move on until we start to look like a threat for a competition which is a long way off. You can all accept the mediocrity that is Cronulla. But I, do not accept the continuing mediocrity at the Sharks. We have no decent outside backs. Our centres are Colin Best and Pomeroy. You will not, & cannot win comps with this team.

Insert Bird Seymour and De Gois into this side over the past seasons and tell me we wouldn't have been closer to the eight. Cronulla need some decent backs.
Cronulla should do something about getting Bird back to the club in the future so he can finish playing at the Sharks. But I know they won't because they have no clue and don't want to win a competition. They will keep on signing retreads.

Don't think i have ever replied to any of your comments before (read plenty but thought better of it) but this confirms my thoughts on most of what you contribute. You are an idiot.

How about we go back to when we let Sludge go to the dragons, or when we let dykes go to Parra or Peach to ESL? Get a grip man, the past is the past and if we keep bringing up threads on how we should have done this we should have done that instead of we should do this and should do that, then we will keep coming up with mediocore results!

This thread offers nothing but a whinge!

 

[shark12]

Agree with Steve's comments and totally with Sharkster. In my mind the boards who let the Peirce's, Barry and his muppet son Greg, who had a back ground as a teacher and sports manager at best, where left unchecked to run a multi million dollar organisation. Which over the years slowly brought down our club. Last night, standing their watching our team with no line speed in defence or structure in attack, is a result of years of neglect.

 

[franky.]

The rot started when the knife was plunged into the back of Peter Gow.

gotta agree with u there

 

[Shark]

1/Greg Bird was sacked from the club. No matter what you think about this affair players of Bird's calibre should never have been let go if YOU want to win a competition. Bird was judged by media fans and commentators. Bird legally found not guilty. Bird, yes he acted inappropriately by blaming his mate but that doesn't mean he should have been sacked/released by the club. This is part of the reason for Sharks poor run over the last few years. And for all you saying 1 player doesn't make a team, Bird is an elite player, an Origin player, and a player for his country. Anyone that understands anything about sport will know that he would have been a lifetime Cronulla player.

See my previous response, but I do take on board the sentiment. I just think you're fingering the wrong target. Remember too, Bird was only cleared ON APPEAL, he was actually charged, tried and found guilty during his legal journey.

Was Brett Stewart punted? No! Manly & Des Hasler actually have a clue. Even though I dislike Manly.

Did Brett Stewart LIE to his Coach and CEO?

2/ Beau Scott was let go( I remember at the time all the expert fans saying he's no good) another good player gone from Sharks. Plays for Australia and plays Origin.

5/ Players like Bryan Norrie are let go and HE IS a good 1st grade player playing for the side coming first. This begs the question for all you Sharks fans. You didn't care when he left because you think he's hopeless. If therefore your opinion is of any value then how is he playing for the Storm squad, the BEST side in the comp at present, and performing week in week out.

I agree with you on the point that these blokes have kicked on under elite coaches (coaches worth $1M and probably at least $750K per season, I might add), but the reason people didn't care when they left was that they WERE hopeless, mate!

Should our own 'elite' internationally-experienced coaches (Stuart with Norrie, Anderson with Scott) have brought out the best in these blokes? Of course they should have. Did they? Clearly not. Is that the fault of the fans or the club board, headed by Pierce at the time? You're drawing a long bow if you really think so.

3/ Brett Seymour was punted and should have been kept. Here is a halfback 90 kgs 26 years old. Yes he had some problems they could have been sorted out. But now we sign a 29 year old that isn't half of what Seymour is. You can talk all you like about Townsend, he's a kid and an apprentice. Seymour should have been kept.

Like a previous contributor, I disagree here. This was a bloke on his absolute last chance, a repeat offender who had it coming. What SHOULD have happened was the NRL should have kicked him out for a season or three. Maybe in the future that is what will happen. Still, I have no issue with the club making that call to sack him.

4/ We should have kept Isaac De Gois the last few years. I hear you say we didn't have the money. Why would that be? We signed a guy named Karl Filiga on 200k untested at 1st grade level? Someone hasn't got a clue.

For several years, what Ricky Stuart wanted, Ricky Stuart got. He wanted Filiga. He also got Cuthbertson, who he then sent to reserve grade. These two blokes don't back up your argument about De Gois though. You're looking for the name Fraser Anderson to blame for his departure, not Karl The Lemon. The salary cap meant that Anderson or De Gois had to go. A few months later, Anderson went too...Of his own accord. Selfish prick, if he hadn't bailed out to follow the japanese rugby coin we'd have kept De Gois. Again, I am struggling to see how you can construct an argument about it being because the club reckoned it didn't have the money - Clearly, it didn't have the cap space. They are two different things.

Enough said, it is what it is. You can all say "move on". I won't move on until we start to look like a threat for a competition which is a long way off. You can all accept the mediocrity that is Cronulla. But I, do not accept the continuing mediocrity at the Sharks. We have no decent outside backs. Our centres are Colin Best and Pomeroy. You will not, & cannot win comps with this team.

