How 2015 Is Shaping Up

[glenmoresharkie]

Well if Flanno is serious about setting the sharks on a new course then he should have Nu training as the 7 for the whole off season and then give the kid first crack. If it doesnt work then we go back to Robbo. What do we have to lose, we are defending the f**king spoon FFS!

Oh and put Feki in the centres too Flange ya merkin!

100% agree with all of this.

Nu Brown and Barba could turn out to be a lethal combination if they are played together from round 1. Robbo is solid, and can tackle every merkin that runs at him but Nu and Barba are the future.

Feki in the centres i also agree with, paves the way for Gagan but could mean Leutele misses out which I'm not so sure about.

Over to you Flanno.

 

[Feej]

Over to you Flanno.

 

[Madsharkie]

Haha. Looks dumb as a box of hammers, the poor merkin

 

[txta2]

Think D Fafita has just about recovered from a serious injury. Heard off a mate he is keen for a really good pre-season as he hasn't had one in a few years. Reckons he is pumped for first grade.

 

[bluefox1968]

Okay, so if we went with Brown & Barba as 7 & 6, I still think Robbo deserves a bench spot. Like a DCE on the bench for Australia - if he has to play lock, so be it... His defence in the last 10 mins off the first half would be valuable, and the first 20 mins of the second half...

 

[THE MESSIAH !!!]

Okay, so if we went with Brown & Barba as 7 & 6, I still think Robbo deserves a bench spot. Like a DCE on the bench for Australia - if he has to play lock, so be it... His defence in the last 10 mins off the first half would be valuable, and the first 20 mins of the second half...

I would play Robson off bench to start season to see how the halves work out just as backup and to cover, but if halves work out would look to a young impact player going forward

 

[jason taylor]

Robson is a tackling machine, he wouldn't really offer much off the bench honestly. If you are going to carry a second hooker it would be much more worthwhile to play someone like Politoni if he's still contracted with the club. Either start him at halfback or punt him back to reserves.

We all know Flanagan will start him at halfback, and will probably persevere with him until the end of the season barring injury. He'll then probably either retire or head to the UK.

 

[GoatShark]

I think the thing that will keep Robson ahead of Brown is his experience in talking the team around the park. Brown doesn't have that yet (from what i have seen of him in 1sts and in the U20s) and like Barba plays a lot of his footy off the cuff. Flanno will want a general of some sort out there. If he can learn to organise i reckon he can take Robson's spot.

 

[Special K]

Ennis can be the general.

NEXT!

Seriously though besides the odd show and go Robbo's attack is as woeful as his kicking game. Great defender but we know what Robbo can give us and as mentioned he is probably the 3rd worst 7 in the comp. We need to try something different otherwise it is the definition of insanity again - flanno ball.

 

[GoatShark]

Hadn't thought of Ennis, that would be tops. Bring on Brown says I.

 

[ghoti]

Ennis (and no hooker anywhere in the world) can't control a backline for a whole set of six from dummy half... listen to yourselves!

As much as you all hate Robson for some reason, he IS the best half we have, AND the best foil for Barba. Barba can't organise shit...but a well-drilled side outside him and some direction from another half will have him playing good footy. You've all been agreeing that Robson is the third-worst halfback in the NRL, and that's probably a fair statement...but where do you reckon Fa'amanu Brown sits on that list? Maybe 18th or 19th...

Robson is our only proven first grade halfback. He may not be flashy, and he may be slow and nowhere near the likes of Cronk, Evans or Johnson...but he is the best of what we have. He can create a repeat set, he can get a forward pack moving and a backline ready, he can service his edge-runners well, he rarely throws a bad pass, and he scores as many tries in a year as some of our outside backs. His long kicking game is weak and he rarely questions the defence...but do you really want to throw the skittish and nervous Brown into his place to just somehow figure it out on the fly?

Robson's our guy. He's got one more year in him to bring Brown (or whoever else steps up to the plate) through to maturity and then you can all rest happy that our best halfback for the last five seasons (anyone remember the Porter, Townsend, etc youth experiments?) is retired.

I gotta stop reading this forum, you merkins f**kin killll me

 

[ghoti]

Also...pretty drunk and don't mean that, I actually like you all. Happy off-season.

 

[Card Shark]

f**k you Ghoti, ya pisshead!! ;-)

It all makes sense to me what you say.

Robson is a handbrake, but he's also a steering wheel.

With so many young guys in the backs, we need some experience & composure in the halves - Brown or Barba aren't gunna give us that....maybe later in the season when Barba settles in, he might & when Brown gets more confidence in first grade, he might.

 

[TRIALS]

We are still a prop short in my opinion. Lloyd Perrett is apparently still unsigned. We should be all over that.

http://m.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-p...ke-it-big-part-2/story-fn2mcuj6-1227115752226

 

[Special K]

Ennis (and no hooker anywhere in the world) can't control a backline for a whole set of six from dummy half... listen to yourselves!

It isn't about controlling the backline it is about driving the team around the park. Ennis can do that. With a half on each side it works.

Nu would be the worst 7 you are correct day 1 of the comp. But it would be different and has a chance to improve. Robbo is solid and will lead us to 7th and a first round exit then go to the UK next year.

I do think Robbo and Barba > Brown and Barba on paper. I am just keen to see something different otherwise we will finish 7th and be out in round 1. Not saying we would win a comp with Brown at 7 at all but we would be playing non Flanno ball which imo is dated.

I'd like to see us change our style to suit Barba, Holmes, Gagan, Gordon and co. We have grinded for 10 f**ken years!!

 

[2012....Sharks Year]

The addition of Ennis to the squad gives us the ideal opportunity to blood Nu off the bench. No second hooker needed with Ennis and Robbo can slip into hooker to give Ennis a break if required. Although Flanno will back Robbo as the incumbent I think Nu would be capable of plying his trade behind a full strength pack next year rather than the rabble that he attempted to debut behind this year.

 

[Coastal Shark]

Regardless of who is in the halves, we have a bigger handbrake in the team. He hurts the backline more than anyone else.

 

[chewsta]

Regardless of who is in the halves, we have a bigger handbrake in the team. He hurts the backline more than anyone else.

Good point.


We have the whole off season to turn one of Barba or Brown into an organiser. Get on it Flanno! Practice all the plays and give one of them the green light to call the shots and tell Gal to get the f**k out of the way.
Ennis can control the team around the park better than anyone at the club, let him steer the team into position and then let Barba, Nu etc run wild in attack.

The only reason Robbo is seen as a "calming Influence" is because he doesn't have anything unpredictable about him.

 

[ghoti]

But it would be different and has a chance to improve.

I see what you're saying, but I don't think this is a good coaching strategy. Trying something new because it's different and has a chance of being better than the other strategy (keeping in mind that the last time Flanno/Robbo were coach/halfback respectively we fell two games short of a grand final with an injured Carney) isn't a great idea.

Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see Brown kick on and pull out a huge second year performance, but you have to pick your strongest, most certain team in Round 1 because every match in a season is important. The experience of blokes in 2016 is irrelevant, you can't think about the future from Round 1 unless you're someone like Canberra with very little to offer.

We've got a great squad, and we should be aiming at the Top 4 and maybe the premiership. If you're in that position, you don't take gambles and chances - you go with the squad most likely to get you there.

 

[azzah72]

Don't understand the Robbo hate, he steers this ship around really well, defends like a machine and is the most likely to get a repeat set.

Him and Barba will be a great combo, and Robbo and also mentor this Murphy kid as well. Sure he's a bit slower but he freaking puts in more than any half back we've had in ages.