This is mainly a team view
In response to the question, of which there have been many good replies, for me the first thing is to improve ALL the players we have. There's not much new blood coming and there won't be a sudden buying spree for 2023. I can only see The Sharks in the market for a prop and the 2 we are looking at are pricing themselves too high. They'll also buy some second tier fillers and elevate a few Jets.
So, largely, the improvement has to come from within. Fitz, the technician, and the club will have a review for sure. Individual shortfalls and team weaknesses will be identified and addressed with a view to making current systems and players more robust, Areas such as composure (patience, as mentioned), attitude, choices made in game, resilience, fitness and skills are areas that cost the team not only late in the season but throughout the season when it's all said and done. The semis highlighted all this and the latter season games masked them because they were winning. I don't think these shortfalls would have been hidden from the coaching staff though. I'd be surprised if one or two aren't put on notice and placed in the shop window.
I don't see the gameplay changing much unless the sharks can find a lunatic prop who takes the team forward and takes no shit. Then some hard work has to be put in by Hazelton, Colquhoun, Pele, Uele junior and the other emerging props. To be frank, I didn't see much aggro in any of them throughout the year. I think Colquhoun can be a Carrigan type player for The Sharks when he gets his confidence, skills and assertiveness levels up but that is probably 50 games away at least.
Birdie said you can only play what you are presented. Conversely, you can only present to the opposition what you've got. Without lambasting individuals I reckon what we had to present was pretty much unbalanced and that's where the achievement to finish second after the round robin is high. That lack of balance can actually reduce performance as others have to perform at levels they can't manage to make the balance and maintain it.
I also accept what some have said about earning the right to play Ippy ball but we didn't have the forwards to do it to be honest and for mine the big boppers we did have were, for whatever reason, lacking in a few areas and really didn't give enough minutes to the cause. In the majority of games for the majority of minutes the Sharks had a pack of midgets on the field. It should be remembered though that the club DID chase props for 2022 but came up short.
Injuries, suspensions, illness and form slumps all happen of course, but I'm not considering them for this rant because this is about next year when whoever runs on in March 2023 would be expected to be fit and healthy and there are some who wouldn't fit into those categories perhaps that would like to be better.