It's not about being happy with recent results or 'accepting mediocrity', mate. It's about accepting a reality that our club has been in rapid decline for over 10 years. Our short-term prosperity from 1997 to 2001/2002 was a Super League hangover.

Please understand that for the past two years you have had a board made up of 9 volunteer directors who have moved mountains to get this club back on its feet. They are doing it for YOU. They have done work that, if they'd been paid for it, would have cost the club something like $2M on my estimates.

Tell me - Do you think that group of 9 people 'accept mediocrity'? It's a serios question, please treat it as such when you answer.

Insert Bird Seymour and De Gois into this side over the past seasons and tell me we wouldn't have been closer to the eight. Cronulla need some decent backs.

OK, I'll tell you we'd have been closer to the Eight, certainly with Bird and to a lesser extent De Gois. I personally don't think Seymour would have changed too many results though.

Cronulla should do something about getting Bird back to the club in the future so he can finish playing at the Sharks.

You really think Irvine wouldn't bring Bird back if it was remotely possible? Really?

But I know they won't because they have no clue and don't want to win a competition

See, right up until this last line I was just going to write your ramblings off as a disgruntled and disappointed footy supporter. That last line though, that just makes my blood boil and it makes you look like a goose.

 

[teflon77]

Gotta agree with Shark here, (good reply by the way). Steve Kneen is living in the past. **** dude, we all lived through it, nobody liked it but what the **** are you going to do? When you build a time machine drop me a PM and we will travel back into the past and save Bird from himself and therefore delivery the Sharks a premiership.

If you are going to have a whinge about what's going wrong, have a whinge about what is going wrong now and how to fix it...that leads into my other post about what's going wrong in another thread.

 

[fancyman]

Ricky spent 2.5 mill on Barret Ross & Toupou.
more than half the cap, let hope our new management & board
can step up to whats needed,

 

[Lumpy]

We have no money and run on the smell of an oily rag. We are now turning things around off the field. We are lucky to get anyone of note. We are focusing on our juniors and trying to get the development off the ground. Years of poor management have cost us dearly. nothing will change until we get money and out of debt.
What would help steve would be for you to write some letters of support to the leader. If you are a member come down this month and vote for the current board to be reelected. While there buy some gear from the club. We need all the help we can with money so we can buy more of the quality players you want.
Until then we will have to make do with what we have. Not great but all we can afford.

 

[Harold Holt]

Life is full of ups and downs. Every club has had tough times.

Now is not the time to dwell on the past or self pity. The current group of players, coaches and administrators have to look forward, and confront each week with more vigor and energy.

Past errors and issues only serve as excuses which will not help the club.

 

[Mr Ryan]

Ricky spent 2.5 mill on Barret Ross & Toupou.
more than half the cap, let hope our new management & board
can step up to whats needed,

Ben Ross' first year at Cronulla was 2006. A year before Ricky Stuart came to the club.

 

[dier]

Ricky spent 2.5 mill on Barret Ross& Toupou.
more than half the cap, let hope our new management & board
can step up to whats needed,

First of all, it is Barrett, and Tupou. The amount of people on here that cannot spell players names is embarrassing.

Second of all, Ross was signed by Raper.

 

[teflon77]

First of all, it is Barrett, and Tupou. The amount of people on here that cannot spell players names is embarrassing.

Second of all, Ross was signed by Raper.

And how the **** did Ricky spend 2.5 million on three players?

 

[Steve Kneen]

Don't think i have ever replied to any of your comments before (read plenty but thought better of it) but this confirms my thoughts on most of what you contribute. You are an idiot.

How about we go back to when we let Sludge go to the dragons, or when we let dykes go to Parra or Peach to ESL? Get a grip man, the past is the past and if we keep bringing up threads on how we should have done this we should have done that instead of we should do this and should do that, then we will keep coming up with mediocore results!

This thread offers nothing but a whinge!

Sir, the only idiot is YOU. The Sharks continue with mediocrity, and if you can't improve on the mistakes that have been made in the past then your future will be the same. If you can't see that you're a dope and a dullard, it's as simple as that. Can you tell me when it has looked like we had a promising season ahead apart from the last time Bird played for the club. Be real about situations. Fact is you aren't. We sign retreads at this club, a perfect example is Jeff Robson. Sign someone that's going to make a difference at the club and at least have the fans and supporters hoping that we have some possibilities.

No use to compare Dykes Rogers or Peachey to Bird and Seymour, Bird and Seymour behaved badly it doesn't mean they needed to be removed from the club. Humans make mistakes, it was all blown out of proportion.

It's called trial by the Daily Telegraph because there is hardly any other sport reported in this paper apart from NRL. That is a fact.

 

[Bundy]

It's so easy to pick out the mistakes isn't it?

What's not so easy is to deliver a blueprint for turning it all around.