Teams Cronulla Sharks 2020

[eddiesmith]

Was good, other than the Dragons game we’ve been doing what’s needed against lowly opposition. Last weeks loss was a bit off a concern though how far off the pace we looked against a top side.

 

[TheGrizz]

Good performance, did what we needed to but plenty to work on.
Still made some silly errors but generally it was on the back of something really good, (Kennedy rrading kick well defensively but losing it in a tackle after running 20m, or Rudolf playing the ball too quickly after a barnstorming 45m run) so you can take the positive with the young players.

Mulitalo and Katoa need to be our wing pairing from here on, they give us great x-factor and their ability to get us out of bad field position is really coming along with experience. I dont mind Goodwin but his inability to turn and chase defensively makes him a liability against speed outside backs (see Panthers game). Macdonald looked every bit a player that hadnt played in 2.5 years last week but unfortunately wont get too many chances with no reserve grade.

Finally the most pleasing thing was the discipline defensively. Only 2 set restarts against us today and minimal penalties or lapses defensively apart from the first try.

Next week vs the Dragon should be a doozey. But if we want to make top 8 it is one we have to win.

 

[raptalia]

What is the deal with Sione Katoa? Is he our player in 2021 or is he a Bulldog? The reason I ask is that there is a Sione Katoa listed with the Bulldogs for 2020 and 2021. Are there two players with the same name?

 

[TheGrizz]

What is the deal with Sione Katoa? Is he our player in 2021 or is he a Bulldog? The reason I ask is that there is a Sione Katoa listed with the Bulldogs for 2020 and 2021. Are there two players with the same name?

Yeah, there is another Sione Katoa that plays Hooker for Canterbury

 

[raptalia]

Yeah, there is another Sione Katoa that plays Hooker for Canterbury

Wow, it must be a name like John Smith in Tonga.

We need to make a priority out of signing our Katoa up for 2021. He is the leading try scorer in the NRL atm so you can bet others will be sniffing around. We have a full salary cap to work with next year so we should have the money to offer a good deal.

 

[TheGrizz]

What a great game, though we can count ourselves lucky that Dufty (and to a lesser extent Saab) muffed their chances late

 

[eddiesmith]

fu** me that was a poor 60 minutes. Our defence is terrible these days, attack looks great when they get a good run of repeat sets but they can’t stop anything. The opposition must score from about 80% of the time they get inside our 20.

Chad is absolutely useless, him slipping over when we had a break was just typical of his performances all season.

SJ is singlehandedly carrying this side.

But the highlight was the big sook Dummy ******* up the winning try after whinging all night long.

 

[raptalia]

A win is a win but we still have big gaps in our defence and top sides will make us pay. Our attack is carrying us but the defence is that loose that we are never that far in front that you feel safe.

A couple of injuries to Ramien and Townsend won't help the cause but at least we are sitting in the top eight after 11 rounds which I was not expecting at the beginning of the year.

We have the Broncos next week before facing the Eels.

 

[TheGrizz]

$&€@ we turn to water when we play the lower teams.

Lucky to win that

 

[raptalia]

Lucky for sure but that was a patched up side with no Ramien, Townsend, Dugan, Moylan, Fifita etc and with two first game players. On the positive side we didn't give up.

We are up to 5th spot but have the Eels next week.

 

[Aussie_boy]

Just came in to say, I love Wade Graham.

 

[eddiesmith]

If that was a half competent team we'd have been 40 down by the 70th minute when we finally showed up.

 

[raptalia]

We had 8 players who had played less than 20 games each so on that basis we can cut the boys some slack. I guess we were lucky we drew the Broncos when we were so under manned. We will need to regain some experience next week or we will get smashed.

Once again we showed we have no trouble scoring but we leave too many gaps for the opposition to run through. Wade Graham and Aaron Woods seem to be the only two players capable of tackling an opponent to the ground. Too many times we have two or three players tackle and leave their opponent standing in the tackle. I reckon I heard Blocker Roach mention that very point in the commentary last week. This is where we miss the toughness of Gallen, Lewis and Prior. Maybe the hardness will come when a few of our young guys gain experience.

 

[moto748]

I just watched it, good game. Despite injuries, you guys still seem to have little trouble scoring tries, which is great and good to see, but you don't win games after conceding 26 points many times, and probably only when you meet teams near the bottom, so as raptalia says, it was probably a good time to meet them. Ferris looked a talent and I hope he is OK.

 

[NinjaSwan]

We had 8 players who had played less than 20 games each so on that basis we can cut the boys some slack. I guess we were lucky we drew the Broncos when we were so under manned. We will need to regain some experience next week or we will get smashed.

Adding to that, we had Graham, Woods, and Johnson with 241/200/192 games experience but after that it's a huge drop off to Jack Williams with 39 games, was only the Broncos but still a pretty good effort to win with 14 players who've played less than 40 games.

 

[moto748]

Shaun Johnson's recent excellent goal-kicking form has been a big help too.

 

[raptalia]

Shaun Johnson's recent excellent goal-kicking form has been a big help too.

I was pretty critical of Shaun Johnson earlier this season and I doubted his future with us but I take it back. Shaun is back to his Warriors days and is a game changer. He leads the competition in try assists, is second in points scored and his current 80% conversion rate is the highest of his career.

 

[raptalia]

A narrow loss against a side that everyone thinks will finish top 4. We scored more tries than the opposition but couldn't convert but that is Cronulla all over. At least we didn't get belted as was the case against Penrith.

Why is it pissing down with rain everytime we play? I reckon in fine weather we might have won that game.

