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NRL Club Analysis for Season '08 - Cronulla Sharks

February 14th 2008 00:56
Cronulla Sharks

Cronulla Sharks


Attack – 7/10
Defence – 7/10
My prediction – 9th


Having dropped a total of nine games by four points or less to miss out semi-final football by a measly two competition points in 2007, the Sharks will be primed to take the next step forward this season.


Cronulla coach Ricky Stuart has the nucleus of a premiership winning squad – a pack of tough, skilful, sizeable forwards, a scheming, dynamic halves combination and an electric backline. Coach Stuart will just hope that the injury curse that haunted his club in ’07 does not return in season ’08, as the Sharks depth lacks the quality of other clubs. If the Sharks can turn those heartbreaking losses of last season into gritty victories, then a semi-final position will be all but assured.

Strengths-

While many will declare that Kimmorley and Bird hold the Sharks ’08 chances, I believe that the Cronulla forward pack is more influential. Luke Douglas, Ben Ross and Jacob Selmes will provide the go forward, while Paul Gallen and Lance Thompson will provide their teammates with the all important second phase play.

The Sharks also possess an explosive hooking duo in Isaac De Gois and Brett Kearney, and expect either David Simmonds or Mitch Brown to reap the rewards from any half chances created up the middle.


Weaknesses-

While the Sharks forward depth looks healthy, coach Stuart will be hoping that injuries don’t strike in the backline. Blake Green, Brett Kearney and Brett Seymour can readily step into the halves, but the Sharks will be struggling for raw speed if Simmonds, Brown or Covell go down. With coach Stuart already playing ex-forwards Anderson and Pomeroy in the centres, it only leaves Misi Taulapapa and utilities David Cooper and Paul Stephenson with top grade experience to fill the void.

Best Team-

1- Mitch Brown
2- David Simmonds
3- Fraser Anderson
4- Ben Pomeroy
5- Luke Covell
6- Greg Bird
7- Brett Kimmorley
8- Luke Douglas
9- Isaac De Gois
10- Ben Ross
11- Paul Gallen
12- Lance Thompson
13- Karl Filiga

14- Brett Kearney
15- Jacob Selmes
16- Reece Williams
17– Eddie Sua

Trial Matches-

23/02/08 v South Sydney Rabbitohs @ Bluetongue Stadium, Gosford
01/03/08 v Newcastle Knights @ Cessnock

2008 Gains and Losses –

Gains –
Kade Snowden (Newcastle), Blake Green (Parramatta), Bryan Norrie (Penrith), Karl Filiga (Canterbury), Jarryd Hogan (Sydney Roosters), Alex Butschies (Byron Bay)

Losses –
Anthony Watts and Dayne Weston (North QLD), Adam Dykes (Hull), Matt Raferty (Parramatta), Cameron Ciraldo (Newcastle), Robert Worsley (Canterbury), Sitaleki Timani (Super 14 – Western Force)


*Please join me tomorrow for my Analysis of the Gold Coast Titans 2008 season.

Cheers,

StephenP

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Sharks repel fast finishing Dogs

May 20th 2007 08:12
A rampant second half onslaught by the Cronulla Sharks allowed them to complete an exciting 30-20 win over a fast finishing Canterbury Bulldogs outfit at Telstra Stadium on Sunday.

The visiting Sharks raced away to a 24-10 lead midway through the second half before two tries in four minutes got the home team to within four points. However, a converted try to Cronulla backrower Paul Gallen in the 78thminute ensured the Sharks would register their third straight victory, while leaving the Bulldogs two points adrift of the top eight.

With the two competition points crucial to both teams, the opening half hour was dominated by crunching defence and safety first football. Cronulla had the better of filed position and possession throughout the opening stages of the match, but Canterbury showed renewed resilience in their defence, something which has been so far lacking in season 2007.

Sharks interchange forward Phil Leuluai opened the scoring for the visitors in the 28th minute, strolling through the tiring Bulldogs goalline defence from a well timed Adam Dykes pass. Sharks sharp shooter nailed the conversion from right in front to get Cronulla off to the perfect start.

A spectacular individual effort by bench hooker Isaac De Gois put the Sharks out by twelve points just five minutes later, with the robust dummy half shrugging off six defenders on a sensational sixty metre charge. Covell had no problems with the conversion wide out to hand the visitors a deserved 12-0 lead.

