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Sharks vow to fire after season from hell
ADRIAN PROSZENKO
February 7, 2010
New crew ... some of Cronulla's 2010 recruits (from left), Siosala Vave, Taulima Tautai, Nathan Gardiner, Adam Cuthbertson, Josh Cordoba, John Morris, Albert Kelly, Broderick Wright, Stuart Flanagan and Paul Aiton, at training last week. Photo: Jacky Ghossein
Cronulla players old and new are ditching the past for a brighter future, writes Adrian Proszenko.
Gavin Miller is prepared to put his money where his mouth is. About two decades after suffering his last broken nose, the Shire legend is still as much a constant as the suites in the stands at Toyota Park that bear his name.
The dual Dally M winner has attended every one of his former club's training sessions this year and reckons he can spot something the bookies can't. ''Fancy opening them as equal favourites for the wooden spoon,'' Miller mused.
Optimistic ... Ricky Stuart is predicting big things this season. Photo: Jacky Ghossein
''If they stay injury free, they're a strong contender to make the eight. I'm prepared to back my judgement with my money as well. ''When you've been in dressing sheds for the last 30 years, you know how a joint's travelling. I suggest they attend a training session to see how everyone is putting in at training.''
When we take Miller's advice, we find that money is a recurring theme. The Sharks are in the process of rebuilding the club from the ground up. They have a new team. New staff. A fresh attitude. What they lack is fresh funds. There's still a blank canvas where the jersey sponsor's logo should be. Miller's decision to plonk his cash on the table could prove to be a prudent one.
The club, however, can't afford to gamble after a season from hell.
''We are on an extremely thin budget here,'' coach Ricky Stuart said. ''We basically had to build our top 25 and our Premier League team using our top-tier salary cap budget.
''We all accept that the only way we can ensure the club will be around in the future is if we cop a bit of the heat at the moment. ''As a football team, we're all very keen to show we can be very competitive under these financial restraints."
One risky investment the Sharks avoided was Willie Mason. There were some inside the organisation who wanted to make a play for the unwanted Roosters forward. They probably would have got their way any other year. But not after the last one. Instead, they have assembled a new-look squad full of old heads and young ones.
Take unlikely flatmates Blake Ferguson and Adam Cuthbertson, for instance. Ferguson is the superstar in the making, the 19-year-old housing commission product catapulted into the Indigenous All Stars team after a breakthrough rookie season. Manly discard Cuthbertson is the ball-playing forward looking for an opportunity. Both have something to prove.
''I've been held back too much when I was at Manly,'' Cuthbertson said. ''I'd like to get out there and rip and tear. It's not so much to prove Manly wrong - I want to prove Cronulla right. I want to prove to the NRL what I can do.''
For Ferguson, 2009 is a chance to incorporate team and personal success. When asked about the Sharks' prospects, he stated matter of factly: ''We'll make the top eight. It's where we go from there - trying to win every game after we make the top eight.''
The vibe Miller talks about is evident when The Sun-Herald visits during the week. It's there when we sit in on a cooking class conducted by dietician Joanne Turner. It's there when they file into a video session (they're already breaking down round-one opponents Melbourne). And it's there when Stuart takes them for a ballwork session. Even Stuart, all furrowed brow during the seemingly endless catastrophes of 2009, is beaming.
''If you're not happy coming to training, you're not learning,'' Stuart said. ''If you're not learning, you're not getting better. If you're not getting better, you're not progressing as a footy team. I can vouch for the fact that we've got a very close bunch of players, which is very evident from their work over the off season.''
The first week of pre-season was held at Kiama. The idea of the camp was to ensure that strangers - recruits John Morris, Albert Kelly, Dean Collis, Josh Cordoba, Paul Aiton, Stuart Flanagan, Taulima Tautai and Cuthbertson - would leave it as mates.
''I couldn't have asked for a better bunch of blokes to be a part of,'' Collis said. Morris added: ''We don't have the superstars, the Slaters and Thurstons, that can cut you to pieces. ''But we've got a whole core of people that are working for each other. That's one of our strengths. We'll be one of those gritty sides. When sides come here to play us they'll know we'll get under their skin by doing all of the little things right."
