Teams Cronulla Sharks 2020

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raptalia said:
Yeah, the players are there it is simply a matter of getting them to gel. Mick Ennis made an interesting comment pre game as he said when you went through the door at Cronulla it was always about physical and mental toughness. He went on to say that is lacking atm. I reckon the challenge for Morris is to get that toughness back. Good teams build their game on rock solid defence and let the tries take care of themselves.

I reckon Moylan's time with us should be over he is too injury prone and hot or cold when he does get onto the park. Not sure about his contract status but we could use the salary cap space to improve the list. I also think Andrew Fifita's time is up and again we could free some salary cap up by saying thanks and good bye.

Given the start we had to the year I was not expecting to make the eight but we made it and unearthed some talent along the way so the season was not a dead loss. Hopefully there are no more unwanted shocks between now and the start of 2021.
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Unfortunately i dont think we will ever see the best of Matt Moylan because of injuries. He showed what he was capable of with stints at fullback this year and when he played at 5/8th in 2018, but his body just cant seem to hold up.

I think someone like Dean Pay would be a great get as a defensive assistant. Great guy, little ego and had a Bulldogs team that was completely sub par in talent competing hard every week and defending far above standard.

On a player front little will change until end of next year, though with us getting that 350k back from thebpenalty restrictions and the 200k we wont have to pay Xerri if the ASADA goes as expected. Woods, Moylan, Dugan and Johnson are out of contract end of next year and thats about $3.5m-4m. I expect that we will resign Johnson (at a bargain considering he is coming off an achilles) and maybe Dugan if we are short on depth in the backs, but will let Woods and Moylan go i hope.

Thats about 3m to play with, though Talakai, Rudolf and Kennedy are outnof contract too so we should be able to sign them and still get a good player or two in. A starting Left centre, back-up hooker and front row depth would be my priorities.
 
TheGrizz said:
Unfortunately i dont think we will ever see the best of Matt Moylan because of injuries. He showed what he was capable of with stints at fullback this year and when he played at 5/8th in 2018, but his body just cant seem to hold up.

I think someone like Dean Pay would be a great get as a defensive assistant. Great guy, little ego and had a Bulldogs team that was completely sub par in talent competing hard every week and defending far above standard.

On a player front little will change until end of next year, though with us getting that 350k back from thebpenalty restrictions and the 200k we wont have to pay Xerri if the ASADA goes as expected. Woods, Moylan, Dugan and Johnson are out of contract end of next year and thats about $3.5m-4m. I expect that we will resign Johnson (at a bargain considering he is coming off an achilles) and maybe Dugan if we are short on depth in the backs, but will let Woods and Moylan go i hope.

Thats about 3m to play with, though Talakai, Rudolf and Kennedy are outnof contract too so we should be able to sign them and still get a good player or two in. A starting Left centre, back-up hooker and front row depth would be my priorities.
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So what is the latest on Xerri? Does he sit out 2021 as well? Given the way players act these days there is probably no guarantee he will resume with Cronulla when his suspension is over. If Xerri's suspension is similar to the Essendon penalties he will not be allowed any contact with an NRL club while he is serving his suspension. He will have to train on his own so his fitness and condition may be wanting. I guess we pencil Xerri in as a 2022 player at this stage?

I like the idea of Dean Pay and on the recruiting front I would like to see us pick up an experienced hard at it front rower to go with some of the youth. We are missing the likes of Gallen and Lewis and with Fifita on the way out and Woods coming off the pine lately it would be good to get some experience and strength among those younger forwards.
 
Heard rumours we've been linked to Benji which I think could be good, would be very cheap and has played with Johnson for NZ before, and overall our team is pretty young (particularly if Moylan, Fifita etc leave) so would provide some experience.


Unfortunately Fifita's body just looks completely shot, a shame as he was the best front rower in the game when we won the premiership.
 

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NinjaSwan said:
Heard rumours we've been linked to Benji which I think could be good, would be very cheap and has played with Johnson for NZ before, and overall our team is pretty young (particularly if Moylan, Fifita etc leave) so would provide some experience.


Unfortunately Fifita's body just looks completely shot, a shame as he was the best front rower in the game when we won the premiership.
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He'd provide greater bang for buck than old mate Moylan. Not the worst move. Just need someone to take Moylan off our hands first.

Agree that a hardened front rower should be a priority with the young pack we have at the moment.
 
NinjaSwan said:
Heard rumours we've been linked to Benji which I think could be good, would be very cheap and has played with Johnson for NZ before, and overall our team is pretty young (particularly if Moylan, Fifita etc leave) so would provide some experience.


Unfortunately Fifita's body just looks completely shot, a shame as he was the best front rower in the game when we won the premiership.
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He has shown he is a decent playmaker still, but he was dropped twice for shoddy defence.

