Unoffical ( couldn't wait longer ) Cronulla Sharks vs North Queensland Cowboys, 5.30pm at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium

[Sir Chadley]

I don't know where all this talk of Hunt starting came from. Egg was that you?

Hunt is a bench player at the moment and I agree with HB that Woods needs to start not come on for impact.

If Nikora does suddenly get back into form, I think our ideal bench is Fifita, Talakai, Williams/Soro and Hunt.

 

[Wiz]

I don't know where all this talk of Hunt starting came from. Egg was that you?

Hunt is a bench player at the moment and I agree with HB that Woods needs to start not come on for impact.

If Nikora does suddenly get back into form, I think our ideal bench is Fifita, Talakai, Williams/Soro and Hunt.

But what about Moylan ?!

He’s played 200 first grade games and played for NSW and Australia !!!

 

[egg]

There's a box called 'Prefix' with a dropdown menu. Select it from there.

You need to have a sharksforever annual subscription to use the official stamp. $599 pa payable to me for the premium service. Send your money through and I’ll give you the activation code. :-/

Can confirm this is true, worked for me.

I don't know where all this talk of Hunt starting came from. Egg was that you?

Hunt is a bench player at the moment and I agree with HB that Woods needs to start not come on for impact.

If Nikora does suddenly get back into form, I think our ideal bench is Fifita, Talakai, Williams/Soro and Hunt.

No Egg Hunt from me
I hope Tracey has a blinder , sets up 3 trys ,scores one , no missed tackles and gives the coach a MASSIVE headache on choosing halves moving forward

 

[bort]

You don't start Hunt for this game, but if McGuire or McLean was missing too and they had a super rookie forward pack you could try something maybe but as it stands just let our bench be way better and come on and demolish them.
With Talakai and Hunt available on the bench I'd be tempted to keep Rudolf starting to help our start be a bit better. The other two can do more than enough damage subbing in to make up for not having his mid-game impact

But what about Moylan ?!

He’s played 200 first grade games and played for NSW and Australia !!!

Oh wow you were still miles off coming close to understanding my point weren't you

 

[egg]

Sharks Defence and Mozza AXING

Source nrl.com

https://www.nrl.com/news/2020/08/26/flaky-flaw-moylan-axing-shows-surprise-new-frailty/

 

[bort]

Sharks Defence and Mozza AXING

Source nrl.com

https://www.nrl.com/news/2020/08/26/flaky-flaw-moylan-axing-shows-surprise-new-frailty/

Graham went 37-3 for tackles, I don't remember really blaming him too much - he has had many worse defensive games this season.

Moylan actually contributed to another try leak with a poor tackle effort allowing an offload which was spread across field and let Mansour in on the other side.

 

[Sparkles]

I don't know where all this talk of Hunt starting came from. Egg was that you?

Hunt is a bench player at the moment and I agree with HB that Woods needs to start not come on for impact.

If Nikora does suddenly get back into form, I think our ideal bench is Fifita, Talakai, Williams/Soro and Hunt.

Think it was me mate

I honestly think he's an upgrade on Woods as a starter with the way they're both playing at the moment. Punchier, which is what we desperately need in the opening salvos.

Hunt averages about 2 more metres per hit up, has 3 line breaks to 1, 14 tackle breaks to 8, 14 to 11 offloads, all in 270 verse 800 minutes played. I know that's all stat talk, but we sure could use those stats to help get us to better starts. And Hunt just looks better doing it... way more fun to watch!

 

[bort]

Think it was me mate

I honestly think he's an upgrade on Woods as a starter with the way they're both playing at the moment. Punchier, which is what we desperately need in the opening salvos.

Hunt averages about 2 more metres per hit up, has 3 line breaks to 1, 14 tackle breaks to 8, 14 to 11 offloads, all in 270 verse 800 minutes played. I know that's all stat talk, but we sure could use those stats to help get us to better starts. And Hunt just looks better doing it... way more fun to watch!

He's also only had to make 154 tackles (at an okay 85%) vs Aaron Woods' 448 (at a very respectable 93.4%)

Woods is likely to have more or less the same unremarkable but typically solid contribution no matter when he is on - may try a few more offloads if he was coming off the bench (for likely mixed results).
Meanwhile as a short stint wrecking ball we have been aiming Hunt at more tired opposition/bench players rather than their fit starters. Good chance he would have a diminished impact if he started through both running at oppositions fresh starters and a more challenging defensive workload.

