Wade Graham

[gumby]

He may be fit yes but he’s not match fit. I expect him
To take a few games to settle in.

You can train all you like and be confident but when it comes to actually playing an opposition team who want to smash you it’s completely different.

 

[bort]

He may be fit yes but he’s not match fit. I expect him
To take a few games to settle in.

You can train all you like and be confident but when it comes to actually playing an opposition team who want to smash you it’s completely different.

Well everyone has like 6 months off now, all won't be match fit, just bench them all?
He's played an opposition team who want to smash him his whole career. I can see a little extra time in the trials than he may have otherwise got but if he is so down on confidence he needs to start season on bench he needs to just retire.

 

[HaroldBishop]

Haha Gumby!

 

[Born&bred]

I seriously think he should pull the pin. Too many (nasty) concussions.

 

[Sparkles]

I seriously think he should pull the pin. Too many (nasty) concussions.

Hate to say it but it's hard to see the team properly settling in next year with Wade still in it. It's a pretty fresh, fit reboot apart from Moylan and Wade

 

[Western Sharkie]

Can we medically retire 2 players before the start of next season?
Coincidentally, they happen to be our only remaining 2016 legends playing at the club!
It’s Sad really.

 

[apezza]

I think he has earned the right to start next season as captain and show what he can do.

If he struggles in the first half dozen games or so (with either form or injuries) then decisions can be made moving forward.

I agreee though the game is only getting quicker and is more a young man's game these days. There has been a generation shift.

 

[Blix]

I think he has earned the right to start next season as captain and show what he can do.

If he struggles in the first half dozen games or so (with either form or injuries) then decisions can be made moving forward.

I agreee though the game is only getting quicker and is more a young man's game these days. There has been a generation shift.

Would have thought over the last 3 years of contract where the club has paid in excess of 2 million for Wade, it would have granted the management and coach the right to name the person who they believe is best for the captaincy job.

Wade will probably be out for large spans again as he has been for the last 3 years. This has left the team somewhat rudderless over the last couple of seasons.

I personally will be disappointed if they don’t name finucane or cam. Time for a fresh start

 

[Blix]

Can we medically retire 2 players before the start of next season?
Coincidentally, they happen to be our only remaining 2016 legends playing at the club!
It’s Sad really.

If they are going to medically retire need to do this year as can’t medically retire in last year of contract.

However not sure what that means in relation to the money they would have received next year?

 

[Gards]

Can we medically retire 2 players before the start of next season?
Coincidentally, they happen to be our only remaining 2016 legends playing at the club!
It’s Sad really.

would have been more poetic if Fifita is the last 2016 player to finish up at the club but I wish all of our players from 2016 could have played with us forever

 

[HaroldBishop]

would have been more poetic if Fifita is the last 2016 player to finish up at the club but I wish all of our players from 2016 could have played with us forever

Jesus you're a Chad lover!

 

[bort]

Would have thought over the last 3 years of contract where the club has paid in excess of 2 million for Wade, it would have granted the management and coach the right to name the person who they believe is best for the captaincy job.

Wade will probably be out for large spans again as he has been for the last 3 years. This has left the team somewhat rudderless over the last couple of seasons.

I personally will be disappointed if they don’t name finucane or cam. Time for a fresh start

They have the right to, it just doesn't necessarily sit well with players to have the captaincy taken off them, or off their teammate and captain, especially for a new guy. There is likely a way it can be done and fairly well managed, especially if they have an idea how they think Wade will take it.
If he is fine with it then hard for the rest of the team to be too worried about it. If they think it won't go down well they have to way up if potential disharmony is worth the change, and nothing can sink a club quicker than a split in the locker room.
A fresh start that has 10+ players pissed at the new coach is not a very fresh start.

My thoughts are still co-captain him with either Cam or Dale and then Wade is the off-field face of the club for another year and Cam/Dale takes the main role while they are on the field, which is likely to be for quite a bit of the game, especially if Cam.

 

[Gards]

Jesus you're a Chad lover!

****

Beale too

double ****!

They have the right to, it just doesn't necessarily sit well with players to have the captaincy taken off them, or off their teammate and captain, especially for a new guy. There is likely a way it can be done and fairly well managed, especially if they have an idea how they think Wade will take it.
If he is fine with it then hard for the rest of the team to be too worried about it. If they think it won't go down well they have to way up if potential disharmony is worth the change, and nothing can sink a club quicker than a split in the locker room.
A fresh start that has 10+ players pissed at the new coach is not a very fresh start.