Last thing we need is yet another guy who is prone to missing tackles. It would depend on the price he is asking and what our list balance is going to be with rosters down to 28 possibly. However I would back in Townsend, Tracey and Trindall (and Magoulias in a pinch) to cover the halves until Johnson gets back mid season (June-ish at the latest).
 
Looks to me like you have enough promising cover without needing Benji. We would be happy to take him off Wests' hands, though!

I know SJ takes some stick from Sharks fans (and he did from NZW fans too), but look at the stats, and there he is at the top for try assists (having played fewer games than most). The guy is world-class.
 
No doubting Benji Marshall's credentials as a player but there have to be questions about signing a 36 year old who has been released by a club he has spent 13 seasons playing for. True Benji was world class but his best is behind him.

If the thinking is we use Marshall short term while SJ is recovering I can see some logic but I also see logic in the argument that we would be better placed getting games into a young player like Connor Tracy.

I am not convinced that signing Benji is the way to go particularly when we have more pressing needs. As I see it we need some on field leadership in the front row, we need a player who can get the defensive line functioning and making it as hard as * to get yards on us when the ball is in our half. I would much rather our efforts went into this area rather than into signing Benji Marshall.

If Benji joins the Sharks he is welcome but I will not be too aggrieved if we pass.

www.sportingnews.com

NRL 2020: Benji Marshall linked with Cronulla Sharks after injury-marred Wests Tigers farewell

As Benji Marshall reiterated his strong desire to return for a 19th NRL season the departing Wests Tigers veteran has been linked with a possible move to the Cronulla Sharks.
www.sportingnews.com
 
At the end of the day if there is no community transmission occurring then there is no reason people visiting the beach are doing anything wrong or at risk of causing an outbreak.

It’s like this belief in regional Victoria that every person in Melbourne is infectious and if anyone visits from Melbourne they’ll bring the virus and cause a major outbreak
 
That beach crowd seems to be well spaced in the main and certainly no worse than I have seen at some AFL and NRL matches. Of course you do not need every person in Melbourne to be infectious in order for the virus to spread. All you have to do is come into contact with one of the few that are infectious and then return home. Victoria is doing well atm and hopefully will progress further on October 13th.

Hopefully by March 2021 things will be stable in Australia and New Zealand with the Tasman bubble working and the State borders open so we can start the AFL and NRL on time with reasonable crowds. Cannot say I am that optimistic about some other parts of the globe.
 
Rumour on NRL 360 that Shane Flanagan may be returning to the Sharks as an Assistant Coach.

We owe Shane Flanagan a lot as he guided us to our first NRL Premiership but surely we have to move on. Josh Morris is the Coach and he does not need the ghosts of the past hanging around.

Thanks but no thanks Shane.
 
BOMBSHELL; on the eve of the final Eels centre Michael Jennings has tested positive for banned substances and has been provisionally suspended. Ligandrol is apparently the same substance James Segeyaro tested positive for at the end of 2019.

www.abc.net.au

Eels star Michael Jennings provisionally suspended for positive drug test

The Eels lose Michael Jennings for their final against South Sydney, with the star centre provisionally suspended by the NRL for failing a drug test.
www.abc.net.au www.abc.net.au

Segeyaro, Xerri and now Jennings don't these guys ever learn?
 

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Yes, Melbourne Storm's Grand Final experience showed. They jumped Penrith early and the Panthers made too many errors trying to get back into the game.

Penrith were not helped by a couple of dubious calls early on. If their first try had been allowed early on the game may have been different.

If there are two teams you don't want to meet in a Grand Final atm, they Melbourne or Sydney Roosters as they are both Grand Final hardened.

If you are in the US, stay safe.
 
raptalia said:
Yes, Melbourne Storm's Grand Final experience showed. They jumped Penrith early and the Panthers made too many errors trying to get back into the game.

Penrith were not helped by a couple of dubious calls early on. If their first try had been allowed early on the game may have been different.

If there are two teams you don't want to meet in a Grand Final atm, they Melbourne or Sydney Roosters as they are both Grand Final hardened.

If you are in the US, stay safe.
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i agree on everything and i'm in california, so staying as safe as i can.
 
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There were a couple of common factors in both the NRL and AFL Grand Finals this year. In the NRL we had Melbourne Storm who had played in four of the last five Grand Finals and had Cameron Smith while in the AFL we had Richmond who had played in three of the last four AFL Grand Finals and had Dustin Martin.

That experience and ability is hard to beat and has to be a factor.
 
A lot to like about Cronulla even if they beat my boys to win their first premiership. Don’t rate Townsend at all and think it’s time to get rid of injury prone Fifita, though.
 
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