Well the recording worked
Transcript.
Intro
GH: Well uh, the surprisoing news today that we keep mentioning was of Ricky Stuart standing down from that final year of his contract, uuhh, his request to the club was granted by the Sharks management which means that Shane Flanagan will be in control of the Sharkies at the back end of this year and into 2011. We've got him on the line.
G'Day Shane
SF: G'Day Graeme, how ya garn?
GH: Well! Um, were you surprised?
SF: Oh mate, I....I've had a fair bit of communication with Ricky over the last weeks and uuummm, yeah, he sort of filled me in on what was happening. Umm, he took his request to the board on Thursday night and it was made official then and it's all happened since then. It's been a bit of a whirlwind couple of day but I sort of...I knew what Ricky's intentions but I didn't know the club's intentions in regards to me for 2011 and it was a nice surprise when it happened.
GH: Just been talking to Tunksy and asked him a question at the top of the show. How long have you been in a 2IC role now in coaching in the NRL?
SF: ahhhh I was with Brian Smith there for a couple of years, not as 2IC but I coached the Premier League side there for a couple of years, ah and then I've been with Ricky for 5 years so, it was me and Johnny Cartwright as assistant coaches back in 2003, 2004, 5 and 6 at at the Roosters and then at the Sharks. I've been with him quite awhile and we've got a good relationship and he's a good mate.
PT: Shane, the ahh, opportunity, it's great. Obviously you've aspired to do that but when the opportunity lands at your doorstep it's a big challenge for next year
SF: Yeah definitely, you know I've just sort of, over driving home over the last few hours thinking about all the things you've gotta do and get in place umm talking to um, Paul Gallen about players and recruitment..you know, it's a big challenge for us but the thing that I..that sticks in the back of my mind is that umm, even from the weekend, we've got the nucleus of a real good team and we just need to add some real quality players to it or maybe 1 or 2 and then maybe I think that we can show we are a good team. You know some of the forwards that we got there in our team, especially the 2 front rowers Kade Snowden and Luke Douglas arh, are probaly future rep players. You know and Paul Gallen and Anthony Tupou are two who are rep players so you know we got the nucleus of a good team there especially in the forwards, we've got some young backs.. so you know, I'm pretty excited about it
PT: You brought Nathan Gardener into the team as fullback. I've watched about 3 or 4 of your Toyota Cup games this year and I follow the junior results and you were minor premiers in the SG Ball was it for this year?
SF: Yeah I think they were joint minor premiers in the SG Ball
PT: Joint Minor Premiers yeah, in the U/18 competition and I said before, you know it's disappointing, Ricky went out there, there was very very high aspirations for the team , you know, the terrific one game short of a grand final, I forgot who beat you in the semi final, probably won't mention that but it can be disappointing. It can sometimes go like that Shane, you've got a good coach, you've got a good... you haven't got a roster that deserves to be in the bottom 4 of the comp but circumstances can be very cruel
SF: Yeah exactly, you know. We've, we've had a, um, you know, pretty tumultuous couple of years at the Sharks you know. 2 years ago we were joint minor premiers as you said and ummm, you know, we went out to Melbourne and Melbourne went on to win the competiton so we weren't far off that year and then the following year we had, you know, high expectations of hopefully improving on that and we lost 2 players in game 1, Ben Ross and Brfett Kearney and it just continued for the next few weeks with losin' players for the season and then we've had departures for the season for disciplinary reasons of players, ah, it's been really tough over the last couple of year and Ricky's been the, arhh, um, sort of the foundation that everyone's gone to and you know without his decisions that had to be made, and there's been changes in management too, he's been really solid Ricky and he's goona leave the club in a good way you know and we haven't wrotten off....written off this season yet, umm, so hopefully we can finish off really well and everyone might be saying that how lucky I am to have just fallen into a job with a team that even made the 8 or you know maybe just missed out.
PT: The situation is very very similar I suppose to you know, ya playing lower grades and you want to get that first grade jersey and one day someone says Hey you're in first grade next week. It's terrific but then there's also the butterflies in thinking Oh gee, this is a big challenge
SF: Yeah 100%, I thought about that in a few of the quiet moments I had on my own just in the last 24 hours there, that's exactly the feeling you get you know, ahh now it's time you know, I sorta been waitin' a fair while for it, umm, I'm stoked you know, even saying that I've got sort of 6 months to get ready and it'll be a very interesting time.
GR: Everyone says you're good enough. They've been saying it for 18 months on this show on and off. You can't be...... so obviously it's just gettin' used to it, isn't it?
