There were a million positives to take from that game.
For those who were watching at home or at the pub, let me say this: It was absolutely stinking, bastarding hot. I am not predisposed to getting sunburned. I lathered myself in suncream and wore a hat but sit here typing you this update absolutely red raw. What you couldnt understand from watching on the box was that the thick grass at LO was absolutely drenched and muddy. So the humidity coming out of the grass from that blazing sun was like something from Mars. Or Bali.
The big positive I take from that game was it showed what a quality, quality player Toddie is. Its no fluke that with him getting on the outside shoulder of his A defender and providing crisp, pinpoint service that Pom and Best had their best games in a long while. Why isnt anyone talking about that try that was a mirror image of Marshalls (who is supposedly better than Dally Messenger) You know what else? I reckon he aimed that kick off at the cross-bar. I reckon it was deliberate. We havent had a player like him at the Sharks for some years. If he was playing like that from early in the game and not only in the second half when we were playing from behind we would have won, easy. But hes still finding his way and reasonable observers will give him due time.
When we play a match that isnt in oppressive heat, I think you will see our forward pack start to dominate long periods of games, and Todd will thrive from that. We really started to get on top of them in the 2nd 3rd of the 2nd half and with a few more games under our belts, teams are going to find it hard to contain us. Best scores that try and we win, easy. Keep in mind people that this game was our first full hit out under "proper game" conditions with upwards of 5 new starters. When a few more little things click into place that need to click into place, watch out.
The conditions were against us. The refs were against us. A hostile crowd was against us. Our record against the tigers was against us. And we came that close. Bill Harrigan has said that we shoulda got the ball back after Todds first fg attempt and its hard to see Todd missing twice from that range, so he is essentially saying we should have won. So, who will we play in the GF?