 

[TheGrizz]

Absolutely played well enough to have won that. If we convert 1/3 of our tries it is golden point. If we convert 2/3 we win.

Ref was atrocious (but what do you expect fom Ben Cummins?) Obvious knock on by Ferguson in last 10 minutes not called, a 7-2 penalty count against (none for us in the last 73 minutes) and a pushed scrum that looked like a dog breakfast.

And a recap if Moylans game:
1. 1st half Knock on leading to a Eels score
2. Terrible pass to Ramien leading to a Parramatta score
3. Feeds a scrum late giving eels a chance to push leading to a penalty and score
4. Kicks the ball dead in goal on 3rd tackle (almost on the full in the wet, schoolboy error) in the last 10 mins when we need to score.

Dont come Monday, Matt. In fact take another week off.

 

[eddiesmith]

Yep, shocking, I should know for future reference if I see Cummins refereeing, just turn it off and save the heartache. He is a disgrace

Also the Video ref is no better, I had a look and back when he was an on field official, we won 3 games in 5 years and lost every close one. The no try for the off side was rubbish to overturn the on field call, no way he could say definitively that it was off side, the close sideline camera looked like it was fine.

7-2 penalty count, 5-2 set restarts, it was complete one sided bullshit. Its about time someone came out and said what we really think of him.

 

[Aussie_boy]

Yep, shocking, I should know for future reference if I see Cummins refereeing, just turn it off and save the heartache. He is a disgrace

Also the Video ref is no better, I had a look and back when he was an on field official, we won 3 games in 5 years and lost every close one. The no try for the off side was rubbish to overturn the on field call, no way he could say definitively that it was off side, the close sideline camera looked like it was fine.

7-2 penalty count, 5-2 set restarts, it was complete one sided bullshit. Its about time someone came out and said what we really think of him.

I don't think he even grounded the ball on that one that was deemed offside.

 

[raptalia]

Yep, shocking, I should know for future reference if I see Cummins refereeing, just turn it off and save the heartache. He is a disgrace

Cummins referees like he is the reason people go to the game. It is as if he just has to be the main attraction. I once posted on another thread that Cummins thinks little kids ask their fathers, 'can we go and see Mr Cummins referee today Dad?'

Just to jog your memory it was Cummins who called six again in last year's Grand Final only to overturn his decision after the next tackle. That fu** up probably cost the Raiders a Premiership. The link below is just to let you know you are not alone in your assessment of Ben Cummins.

NRL Grand Final 2019 | Sydney Roosters win controversial victory over Canberra Raiders

The NRL Grand Final has gone to the Sydney Roosters after a controversial 14-8 win in a thriller against the Canberra Raiders.

www.news.com.au

 

[eddiesmith]

Cummins referees like he is the reason people go to the game. It is as if he just has to be the main attraction. I once posted on another thread that Cummins thinks little kids ask their fathers, 'can we go and see Mr Cummins referee today Dad?'

Just to jog your memory it was Cummins who called six again in last year's Grand Final only to overturn his decision after the next tackle. That fu** up probably cost the Raiders a Premiership. The link below is just to let you know you are not alone in your assessment of Ben Cummins.

NRL Grand Final 2019 | Sydney Roosters win controversial victory over Canberra Raiders

The NRL Grand Final has gone to the Sydney Roosters after a controversial 14-8 win in a thriller against the Canberra Raiders.

www.news.com.au

He has always had the NRL's best interest at heart and that's why he continues to get the big games. I'm sure the referees boss Mr Smith is a big fan of him as he was always helpful to QLD in SOO.

But last years grand final was another case of them wanting the Roosters to win and the Roosters won.

The funny thing is we actually won our premiership under Cummins, but I think he was assistant referee and Cecchin actually likes us. Only thing that saved us that year was we avoided the dreaded Sutton/Cummins combo because Sutton f’ed up in the first week of finals so badly he finally got dropped.

 

[diegodcg]

Absolutely played well enough to have won that. If we convert 1/3 of our tries it is golden point. If we convert 2/3 we win.

Ref was atrocious (but what do you expect fom Ben Cummins?) Obvious knock on by Ferguson in last 10 minutes not called, a 7-2 penalty count against (none for us in the last 73 minutes) and a pushed scrum that looked like a dog breakfast.

And a recap if Moylans game:
1. 1st half Knock on leading to a Eels score
2. Terrible pass to Ramien leading to a Parramatta score
3. Feeds a scrum late giving eels a chance to push leading to a penalty and score
4. Kicks the ball dead in goal on 3rd tackle (almost on the full in the wet, schoolboy error) in the last 10 mins when we need to score.

Dont come Monday, Matt. In fact take another week off.

What exactly has gone wrong with Moylan? I am a casual follower of rugby league and the NRL, haven't watched much at all for the last couple of years, and trying to follow more closely this year. The Moylan I remember was a brilliant young fullback at the Panthers, one I had really high hopes for. Watching the highlights on youtube just now, I was a bit shocked with him, just doesn't seem to care that much, very casual approach, not great at all.

 

[raptalia]

What exactly has gone wrong with Moylan? I am a casual follower of rugby league and the NRL, haven't watched much at all for the last couple of years, and trying to follow more closely this year. The Moylan I remember was a brilliant young fullback at the Panthers, one I had really high hopes for. Watching the highlights on youtube just now, I was a bit shocked with him, just doesn't seem to care that much, very casual approach, not great at all.

Hamstrings mainly. Moylan doesn't seem to be able to play more than 3-4 games without jagging one.