SF: Yeah mate I, I...I appreciate ya sayin' that, you know I look forward to it you know, I've been involved with Ricky for a number of years, Brian Smiff and recently Craig Bellamy with origin, in the Origin team so. Mate I think I got some real good, umm, people who have teach me the way to uhh, control and NRL team and coach a team so, you know, now it's my turn to show that I can do it
GR: When a group feels bad, and I know what it's like to be in that, it's like a disease and even though you could be a really good side and everyone here talks and a lot of the callers say that your rosters not too bad it's good enough to not be the last team ... how do you break out of that? Cause it's not easy to get out of that, you know, it's like a mode of thinking
SF: Yeah 100%. Yeah I think, you know players read papers, players listen to radio, players watch TV and they start to believe a little bit of the stuff they are hearing and reading about themselves but the result we had on the weekend over at Parramatta, you know, Parramatta are competition favourites...I know they had Jarryd Hayne out and Timana but, you know, we've done that to'em twice this year; we played well against Newcastle and I know the team can do it um and we've just gotta break that cycle in our belief. If we can string 2 or 3 together, you know Parramatta showed last year that it's not impossible, arrghh, um I think they were 2nd or 3rd last late in the competition till they won a, till they strung a few together and we're no where near that situation yet . We just gotta keep winning, string 3 or 4 together over this origin period and we'll be in the 8.
PT: Shane, we've had some unconfirmed reports this afternoon that 17 of the SOO have been approached to go to Cronulla next year. Do you know anything about that?
SF: I just got back into camp nopw and I'll be doing that straight away
PT: Harrassing them as we speak
SF: hahah hehehehe yeah exactly\
GR: yyeeahhhh <<blither, blither>> It's a great opportunity, the thing about it is, is umm.. if ya, if ya looking at, is there some players or some areas that you're definitely looking. Is it 2 or 3?
SF: Yeah there's definitely, yeah um, I'll be in the market for um a half, somewhere in the halves to replace Trent Barrett cause he's arhh he probably sort of told us that he's going to retire at the end of the year and that's a big void to fill. The next area will be a real classy outside back, whether it's a FB, a centre or a winger I'm not quite sure as yet um that's all depends on who is available. I'm not just going to go out and buy Willy Nilly umm we'll buy something that is going to suit us and is top quality.
PT: You obviously got Tim Smith on contract for nest year ... now Tim's shown some flashes of what he is good at and what he can do but he's also got the other side of the coin where he can be, umm, questionable in some areas, it's obvioulsy.. if Trent does retire at the end of the year and it's critical that you get someone who is very experienced to be able to play against or be able to play with someone like Tim Smith
SF: Ahhh yeah, you know, there's a few options out there but there's not too much in that experienced category in the halves. umm probably Brett Finch is probably the only half off contract that's got some experience so you know a lot of the other halves that are off contract are more so the younger type of kids who have just come into first grade, they've played maybe half a season or a season so that's a tough situation there but you know I have got all confidence in Timmy Smith, we got Scot Porter there as well who's on contract so... we'll be looking to compliment those two whether it's someone with a bit of experience or if we have to go with a younger kid but we'll make sure they are ready to play first grade and they are going to compliment our team
PT: There's a kid called Kimmorley coming off contract mate, ever heard of him?
SF: Yeah, he's in camp here at the moment and he's telling me how good he's been going as well.
GH: You wanna buy into the Paul Gallen debate?
SF: ahh, umm, ah, aarrghhh, um what's the Paul Gallen debate?
GH: NSW?
PT: How;d he miss the boat?
GR: What people asking.....
SF: ah yeah mate....... I feel real sorry for Paul cause you know he went out and showed on the Saturday night with Parramatta you know, what a quality player he is. He leads our team in everythink he does. um on the field, off the field. ahh I wouldn't swap him for anyone, umm, in the forwards so umm, I feel real sorry for him but you know, the selectors and Craig decided to go with some people who played in the last game and you know, I gotta applaud that, Qld have been doing that for years and you know, all of a sudden NSW do it and you know unfortunatley Paul's been the one to pay the price here but we've shown some loyalty to you know, the players that done really well for us in the last game of the series last year and then we getted bagged a little bit for it so..........you know... lets' put our faith in 'em, and I think that the backrow we got there at the moment, Benny Creagh, Trent Waterhouse and Luke Lewis...Anthony Watmough you know, they'll do a good job on Wednesday night I'm sure.
GH: OK. Good to catch up with you Shane and congratulations. Wish you all well with the brand new job.
SF: Thanks Graeme. Thanks Graeme!
