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Premiership? Think yakka instead, Ricky warns Sharks
Adrian Proszenko
December 17, 2006
ONLY moments after Darren Lockyer touched down to ensure Australia were again the dominant force in international rugby league, coach Ricky Stuart's thoughts shifted to the bigger challenge ahead.
While Lockyer, having completed his 34th game of the season, was now free to anticipate a driving holiday in New Zealand, for Stuart the hard work was about to begin.
Forget his own gruelling year - 36 hours after the Tri-Nations triumph he was back at work in a makeshift office in the Sharks football club.
His focus was now a task that had been beyond some of the greatest minds in rugby league - guiding Cronulla to a premiership.
Even the great Jack Gibson, the supercoach who won five titles with Easts and Parramatta, could do no better than eighth place during his three seasons with the club.
"Waiting for the Sharks to win a comp is like leaving the porch light on for Harold Holt," he once said.
Stuart isn't daunted by the challenge of instilling a winning culture into a club that has never tasted success, but he won't entertain premiership talk.
"Winning a grand final is the hardest thing you can do in football as a player or a coach and this competition is even harder to do it in," he said. "We're in pre-season in my first year - I'm not looking that far ahead.
"You've got to have a long-range view, but there's no reason you can't have short-term success. Any suggestion a grand final is around the corner is stupid - the only thing around the corner is a lot of hard work."
Stuart has already put his stamp on the club. His first order of business was to shake up the way the Sharks trained, ensuring every session has a competitive edge. At a recent opposed session, the losing team had to complete four 400 metre sprints - within five minutes. That's plenty of incentive not to lose.
The other big change is giving the junior teams in the area a chance to train with the first-grade squad.
"We've got a very big junior base here and that's of great benefit," he said. "It would be silly for me not to tap into that. A big part of my initial agenda is getting plans in place to be involved in the local competition, our junior representatives.
"It's important for us to be out in the local league with kids to promote rugby league in the area.
"As a 15-year-old I got a chance to do full-time training with the Canberra Raiders under Don Furner snr. There was no bigger buzz. I used to love playing with the senior players - the Meningas, Belchers, O'Sullivans, David Grants, Gary Spears.
"These young kids wouldn't have even heard of a lot of those people, but playing with them was the highlight of my day.
"I was going to school and couldn't get home quickly enough so I could get to Taylor Park to train."
Stuart has a history of getting results fast. He won a premiership in his first attempt with the Sydney Roosters, guided NSW to State of Origin glory and restored Australia's place at the top of world football with Tri-Nations success. But now the challenge is to bring results to a club bereft of success since it began 40 years ago.
"I'm not too concerned about the past," he said. "I'll be judged on the present and the future."
Source: The Sun-Herald
http://www.smh.com.au/news/league/premiership-think-yakka-instead-ricky-warns-sharks/2006/12/16/1166162369247.html
Adrian Proszenko
December 17, 2006
ONLY moments after Darren Lockyer touched down to ensure Australia were again the dominant force in international rugby league, coach Ricky Stuart's thoughts shifted to the bigger challenge ahead.
While Lockyer, having completed his 34th game of the season, was now free to anticipate a driving holiday in New Zealand, for Stuart the hard work was about to begin.
Forget his own gruelling year - 36 hours after the Tri-Nations triumph he was back at work in a makeshift office in the Sharks football club.
His focus was now a task that had been beyond some of the greatest minds in rugby league - guiding Cronulla to a premiership.
Even the great Jack Gibson, the supercoach who won five titles with Easts and Parramatta, could do no better than eighth place during his three seasons with the club.
"Waiting for the Sharks to win a comp is like leaving the porch light on for Harold Holt," he once said.
Stuart isn't daunted by the challenge of instilling a winning culture into a club that has never tasted success, but he won't entertain premiership talk.
"Winning a grand final is the hardest thing you can do in football as a player or a coach and this competition is even harder to do it in," he said. "We're in pre-season in my first year - I'm not looking that far ahead.
"You've got to have a long-range view, but there's no reason you can't have short-term success. Any suggestion a grand final is around the corner is stupid - the only thing around the corner is a lot of hard work."
Stuart has already put his stamp on the club. His first order of business was to shake up the way the Sharks trained, ensuring every session has a competitive edge. At a recent opposed session, the losing team had to complete four 400 metre sprints - within five minutes. That's plenty of incentive not to lose.
The other big change is giving the junior teams in the area a chance to train with the first-grade squad.
"We've got a very big junior base here and that's of great benefit," he said. "It would be silly for me not to tap into that. A big part of my initial agenda is getting plans in place to be involved in the local competition, our junior representatives.
"It's important for us to be out in the local league with kids to promote rugby league in the area.
"As a 15-year-old I got a chance to do full-time training with the Canberra Raiders under Don Furner snr. There was no bigger buzz. I used to love playing with the senior players - the Meningas, Belchers, O'Sullivans, David Grants, Gary Spears.
"These young kids wouldn't have even heard of a lot of those people, but playing with them was the highlight of my day.
"I was going to school and couldn't get home quickly enough so I could get to Taylor Park to train."
Stuart has a history of getting results fast. He won a premiership in his first attempt with the Sydney Roosters, guided NSW to State of Origin glory and restored Australia's place at the top of world football with Tri-Nations success. But now the challenge is to bring results to a club bereft of success since it began 40 years ago.
"I'm not too concerned about the past," he said. "I'll be judged on the present and the future."
Source: The Sun-Herald
http://www.smh.com.au/news/league/premiership-think-yakka-instead-ricky-warns-sharks/2006/12/16/1166162369247.html
