Bulldog’s Bite: Premiership frontrunners Sharks don’t have mettle or mongrel to match NRL big guns

[Frenzy.]

Here's a beauty from one of the Holy Trinity of Idiots consistent MVPs. This fat farque really can make a dick of himself.

RIP IN forumites.

Cronulla risk establishing themselves as the NRL’s newest May premiers, with a massive five-week period against competition heavyweights to define their season. DEAN RITCHIE reveals why.

Dean Ritchie, 4 min read, May 1, 2024

They may lead the NRL competition with six wins from seven games but Cronulla still have a soft underbelly.

We’ve travelled this path before with Cronulla – rock stars during the season, a support act in the finals; contenders between March and August, pretenders in September.

I may not be welcome at PointsBet Stadium after those comments but I cannot elevate the Sharks into rugby league’s elite bracket, despite their early season success.

There has been a fragility about Cronulla over the past five years, so I ask … has anything changed in 2024?

Opposition clubs know that Cronulla don’t have the power game or combativeness to overcome big teams in big finals.

Cronulla were even labelled ‘flat track bullies’ and ‘pretenders’ last year. Unfair?

I wonder whether rival clubs respect the Sharks as genuine NRL heavyweights. I have my doubts.

The retirement last week of hardened Dale Finucane – a three-time premiership winner – will only weaken Cronulla’s physical and mental muscle.

Perhaps the next five weeks may alter that mindset.

After Sunday’s local derby against St George Illawarra, Cronulla play Melbourne (a), the Sydney Roosters (h), Penrith (h), Parramatta (a) and Brisbane (a).

This will be the five weeks from hell.

It’s only then we will know whether Cronulla have the grunt and mettle to challenge for this year’s title.

Cronulla are a bloody good football team, no doubt. Well balanced with a first-class playmaker in Nicho Hynes.

But winning a grand final isn’t always about skill and application.

It’s about having the mongrel to roll around in the gutter when things become heated in big games.

It’s about getting dirty in September. You can’t buy self-confidence or belligerence. You either have it, or you don’t.

Cronulla have faded badly in finals during recent seasons.

Since 2016, they have won one of nine finals games and lost their last six in succession.

They went out in week one last year, week two in 2022 (straight sets), week one in 2020 and week one in 2019. Cronulla didn’t qualify for the 2021 finals.

The Sharks’ last finals win came way back in 2018.

“The only thing we can do, they can say all they want, we can tune in or tune out, but that conversation is always going to be there,” forward Toby Rudolf told Fox Sports pre-season.

Overall this season, Cronulla has a soft draw. They only play one of the current top eight – Canterbury – twice this season. The Sharks confront the other seven teams only once.

Will that lead us yet again into false hope around Cronulla?

Cronulla will start favourites against St George Illawarra this Sunday at PointsBet Stadium but the gruelling test comes over the following weeks.

We will finally learn whether this Sharks side is like those of the recent past – or whether they have the bottle to take on rugby league’s big guns.

 

[DJDL]

Early days yet, but this isn’t ageing well.

 

[Cheese sandwich]

He's a fat mess

 

[bluefox68]

Here's a beauty from one of the Holy Trinity of Idiots consistent MVPs. This fat farque really can make a dick of himself.

RIP IN forumites.

Cronulla risk establishing themselves as the NRL’s newest May premiers, with a massive five-week period against competition heavyweights to define their season. DEAN RITCHIE reveals why.

Dean Ritchie, 4 min read, May 1,
This will be the five weeks from hell.


It’s about having the mongrel to roll around in the gutter when things become heated in big games.

It’s about getting dirty in September.

This is laughable from someone who looks like his only form of exercise is dawdling from the car park to the office…

LOL

 

[shadowboxer]

Soft Underbelly….same as the one hanging over his desk at the Daily Planet.
Pretty Dean is a Manly fan? He could retread this for that mob if he so wishes

 

[Ozzi_78]

He suck’s corks right?

 

[Frenzy.]

Soft Underbelly….same as the one hanging over his desk at the Daily Planet.
Pretty Dean is a Manly fan? He could retread this for that mob if he so wishes

Thought he was Bulldogs. Thought that's why he was called Bulldog but he looks like a British bulldog so maybe it's that.

 

[bad boy bubby]

He's 100% a Hartley.
My old mate's (RIP) cousin knows him from working at the paper.
He always got us freebies in the stands at Brooky when the Sharks were playing through the Bloated One.

 

[Stake Removed]

Maybe he should start discussing Eagles as they are sinking without a trace

 

[Dragon Slayer]

This is the reason I don’t buy newspapers these days. Even after a huge win last night.

Journalists used to work hard to chase stories and print facts and present interesting insights into players at your Club.

Now most of it is just opinion pieces from people who I don’t respect their opinion or their down right biased agenda driven bullshyte.

You can see his lack of knowledge of how we have changed how we attack and the emergence of certain players etc. He didn’t even know that Dale even as good a guy that he is. He hasn’t been delivering much in the past 18months that was a difference maker to the teams fortunes on the field. That the fan base wasn’t even fussed or worried about his retirement. No one thought f**k their goes our chances. It was more like great now we can resign some of the players that are making a difference.

Normally I’d say use his article as toilet paper because that’s about all it’s good for. But why would I want to wipe my shyte with more shyte. But I would like to use his head as a toilet brush.

 

[bad boy bubby]

 

[Frenzy.]

This is the reason I don’t buy newspapers these days. Even after a huge win last night.

Journalists used to work hard to chase stories and print facts and present interesting insights into players at your Club.

Now most of it is just opinion pieces from people who I don’t respect their opinion or their down right biased agenda driven bullshyte.

You can see his lack of knowledge of how we have changed how we attack and the emergence of certain players etc. He didn’t even know that Dale even as good a guy that he is. He hasn’t been delivering much in the past 18months that was a difference maker to the teams fortunes on the field. That the fan base wasn’t even fussed or worried about his retirement. No one thought f**k their goes our chances. It was more like great now we can resign some of the players that are making a difference.

Normally I’d say use his article as toilet paper because that’s about all it’s good for. But why would I want to wipe my shyte with more shyte. But I would like to use his head as a toilet brush.

Yeah but; how do you feel about him?

 

[shadowboxer]

Maybe he should start discussing Eagles as they are sinking without a trace

Has there been any talk about Mandy’s mental fragility in the past few weeks resulting in somewhat embarrassing results?
Doubt it but sure they talked about poor Turbos legs

 

[Frenzy.]

Has there been any talk about Mandy’s mental fragility in the past few weeks resulting in somewhat embarrassing results?
Doubt it but sure they talked about poor Turbos legs

Is there a "narrative" here?

 

[Cheese sandwich]

Is there a "narrative" here?

Seibold is a grifter