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Kimmorley figures form slump a fable
By Margie McDonald
August 19, 2005
BRETT Kimmorley has been trying too hard to get Cronulla back on an even keel, and into the finals for the first time in three years, to be worried about a so-called form slump.
As Kimmorley approaches his 200th first-grade game on Sunday with his fifth club, he has had little time to reflect.
The statistics may not lie but the Sharks skipper doesn't pay too much attention to facts and figures.
"It seems like there's pressure on me but the way it is I'm feeling good and we're training great as a team," Kimmorley said.
Before State of Origin I, Cronulla had won eight out of 10 games. After that May night at Suncorp Stadium, when a Kimmorley pass was intercepted by Matt Bowen to give Queensland the win in golden-point time, the Sharks have won just three of 11 games.
Kimmorley did not play Origin again for NSW, replaced by the same man who was the reason he fled Newcastle back in 1995: Andrew Johns.
"I only played about four games for Newcastle over two years and obviously it was when Andrew (Johns) was hurt," he said yesterday.
"I had to leave Newcastle to get a chance to play footy, so to play 200 games now is pretty special."
Along the way there was a stint with the defunct Hunter Mariners, a premiership with Melbourne Storm (1999), a World Cup (2000), a mixed season with the Northern Eagles in 2001, and two more Kangaroo end-of-season tours. [url="http://adserver.news.com.au/image.ng/Params.richmedia=yes&site=sport§ion=nrl&adsize=300x250&pagepos=1"]http://adserver.news.com.au/image.ng/Params.richmedia=yes&site=sport§ion=nrl&adsize=300x250&pagepos=1[/url] There are another two seasons to go on his four-year contract at Cronulla. His first year was forgettable with Kimmorley reuniting with former Storm coach Chris Anderson, who tried to change the team's style of play.
One unplanned by-product was halfback Preston Campbell felt he was not wanted and departed for Penrith.
"The first year with Chris I sort of got booed out of the place and wasn't very well liked because of the Preston issue," Kimmorley said.
"But personally it's been a great satisfaction to now feel as though I'm pretty highly regarded around here and I'm club captain. It's not a team achievement, it's a personal achievement."
He concedes his confidence took a bit of a battering after Origin I but he did what he always has ... tried harder.
"Maybe Origin hurt me a little bit but I was trying just as hard as I could to win a game. I wouldn't say what happened affected how hard I was trying," he said.
But when the results still did not come, Kimmorley sat down and did more thinking. Maybe his team-mates had been so used to him initiating the spark in attack and rallying the forwards in defence that it was time to make Cronulla a 17-man team again.
"I've probably been trying to do too much and take over a lot where nowadays I let the other guys do a lot of the work and I can work off them," he said.
"I know I've read that I'm in a form slump so I've tried to fight my way out of it but the thing is I don't honestly feel I've been in a slump. Things have felt really good for me at training and I enjoy playing."
After a 10-point loss to St George Illawarra and then a 40-point thumping by Wests Tigers, Kimmorley knew it was time to firm up his plan to step back.
"I needed to sit back a bit and let others get on a bit of a roll," he said. "I'll still add a few things but I think it'll be good for our game."
After 11 seasons Kimmorley, 30 next year, has no plans to stop playing.
"I'm thinking a lot more about how to help the team out," he said.
"When you're younger you don't wake up sore, you don't wake up stiff. You just turn up to train every day like you're on red cordial. "The game has got harder and you feel it a bit more, but in saying that it's been very enjoyable the whole way."
The Australian
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This has to be a gee up. What ever he is on id like some. More flounder anyone????
By Margie McDonald
August 19, 2005
BRETT Kimmorley has been trying too hard to get Cronulla back on an even keel, and into the finals for the first time in three years, to be worried about a so-called form slump.
As Kimmorley approaches his 200th first-grade game on Sunday with his fifth club, he has had little time to reflect.
The statistics may not lie but the Sharks skipper doesn't pay too much attention to facts and figures.
"It seems like there's pressure on me but the way it is I'm feeling good and we're training great as a team," Kimmorley said.
Before State of Origin I, Cronulla had won eight out of 10 games. After that May night at Suncorp Stadium, when a Kimmorley pass was intercepted by Matt Bowen to give Queensland the win in golden-point time, the Sharks have won just three of 11 games.
Kimmorley did not play Origin again for NSW, replaced by the same man who was the reason he fled Newcastle back in 1995: Andrew Johns.
"I only played about four games for Newcastle over two years and obviously it was when Andrew (Johns) was hurt," he said yesterday.
"I had to leave Newcastle to get a chance to play footy, so to play 200 games now is pretty special."
Along the way there was a stint with the defunct Hunter Mariners, a premiership with Melbourne Storm (1999), a World Cup (2000), a mixed season with the Northern Eagles in 2001, and two more Kangaroo end-of-season tours. [url="http://adserver.news.com.au/image.ng/Params.richmedia=yes&site=sport§ion=nrl&adsize=300x250&pagepos=1"]http://adserver.news.com.au/image.ng/Params.richmedia=yes&site=sport§ion=nrl&adsize=300x250&pagepos=1[/url] There are another two seasons to go on his four-year contract at Cronulla. His first year was forgettable with Kimmorley reuniting with former Storm coach Chris Anderson, who tried to change the team's style of play.
One unplanned by-product was halfback Preston Campbell felt he was not wanted and departed for Penrith.
"The first year with Chris I sort of got booed out of the place and wasn't very well liked because of the Preston issue," Kimmorley said.
"But personally it's been a great satisfaction to now feel as though I'm pretty highly regarded around here and I'm club captain. It's not a team achievement, it's a personal achievement."
He concedes his confidence took a bit of a battering after Origin I but he did what he always has ... tried harder.
"Maybe Origin hurt me a little bit but I was trying just as hard as I could to win a game. I wouldn't say what happened affected how hard I was trying," he said.
But when the results still did not come, Kimmorley sat down and did more thinking. Maybe his team-mates had been so used to him initiating the spark in attack and rallying the forwards in defence that it was time to make Cronulla a 17-man team again.
"I've probably been trying to do too much and take over a lot where nowadays I let the other guys do a lot of the work and I can work off them," he said.
"I know I've read that I'm in a form slump so I've tried to fight my way out of it but the thing is I don't honestly feel I've been in a slump. Things have felt really good for me at training and I enjoy playing."
After a 10-point loss to St George Illawarra and then a 40-point thumping by Wests Tigers, Kimmorley knew it was time to firm up his plan to step back.
"I needed to sit back a bit and let others get on a bit of a roll," he said. "I'll still add a few things but I think it'll be good for our game."
After 11 seasons Kimmorley, 30 next year, has no plans to stop playing.
"I'm thinking a lot more about how to help the team out," he said.
"When you're younger you don't wake up sore, you don't wake up stiff. You just turn up to train every day like you're on red cordial. "The game has got harder and you feel it a bit more, but in saying that it's been very enjoyable the whole way."
The Australian
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This has to be a gee up. What ever he is on id like some. More flounder anyone????
