Player Purchasing.

[++ Gregos v.4]

Would like to see some of the members thoughts on our direction with recruitment, both in a franchise sense and development sense.

I'm increasingly getting interested in one catch word: Mobility. Particularly in our front/back row.

Speed is the name of the game at the moment. Speed of the play the ball, speed of the defensive line (including shooters, the game is turning into "Tough Touch"). And, while not criticising our current players, I think our goal line defence is extremely scarey.

You can let the front row get away with not having lateral strength but you need the edge of the ruck to be backed up by mobile back rowers. I don't know, maybe I'm off the mark, but increasingly the opposition is poking its head through our defensive line. And I don't think this has anything to do with the strength and toughness of our players. I think we're just being beaten tactically. And I'm talking about smaller players who shouldn't be poking their heads through our line.

Not ciriticising, because I think finding the right balance (bang for your buck) is one of the hardest thing admin have to do in a footy club. Just interested in everyone's thoughts.

 

[Fin077]

Speed is the name of the game at the moment. Speed of the play the ball, speed of the defensive line (including shooters, the game is turning into "Tough Touch")

I thought the speed of our play the ball against Canberra a couple of weeks ago was a major reason why we were go impressive.

Since then, we haven't seemed to be able to do it quite as well and I cant work out why!

It's pretty simple, contstant quick play the balls get the defence going backwards, fatigues them quickly and gives guys like Sully and Gibbo opportunities to scoot out off dummy half and make good metres. Not to mention it obviously gives Noddy room to work too.

Why cant we do it every week!

 

[newman]

Wasnt "mobile" the catchphrase everyone bandied about when we signed Lomu?

 

[blacktip-reefy]

Lomu has been disappointing. Very.

Agree with Greg on most points.

& Fin I'll think you find the reason is fitness or, fatigue.
& my thoughts on why that is occurring are there for all to see.

In terms of recruitment, I don't think we tried hard enough to E.Grothe Junior. He would have been awesome on our wings & is an area again which affects fitness or fatigue.
Peach is pretty much the only back who gets in to releive pressure on our forwards as he averages around 9 DHR's per game. With a Grothe or another BIG on the flank, we would have been better served. Reick has been a liability & as much as I like Salehs percentage football, he just can't seem to penetrate at the ruck, probably due to lack of weight.
I think Best should be looked at seriously if he's off contract or Even Lote Tuquri. If We are in the market for Rogers, then perhaps we aren't too far off the pace with Lote. Love the Rat but f**k it would be good to have Lote or even Wendell.

 

[TrainWreck]

I don't think we should lose sight of the fact that Canberra let us have quick PTBs. They were way off their game when we played them.

As for recruitment. I'm thinking that the latest recruitment was done with a particular style of play in mind. Makes it hard on a new coach when he may not have the players he's needs for his own style and beliefs on how the game is played in my opinion.

As for big wingers I just watched Paul Mellor score 3 or it may of even been 4 tries for castleford against Wigan on Fox.

 

[TrainWreck]

I don't think we should lose sight of the fact that Canberra let us have quick PTBs. They were way off their game when we played them.

As for recruitment. I'm thinking that the latest recruitment was done with a particular style of play in mind. Makes it hard on a new coach when he may not have the players he's needs for his own style and beliefs on how the game is played in my opinion.

As for big wingers I just watched Paul Mellor score 3 or it may of even been 4 tries for castleford against Wigan on Fox.

 

[King of the Hill]

I don't think we tried hard enough to E.Grothe Junior

I dont know if we tried at all
Shame, because he spent a lot of his time at Woolooware where his girlfriend lives

He's a bit scattered in the head though, I hear he didnt have a clue what to do and was asking all sorts of people for advice

 

[Sharkies all the Way]

Speed is certainly the key, I think Sullivan is absolutely brilliant in this, his quick dummy half runs with a bit of weaving creates gaps and gains us good metres as the opposition in the dying stages of a match struggles to get back the ten.

Recruitment wise, I dont think we really need anyone. We have alot of forwards and second rowers playing for us in 1st Grade and Premier league and we have copious backs. I believe the key to our success is time, time for the players to gell more efectively and time to choose the best of our players from Premier league and 1st grade. Right now we are just lacking good, consistent combinations and a solid defence.

 

[blacktip-reefy]

Lets flick Saleh, Seers, Bosnich & emilio.
That has to be more than enough for one EG LT WS LV CB .

Another player that was signed that we did not get, that realy pisse me off, was Tony Martin. He has been one off the standouts for the well beaten warriors so many times this year.