Just as the Sharks looked as if they were about to run in their third try before halftime, wily Bulldogs half Brent Sherwin latched onto a floating Dykes cut out pass to race 80 metres and score on the siren. Bulldogs winger Hazem El Masri converted from wide out to make the half time lead at 12-6.

A damaging 40 metre burst by interchange Bulldogs forward Lee Te Maari put Canterbury straight on the attack early in the second half, with Sonny Bill Williams taking full advantage by scoring out wide in the 47th minute. Receiving the ball ten metres out, the giant Kiwi international was able to shrug off two Sharks defenders and plant the ball over the line amidst the attention of another two Cronulla tacklers. El Masri surprisingly missed a rare conversion attempt, but the ‘Dogs were back in the game at 12-10.

However against the run of play, Sharks forward Reece Williams hit straight back with a try for the Sharks three minutes later, with Cronulla making Canterbury pay the ultimate price for their concentration lapse. Covell’s third conversion of the afternoon put the Sharks out to an 18-10 advantage.

Yet another Bulldogs mistake handed the Sharks their fourth try of the afternoon, with Cronulla spinning the ball wide to a rampaging Ben Pomeroy to finish off a spectacular 60 metre movement. A poor pass from Canterbury prop Jarrad Hickey was pounced on by the Sharks Greg Bird, who showed great determination to bump off five Bulldogs before linking up with his outside supports. The Sharks were well and truly in command at 24-10 after Covell’s fourth successful conversion and the Sharks looked home with twenty minutes remaining.

The Bulldogs showed the brilliance that they are capable of with Sherwin’s second try of the afternoon, with the Canterbury half finishing off a spectacular 40 metre movement beside the posts. El Masri inexplicably hooked the easy conversion attempt wide, leaving the home side trailing by 24-14.

Canterbury made it two tries in three minutes when Hickey finished another spectacular long range movement, with El Masri’s pressure conversion getting the Sharks within four points with twelve minutes to play.

The game opened right up as both teams through caution to the wind chasing the elusive match winning try. Sharks backrower Paul Gallen should have scored the match winner in the 73rd minute, but the former Origin representative dropped the ball in the process of scoring.

Canterbury was storming home in front of their parochial, vocal home crowd, but the watertight Sharks defence constantly repelled their best efforts. Gallen made amends for his earlier indiscretion, by scoring a determined match winning try with two minutes left on the clock. Covell sealed the two competition points with his fifth conversion of the day, with the visitors registering a gutsy 30-20 victory.

The Canterbury Bulldogs now face off against the North Queensland Cowboys at Suncorp Stadium next Friday night, while the Cronulla Sharks now host the struggling Sydney Roosters at Toyota Pak on Saturday night.

Cronulla Sharks 30
Tries: Phil Leuluai, Isaac De Gois, Reece Williams, Ben Pomeroy,
Goals: Luke Covell 5

Defeated

Canterbury Bulldogs 20
Tries: Brent Sherwin 2, Sonny Bill Williams, Jarrad Hickey
Goals: Hazem El Masri 2


At Telstra Stadium

Referee – Ben Cummins
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Cronulla Sharks Round 3 Analysis

March 28th 2007 10:18









Sharks coach Ricky Stuart will still be lamenting the one that got away, after his Cronulla team basically imploded against the Titans on Monday night.

The Sharks were cruising at 16-6 up with twenty minutes on the clock, but seemingly clocked off in the last quarter to hande the Gold Coast team victory. Woeful ball control and poor reads in defence allowed the Gold Coast to score their madien premiership victory, albeit with a tinge of controversey.

Cronulla have the talent in their squad to really push for a top eight berth, and this years team has a more creative look off the bench than previous seasons. The form of winger Luke Covell has been a real highlight for the Shire based side, and his combination with former representative centre Josh Hannay will cause headaches for many oppositions this year.

Expect the Sharks to come out firing this week against the rampant Rabbitohs line-up, with a free flowing, high scoring contest sure to entertain the Tpyota Park faithful.

Injuries -

Paul Gallen - Ankle - Round 4

Team VS South Sydney Rabbitohs:-

Brett Kearney, Fraser Anderson, Ben Pomeroy, Josh Hannay, Luke Covell, Adam Dykes, Brett Kimmorley ©, Ben Ross, Kevin Kingston, Luke Douglas, Reece Williams, Lance Thompson, Greg Bird
Bench - Craig Stapleton, Jacob Selmes, Cameron Ciraldo, Dustin Cooper, Isaac De Gois
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