My thoughts are still co-captain him with either Cam or Dale and then Wade is the off-field face of the club for another year and Cam/Dale takes the main role while they are on the field, which is likely to be for quite a bit of the game, especially if Cam.

I'm not a big fan of a co-captains setup but in Wades case I think this would be a practical and respectful compromise - someone has to take over from him at some point anyway and he went through it with Gallen for a season as co-captain IIRC though Gallen had confirmed his retirement by then I think

 

[bort]

I'm not a big fan of a co-captains setup but in Wades case I think this would be a practical and respectful compromise - someone has to take over from him at some point anyway and he went through it with Gallen for a season as co-captain IIRC though Gallen had confirmed his retirement by then I think

There was an article or part of an article saying Sharks were disrespectful sending Wade to something for captains because obviously in the journos in-depth knowledge and research they didn't realise we had named him co-captain.
I think with Wade a very good chance of transitioning out after next season and these new great leaders coming in to share the workload this is a great circumstance to do a co-captain setup. Wade was earmarked as a leader and future captain very quickly, he obviously has some fantastic offfield and behind the scenes characteristics for the job, just doesn't quite seem to have panned out on field.

12 months ago I was wanting Fifita moved and many on here were telling me he has earned the right to stay even if he doesn't play and he is a great off field influence anyway and a Cronulla legend and now most would prefer to see him retired and trying to take the captaincy off Wade and retire him also.
Get rid of these guys, fresh start. Is Wade not a Cronulla legend also? Do people see Wade in a similar light to Fifita and if not is an incredible try in the GF the main difference?

 

[Gards]

Personally I feel we should show Wade as much respect and understanding as Fifita and I am not one for pushing Andrew or Wade out of the club early but there are some practicalities and health aspects to consider. Ideally they both get well enough to play out their contracts on the park for us but we need a decent level of form to come with that.

I think Fifs is a good captain in short bursts. over a whole season I dunno how he would handle it and if he would keep his discipline and emotions in check but its kinda irrelevant if isn't on the park bit like with Wade and next year Mccines and Dale are both excellent candidates already experienced captaining their clubs in the past

 

[bort]

Personally I feel we should show Wade as much respect and understanding as Fifita and I am not one for pushing Andrew or Wade out of the club early but there are some practicalities and health aspects to consider

I think Fifs is a good captain in short bursts. over a whole season I dunno how he would handle it and if he would keep his discipline and emotions in check but its kinda irrelevant if isn't on the park bit like with Wade and next year Mccines and Dale are both excellent candidates already experienced captaining their clubs in the past

Fifita does have some very selfish elements to him, I think the limited opportunities to be captain motivate him to make the most of it, I think if you just named him captain in preseason and set and forget he would probably just play his typical game and not get that 'I AM THE CAPTAIN TONIGHT' boost. TBF at times his typical game was pretty ****ing good.

 

[Sparkles]

I don't see Wade as a guy who, especially at this stage of his career, would cause trouble with someone else as captain. It'd be name only anyway. Was Gal really captain when Ennis was on the field?
Having said that, I think Wade's condition is worse than he lets on (and I can totally understand his desire to play on), so I don't expect him back... and kind of hope he gets the advice to retire. The timing just looks right, for his health and to stabilise the squad heading into 2022.

 

[bort]

I don't see Wade as a guy who, especially at this stage of his career, would cause trouble with someone else as captain. It'd be name only anyway. Was Gal really captain when Ennis was on the field?
Having said that, I think Wade's condition is worse than he lets on (and I can totally understand his desire to play on), so I don't expect him back... and kind of hope he gets the advice to retire. The timing just looks right, for his health and to stabilise the squad heading into 2022.

Quite possibly although I certainly don't know him well enough to say for sure.

As for Gal/Ennis not uncommon to have numerous players with leadership roles, both official and unofficial.

And as for Wade's condition I'd be somewhat inclined to agree other than Wade saying (yes, I know we said what he lets on) that he caught up with Boyd and that reassured him a lot he was nowhere near as bad.

 

[Paul C]

Wade has done good for us in the past but his time was up before he started to get head knocks.

 

[Thresher Shark]

Current training staff get my tick of approval