September Matches - Losing Mentality - Clutch Matches

[Boldo]

Haven't posted here for a while but thought this group would offer me a good intellectual discussion on this.

The sharks have an appalling record at winning the matches that count (what a tennis player would describe as the clutch moments). I mean the matches in September where we win or we get knocked out or fall backwards significantly leading into semis. Wins outside September are great but it's getting firing in this time that is essential. Let's look back;

2015
Cowboys - LOST
Souths - WON
Manly - LOST

2014
No clutch games

2013
Cowboys WON
Manly - LOST

2012
Cowboys - LOSS
RAIDERS - LOSS

2011 - 2009
No clutch games - we weren't great

2008
Storm - LOSS
(I don't count the raiders game)

2007 - 2006
Didn't do much

2005
Dragons - LOSS
2 games before that leading into September - BOTH LOSS

2002
ROOSTER (Rd 26) - LOSS
ROOSTERS - LOSS
DRAGONS - WIN
WARRIORS - LOSS

2001
I don't count the Broncos match as we would have still been in the comp if we'd have lost
Bulldogs - WON
NEWCASTLE - LOSS

2000
Broncos - LOSS

1999
Dragons - LOSS

1997
RAIDERS - WIN
BRONCOS - LOSS

1996 (the only year to give us positive differential)
Wests - WON
Broncos - WON
Manly - LOSS

1995
Knights - LOSS

1989
Gold Coast - LOSS (we would have been third if we'd have won the round 26 match and would have taken Balmain's place and history could have been oh so different - this was one of our better teams)
BRONCOS - WIN
Raiders - LOSS

1988
Bulldogs - Loss
Tigers - LOss


So in total
Wins = 8
Losses = 22

Since 1988 we have only won 25% of the clutch games.


Looking at last night I think we have learnt nothing heading into these big games. We have a club culture that prohibits success at this crucial time of the year. If you go and look at the facebook "Cronulla til I die"group then you'll see a bunch of people enthusiastically commenting "proud of the boys" and "next year will be our year".

I'm sorry but I don't know about any of you but if I hit a return of 25% when 50% should be average I'd get sacked. I'd be changing what we do and trying a few things differently. My business would probably go bankrupt. I see no examples of us doing anything differently in this time.

The culture that we have which is "the boys - they tried hard.... this does not cut it. Good enough shouldn't be acceptable. We have a losing mentality and it's starts with the fans as much as it does with the players, captain and coach. The coach responding that "we didn't deserve that"- um yes we did. Your team was ill prepared and clearly out on their feet before the match started.

Selecting a clearly injured winger (regardless of how good he is) who couldn't run the length of the field for what should have been a try was appalling strategy. Everyone knows Gallen is a prop. Play him there. Barba having him on the bench for x-factor. Pretty sure we needed that x-factor at 12-0. The match was over by the time he got on. No creativity with the use of the bench players at all.

All of the other teams get better heading into September. Melbourne step up their wrestle - other teams have new plays. We offered no new plays, no new strategies. Nothing - no imagination at all.

The "they tried hard" and "we'll be back next year" mentality. Successful businesses don't run that way. That's why we're not successful.

To throw misguided enthusiasm behind a losing culture and way of doing things is wrong. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting the same results.

All looks the same since 1988.

 

[carcharias]

2005?

f**k ..we limped into the finals after an massive end of season fade.
Threw bloody vangana into fullback?? or5/8 ...first time there for us.

We were not given a chance
Peach's last game I think
They were flying
1 v 8 was it still?

 

[Frank Discussion]

Trust me when I say that Lyall Gorman knows this and has the brass and ability to change it. It's a monumental task and will take time.

Will the supporters go along with the tough choices that need to be made? I doubt it. As you said earlier they are just thrilled to be figuring at this end of the year and not really have an expectation to win it.

 

[Windy70]

Those numbers are not surprising. They are also why no one in the NRL landscape believes we can win it. Regardless of our season it is expected that we choke in the big games.

I'm sick and tired of it too and hope the club is finding a way out of it. Hoping for a Roosters win if not the Cowboys. Would like Maloney to have that extra intense pressure and experience under his belt.

I believe we are heading in the right direction to change our mentality. Lyall is well aware of it.