I liked Wayne Bennets comments on the footy show last night.
Many guys go to clubs, but the clubs don't go anywhere because those players don't bring anything with them. Look at us, we struggled to get over the line & then we brought Lazzo to the club & Bingo, 2 in a row.
His record speaks for itself with wins at Raiders, Broncos & Melbourne.

Maybe that is what we should be identifying & seeking, even though I believe we did that with Stevo, but didn't compliment him with depth.

 

[Foz]

He's a quality man that Bennet.
I'd start with buying him.

 

[SadShark]

Damn straight. Boys, I harp on about it too much I know - and here I go again. Defence. We just leak far too many points every game. Missed tackles are too many. We must be averaging mid to late 30' for 2004.

In the mid 1990's, the Sharks were gaining ground in defence. I did not play at the NRL professional level but, if I missed one tackle per game, I was filthy on myself. I wish the Sharks players who miss tackles were absolutely filthy on themselves too - it's embarrasing if nothing else.

 

[Alan Shore]

ET instilled that ethic of not making tackles being a failure. His shoulder charges were better than the forwards!

 

[Special K]

KURT GIDLEY

what a man!

 

[Macca]

I can't believe we didn't go after Scott Hill in the end. How good is he with Noddy. Sure the forwards layed the platform but doesn't he control the other side of the ruck well? We pulled out because Aitken was "going to become a franchise player". Well, hurry up Russ.

Recruiting for next year.

1. Throw everything at O'Meley. He is off contract this year as far as I know. If Stevo keeps going then we'd have to dump Beattie and one other to get him but he is one of the top 3 props in the game IMO. Get him Sludge!

2. Bring back Rat. If Peachey retires then Matty goes straight to fullback. If not, left centre. This also relieves Noddy of the goal kicking responsibility and provides a second kicker in general play.

3. Vince Mellars. If we can talk the Warriors into a good deal then we have to sign this bloke. f**k he's big. We could even use him as a winger in the style that Reefy was talking about above.

4. We have the right second rowers in the club so there is no need to recruit more of them. With Bailey back in the forwards, Lomu, Gallen and Galloway, we have the right blend.

5. 5/8th is obviously a contentious issue. Now I think Bird is good but I think he will end up at lock. He doesn't have a kicking or passing game but he is a terrific runner of the ball. So who do we get to play 5/8th? Hilder isn't a long term solution. Aitken looks too small and could end up playing more halfback than 5/8th. We really have to bring someone from outside in. A bloke I'd love to see at the club again is Adam Dykes but would he be able to play alongside Noddy? They would be over calling each other alot. Other than Dykes, we could go after a young bloke like Jonathon Thurston but I am not really a big fan of his. It's a tough one.

You may say I'm a dreamer but I'm not the only one. ;-)

 

[spirit of league]

mcsharkie you are straight up dreaming !

o'meley, rogers, mellars, dykes, thurston ?

how about beckham, henry, keane and shearer ! :lol:

what we need immediately is at least one solid winger who can tackle and then another decent centre so bailey can move back to the pack.

 

[Macca]

Yes. That's why they call it a wishlist.

 

[Foz]

On player purchasing Peter Peters mentioned something about Matt Orford and Paul Stringer waiting to see if the Central Coast get in before they sign contracts.
I'd doubt we'd want Orford but we had shown interest in Stringer.
There is a goal kicking winger at the Dogs who is not 100 per cent about wanting to stay with them.
He has strong community ties there which may see him stay but if a club came in with the right offer (and not just money) he may be tempted to leave.
A similar thing was said about Nigel Vagana. (hmm any connection?).
Which club would be most in need of a goal kicker?
I heard a commentator this afternoon say Darren Lockyer would come to Sydney.
He split with his girl or something and wants out of Brisbane.
Something about him being pals with Willie Mason might see him end up at the Dogs or you guessed it the Roosters.
This sounds like one of those gossip column threads so I'll leave it at that.

 

[Macca]

Why don't you just name Hasem El Masri? It has been spoken about on this forum for weeks now.

 

[Foz]

I knew that McSharkie.
Just relaying what I heard on the radio.
They didnt name him so I didnt either.
I think they were stressing a point (to do with him being off contract and teams would be crazy not to look at him but thats only me drawing conclusions).
I added my two bobs worth with the Vagana connection and who needs a goalkicker.

 

[Mr Angry]

Shopping List.
1. Left Centre
2. Goal Kicker