The off-season work is near complete, the players are fit and raring to go, while the coaching staff is putting the final polish on their game one preparation. The players are eagerly anticipating what lies ahead, while Sharks fans are voting with their feet as encouraging tickets sales indicate a healthy crowd on hand for Saturday nights season opener.
The off-season work is near complete, the players are fit and raring to go, while the coaching staff is putting the final polish on their game one preparation.
The players are eagerly anticipating what lies ahead, while Sharks fans are voting with their feet as encouraging tickets sales indicate a healthy crowd on hand for Saturday nights season opener.
The scene is set for a bumper beginning to 2007 when the Penrith Panthers arrive at Toyota Park to tackle the Sharks in what promises to be an exciting start to the new season.
Both clubs have new coaches on deck, with Ricky Stuart at the Sharks and Matt Elliot in charge of the Panthers, while the two playing rosters have also undergone considerable change, the most significant perhaps concerning Penrith losing former Shark Preston Campbell to the new Gold Coast Titans team.
In something which may add a little extra spice to the match, one of the new faces at the Sharks will be someone listed in the players gone column on the Panthers off-season transfers list. Hard running prop Craig Stapleton was one of the chief destroyers when Penrith beat the Sharks at Toyota towards the end of 2006, but this year the experienced forward keen to contribute to the Sharks success.
Its good not having to wait all year to play them, Stapleton said. There are a few blokes there at Penrith who I keep in contact with, so it should be an interesting night.
In what will be a three-pronged front rower assault on the Panthers, coach Stuart is planning to start young gun Luke Douglas and another former Penrith player in Ben Ross, before bringing Stapleton into the action off the interchange bench in Saturday nights clash.
Ross, who missed the majority of last season after injuring his knee, ironically against Penrith, is also primed for the match, but more from the point of view of helping the Sharks chalk up a moral-boosting win than in trying to prove anything to his old team mates.
I havent had much contact with the Penrith boys, Ross said. Were just trying to get our team together and I hang out with the boys here. Its just another team that Ive got to play now.
The Sharks forwards will need to be at their best to get the better of a Panthers pack which includes internationals Joel Clinton, Tony Puletua and Trent Waterhouse, while at half back, the battle between captains Brett Kimmorley and Craig Gower should be a highlight of the contest.
Sharks coach Ricky Stuart was still trying to sort out his final line-up for the Penrith match, having originally named 19 players in his squad. The team has a training session tonight (Thursday) and another on Friday morning, where final decisions will be made.
After outstanding pre-seasons, both Isaac De Gois at hooker and rangy back Dustin Cooper would be unlucky to miss out on berths in the team for round one, however such is Stuarts situation with only Paul Gallen and Mitch Brown unavailable through injury, he is finding it impossible to find places for every member of his squad in the NRL 17.
Although favourites in pre-match betting, interestingly the Sharks will need to reverse a recent trend if they are to kick their season off with the two competition points, with the Panthers having won three of the past four encounters played at Toyota Park. On the other side of the ledger, the Sharks have come out on top at Penrith Park at their last two matches in 2005 and 2006.
The NRL fixture is set down for a 7.30pm kick-off, with the Premier League match between the Sharks and Balmain Tigers is scheduled to get underway at 5.30pm and the Sharks v Panthers Jersey Flegg game will begin at 4.00pm. Gates to Toyota Park open at 3.45pm.