PS: Pretty (I think) sure insanity would be "expecting a different result" . Just a heads up on the typo.

 

[Card Shark]

Welcome back Boldo. Good points you make.

In regards to Holmes, I'm not so sure he didn't "dog it" to get caught so it wouldn't go back to the video ref & have it denied like it happened against Manly.

Not sure there was a knock on up the other end (commentators mentioned it) but he might have been once bitten, twice shy?

 

[bad boy bubby]

Wheres Mahlidad?
Is this the fella who ran for the board or who was on the board?
Good comeback post

 

[Frenzy.]

Top post.

 

[Surely]

Fmd fans fluffy fb posts are the reason the team gets beaten

Come on get real.

We've been a financially f**ked club for years running on half the budget of perrenial finalists , its tough work assembling a competitive team let alone a top class one with all the resources behind it.

What I will say though is sacking players for off field behavior shows we have been weak administratively

 

[Through the Lens]

Fmd fans fluffy fb posts are the reason the team gets beaten

Tell me you're kidding?

We've been a financially f**ked club for years running on half the budget of perennial finalists , its tough work assembling a competitive team let alone a top class one with all the resources behind it.

Indeed, we've been paying for our own stadium for 40 years, whereas most other teams have had massive council and state government subsidies.

What I will say though is sacking players for off field behaviour shows we have been weak administratively

Tell that to our sponsors, or lack of them. Do you think Lyall Gorman wouldn;t have flicked Carney, Greg Bird, Tim Smith Albert Kelly. Of course he would. He's pitching to The Suits and knowing the culture from that end of town, they would not wear their name and money associated with juvenile pricks, no matter their football prowess.

 

[Surely]

Tell me you're kidding?

You need to read it in context with the op who claims some Facebook fan page is indicative of the clubs culture.

Something about fans accepting mediocrity, I disagree entirely.

Do they honestly think there was a player on the field last night that didn't want to win the game, last thing on there mind is what will the fans think.

 

[Surely]

Tell that to our sponsors, or lack of them. Do you think Lyall Gorman wouldn;t have flicked Carney, Greg Bird, Tim Smith Albert Kelly. Of course he would. He's pitching to The Suits and knowing the culture from that end of town, they would not wear their name and money associated with juvenile pricks, no matter their football prowess.

Do you think bird should have been bstood down for the finals before even having his day in court ?

If you do then why is skd playing for the rooters ?

 

[Craigshark]

Completely agree with the first post. Hopefully Lyall can change it, but he won't be able to do it all himself.

 

[Weaponhead]

The first post is spot on. The club has been run as a second rate amateur community group for years. The emphasis has been on survival. This has driven the culture that we all recognise as losing culture. This has been obvious for years, well before Chris Anderson called it.

The poor performance in the Manly game showed a team that didn't know how to get the job done under the weight of expectation. They tightened up and reverted to the old grind from seasons past. The Souths game showed they could absorb the pressure and the put the game away. The Cows game showed they couldn't handle the occasion.

The culture issue is systemic and will need real expertise to unravel. Gorman seems to get it. Will be interesting what decisions will be made in service of these changes. Wouldn't surprise if there were some tough ones made.

 

[carcharias]

It's bullshit

If the same people were in charge the whole time this theory would be valid.
Now ?
No way
It just coincidence and situation.

Tooth fairy shit.

 

[Weaponhead]

It's bullshit

If the same people were in charge the whole time this theory would be valid.
Now ?
No way
It just coincidence and situation.

Tooth fairy shit.

It's the same club with the same pattern. Tooth fairy be real.....

 

[Ads]

A current player actually mentioned how nice all our fans are and that they don't just expect success like a few of his older clubs fans do. Seriously, that right there proves us fans are involved in the apathetic culture at the club.

 

[Surely]

He obviously doesn't read this forum

 

[Card Shark]

How did Des Hasler & the Dogs fans react to being well beaten in week 2 of the semis?

 

[carcharias]

Lack of money is why we've never won.

 

[millersnose]

A current player actually mentioned how nice all our fans are and that they don't just expect success like a few of his older clubs fans do. Seriously, that right there proves us fans are involved in the apathetic culture at the club.

you are expecting honestly expecting people4 to swallow this tosh?