You could maybe try start BHU, Hunt, Talakai, Graham, Rudolf and try bash your way to a good start then bring on Fifita, Woods and Sorensen to steady the ship and make sure the opponents don't get back in the game but it is a bit of a more high risk tactic than starting a bit more steady and then using our superior bench as opposition tire.

 

[Sparkles]

He's also only had to make 154 tackles (at an okay 85%) vs Aaron Woods' 448 (at a very respectable 93.4%)

Woods is likely to have more or less the same unremarkable but typically solid contribution no matter when he is on - may try a few more offloads if he was coming off the bench (for likely mixed results).
Meanwhile as a short stint wrecking ball we have been aiming Hunt at more tired opposition/bench players rather than their fit starters. Good chance he would have a diminished impact if he started through both running at oppositions fresh starters and a more challenging defensive workload.

You could maybe try start BHU, Hunt, Talakai, Graham, Rudolf and try bash your way to a good start then bring on Fifita, Woods and Sorensen to steady the ship and make sure the opponents don't get back in the game but it is a bit of a more high risk tactic than starting a bit more steady and then using our superior bench as opposition tire.

Or maybe he'll get an even bigger head of steam and roll us on

I just like the look of him. Seems to be improving every week

 

[bort]

Or maybe he'll get an even bigger head of steam and roll us on

I just like the look of him. Seems to be improving every week

I very much like the look of him

 

[CHOGM]

You could be right , but an interesting post from other forum , has merit


god...if we're any chance in the finals we need to find a way to keep consistent edge defenders playing week to week, don't mind some chopping and changing due to injury and poor performance, but it's getting very very close to finals time and Ramien has had to defend next to cycling of Katoa/Mulitalo and Nikora/Talakai, with Trindall/Townsend inside.. not much you can do with injuries but our bad games come from **** defensive comms and that's largely a combination problem.

Hope whatever the plan is, Bomber lands on it and sticks with it soon

Yep that’s a great point. Tricky one. Maybe Nikora is the one he wants long term, but he needed to put a rocket up him? Talakai off the bench will be awesome come finals.

 

[andrew's_sharks]

My two cents worth. Talaki missed I think it was 5 tackles last game, way more than Nikora would normally miss. Personally I think Nikora's missed tackles are primarily fatigue related. I would play him for 40- 60 minutes (prob 60) and play talaki there to start the game and then shift talaki to the middle for the rest of his minutes.

 

[vicsharkfan]

I rarely get this feeling, but I feel that we are going to smash the be Jesus out of them this week..

 

[egg]

I rarely get this feeling, but I feel that we are going to smash the be Jesus out of them this week..

Hope you're right Vic
We need to play a complete , smart 80 minutes with low mistakes and STRONG defence
Fingers Crossed it starts this weekend

 

[Spanner shark]

I rarely get this feeling, but I feel that we are going to smash the be Jesus out of them this week..

More important. Do we win when you get the rare feeling.

 

[vicsharkfan]

More important. Do we win when you get the rare feeling.

The feeling happens that rarely, I honestly can’t remember. I know sport can serve up weird results, but a few games if you factor in ladder position and form really should be one sided affairs this week.

 

[Sparkles]

I rarely get this feeling, but I feel that we are going to smash the be Jesus out of them this week..

More important. Do we win when you get the rare feeling.

Do you then also want sexual healing?

 

[HaroldBishop]

My two cents worth. Talaki missed I think it was 5 tackles last game, way more than Nikora would normally miss. Personally I think Nikora's missed tackles are primarily fatigue related. I would play him for 40- 60 minutes (prob 60) and play talaki there to start the game and then shift talaki to the middle for the rest of his minutes.

Nikora also was guilty of poor defensive reads though that don't show in stats.

Hopefully being dropped was the kick up the arse he needed.

 

[andrew's_sharks]

Nikora also was guilty of poor defensive reads though that don't show in stats.

Hopefully being dropped was the kick up the arse he needed.

This was also worse at the end of halves which is for the most part a product of increased fatigue. If we limit the stupid errors and penalties and control his game time I think this would improve massively. (Errors and penalty reduction would improve the teams missed tackles) and control his minutes will help him make up for his lack of size with lower output required.

 

[HaroldBishop]

This was also worse at the end of halves which is for the most part a product of increased fatigue. If we limit the stupid errors and penalties and control his game time I think this would improve massively. (Errors and penalty reduction would improve the teams missed tackles) and control his minutes will help him make up for his lack of size with lower output required.

You might be right, I can't remember exactly when in games his poor reads were.

Pretty sure though he was responsible for some bad reads early in the first Penrith game.