Cronulla Sharks to test halves options in search for a partner for Todd Carney

[Poss]

Cronulla Sharks to test halves options in search for a partner for Todd Carney

Christian Nicolussi
February 03, 2012 12:00AM

THE four-way race to partner Cronulla recruit Todd Carney will officially kick off tonight.
And according to coach Shane Flanagan, he can not go wrong with any of his contenders.
Few clubs in the NRL - if any - are so stocked up in the halves department like Cronulla, with Jeff Robson, Wade Graham, Chad Townsend and Albert Kelly all vying for a shot to play alongside Carney.
Graham will get first crack when he takes the field with Carney in the opening trial against Manly at Toyota Stadium tonight.

The Sea Eagles are travelling to the Shire with a 31-man squad, including their stars Brett Stewart, Daly Cherry-Evans and Kieran Foran, as they look to warm-up for the World Club Challenge.

But Flanagan will have his own agenda rather than worry about the premiers.
"When we did our recruitment we got lucky because didn't plan on having Todd," Flanagan said. "We had Jeff, Albert, Chad and Wade Graham all there, but to throw Todd in there, it was a good spanner in the works."

At the request of The Daily Telegraph, he was happy to run the rule over his candidates and their strong points.
While Kelly remains the roughie in the pack - but only because of a lack of fitness after a string of injuries - Flanagan said Graham deserved first shot.
"He deserves first crack, he played 24 games last year, and in some of those games he got belted from pillar to post," Flanagan said.
"I think it was the game against the Bulldogs he showed how durable he was. He's a real tough kid and deserves his chance.
"We had Tim Smith play a game in the halves, and Scott Porter played three last year, but Wade was a rock.
"He's trained well in the off-season and struck up a good relationship with Todd."
Flanagan also liked Townsend's development over the summer, and said: "He's had an outstanding pre-season and come back so much more confident and understands what is expected of him.
"Jeff is a real tradesman and can play six, seven or nine, while Albert is behind the others, and for no other reason than injury, but has unpredictability and flair."
Townsend and Robson will start the match against Manly tonight and both felt confident they had plenty to bring to the selection table.
"I've got good organisational skills, I've been around a few years now and can bring a bit of leadership to the team," said former Eels No. 7 Robson."Hopefully I can play some good footy through the trials and be there round one."
Townsend, 20, who held his own in a handful of games last season, said he was in awe of what former bad boy Carney was capable of.
"I sometimes stand back at training and watch him and think he's got such talent - if I could do half the stuff he does, it would be unreal," Townsend said.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...on-todds-partner/story-e6frexnr-1226261267235

 

[Craigshark]

What's that, 4 positive Cronulla stories in the paper in one week? A sponsor must be kicking themselves they haven't jumped on board yet..

 

[Mr Angry]

Townsend and Robson will start the match against Manly tonight

Interesting....

 

[Poss]

I read that the strongest 13 will take the field in the second half only.
That is when Manly is putting on their strong 13 as well.

Is anyone going to the game tonight and able to post updates and a review?

 

[M2D2]

Yeah im not going, ive been laid in bed since tuesday sick. Not getting worse in cronulla weather to watch a trial match.

 

[Madsharkie]

updates tonight would be awesome...

 

[Ausguy]

im going if rain holds off...

 

[Quigs]

I'm not going

 

[Mr Angry]

It is Carney mania in the media

Todays smh story

Coach pushing for Carney-Gardner to combine as next dynamic duo
Greg Prichard
February 3, 2012

CRONULLA coach Shane Flanagan has the lofty ambition of trying to turn Todd Carney and Nathan Gardner into his team's version of Cooper Cronk and Billy Slater at Melbourne and Johnathan Thurston and Matt Bowen at North Queensland.
Flanagan knows it isn't going to be easy for two players who haven't played alongside each other to achieve an understanding on or near that level, and he can't simply expect it to happen just because Carney and Gardner happen to be very talented.
But, like anyone who wants to succeed in the NRL knows, if you aim low then that's where you're going to go, and Flanagan wants to aim high. The fact is that, if halfback Carney and fullback Gardner prove to be a good fit, it could turn out to be great for the Sharks.
''There's the potential for a lot of players at Cronulla to benefit from Todd being here,'' Flanagan said last night. ''But there's probably no one here with more potential for that to happen than Nathan.
''Todd has got great speed getting across the ground and so does Nathan, and Nathan is a terrific support player. If they can get a good relationship going it would be terrific for them individually, and for the team.
''When you look at Bowen and Thurston at the Cowboys, and Slater and Cronk at the Storm, it shows just how valuable a good combination like that can be. It's only early days here with Todd and Nathan, we know that, but I'm hoping to push it along.
''The potential is certainly there for something good to happen when they start getting a bit of time together on the field.''
Flanagan said he was excited about Gardner's prospects this year, after injury limited his effectiveness last season.
''He had to have an operation to insert a pin in his ankle during the season, and another operation at the end of it to take the pin out,'' Flanagan said.
''It was a syndesmosis problem. He had six weeks off after the first operation, but when he came back to play it was never right. It was always going to be hard for him to recover properly from it during the season, but he had a good rest after the operation to take the pin out and he's over all of that now. He's had more than a month of really good training going into [tonight's] trial.
''Nathan is a very important part of this team, and we need him back to where he was before the injury, if we're going to get somewhere. So it's been a real positive to see him being able to run freely and train hard going into this season.''
Cronulla lost their two regular starting props - Luke Douglas and Kade Snowden - to Gold Coast and Newcastle respectively at the end of last season, and Flanagan will be calling on a large group of props as part of the plan to overcome their loss. ''The guys we lost up front averaged a lot of minutes per game,'' he said. ''So we needed to add a couple of seasoned performers at prop, to help carry that load. That's why we signed Bryce Gibbs and Ben Ross.
''But there are a number of guys here who will be competing for the starting and bench spots at prop. Andrew Fifita is the sort of player who can rip and tear for us, and he's in the mix as are Mark Taufua, Jon Green and Josh Cordoba.
''Gal (Paul Gallen) and Jeremy Smith will both play in the middle a bit as well, so we've got a good mix of players to share in the job. It'll just be about getting the balance right.''

LINK

 

[redback]

Jeff Robson should be our no. 3 hooker at best.

 

[newman]

Is Flanagan being so vocal in the media for a reason? To leverage a sponsor perhaps? All of this candid discussion is making me feel weird.

 

[Ausguy]

agree newms... i cringe when he talks...

 

[Plastered]

Well TC has certainly brought some media attention with him, nearly all positive. Anyway I think Phlegm is just confriming what we've all been thinking, certainly has the potential to rip some defenses apart.

This is the best bit though:

Gal (Paul Gallen) and Jeremy Smith will both play in the middle a bit as well