It wasn't all bonding, however. ''The first week was pretty hard,'' Flanagan said. ''Everyone was queuing up at Rebel Sport, looking for some new hamstrings.''
There's not much talk of the past. Centre Ben Pomeroy is as reflective as 2009 survivors got when he said: ''Last year was probably the worst year - the team didn't go so well. ''I'm definitely looking forward to not having another year like that. We just want to get off to a good start and forget about last year. It can only get better.''
There were two main messages drilled into the players at Kiama.
''Always look out for each other,'' was a message as applicable off field as on it. The other was ''make the next session better than the previous one''.
The session The Sun-Herald watched was pretty impressive. Few teams do so much contact so early in the piece.
Then again, most NRL clubs are looking the goods in February. We will have to wait a bit longer to see if Miller is on the money.
ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES
IN: Adam Cuthbertson (Manly), John Morris (Wests Tigers), Dean Collis (Wests Tigers), Paul Aiton (Panthers), Stuart Flanagan (Raiders), Albert Kelly (Eels), Taulima Tautai (Eels), Broderick Wright (Eels), Rodney Moefaauo (Eels), Nathan Gardner (Eels), Siosaia Vave (Titans)
OUT: Corey Hughes (retired), Atelea Vea (Storm), Blake Green (Bulldogs), Ben Ross (Rabbitohs), David Simmons (Panthers), Mitch Brown (Wests Tigers), Brett Kearney (Bradford), Brett Seymour (Warriors), Terence Seu Seu (Manly), Ian Donnelly (released), Misi Taulapapa (released), Bryan Norrie (released)
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...ire-after-season-from-hell-20100206-njrg.html
ADRIAN PROSZENKO
February 7, 2010
Cronulla players old and new are ditching the past for a brighter future, writes Adrian Proszenko.
Gavin Miller is prepared to put his money where his mouth is. About two decades after suffering his last broken nose, the Shire legend is still as much a constant as the suites in the stands at Toyota Park that bear his name.
The dual Dally M winner has attended every one of his former club's training sessions this year and reckons he can spot something the bookies can't. ''Fancy opening them as equal favourites for the wooden spoon,'' Miller mused.
Optimistic ... Ricky Stuart is predicting big things this season. Photo: Jacky Ghossein
''If they stay injury free, they're a strong contender to make the eight. I'm prepared to back my judgement with my money as well. ''When you've been in dressing sheds for the last 30 years, you know how a joint's travelling. I suggest they attend a training session to see how everyone is putting in at training.''
When we take Miller's advice, we find that money is a recurring theme. The Sharks are in the process of rebuilding the club from the ground up. They have a new team. New staff. A fresh attitude. What they lack is fresh funds. There's still a blank canvas where the jersey sponsor's logo should be. Miller's decision to plonk his cash on the table could prove to be a prudent one.
The club, however, can't afford to gamble after a season from hell.
''We are on an extremely thin budget here,'' coach Ricky Stuart said. ''We basically had to build our top 25 and our Premier League team using our top-tier salary cap budget.
''We all accept that the only way we can ensure the club will be around in the future is if we cop a bit of the heat at the moment. ''As a football team, we're all very keen to show we can be very competitive under these financial restraints."
One risky investment the Sharks avoided was Willie Mason. There were some inside the organisation who wanted to make a play for the unwanted Roosters forward. They probably would have got their way any other year. But not after the last one. Instead, they have assembled a new-look squad full of old heads and young ones.
Take unlikely flatmates Blake Ferguson and Adam Cuthbertson, for instance. Ferguson is the superstar in the making, the 19-year-old housing commission product catapulted into the Indigenous All Stars team after a breakthrough rookie season. Manly discard Cuthbertson is the ball-playing forward looking for an opportunity. Both have something to prove.
''I've been held back too much when I was at Manly,'' Cuthbertson said. ''I'd like to get out there and rip and tear. It's not so much to prove Manly wrong - I want to prove Cronulla right. I want to prove to the NRL what I can do.''
For Ferguson, 2009 is a chance to incorporate team and personal success. When asked about the Sharks' prospects, he stated matter of factly: ''We'll make the top eight. It's where we go from there - trying to win every game after we make the top eight.''
The vibe Miller talks about is evident when The Sun-Herald visits during the week. It's there when we sit in on a cooking class conducted by dietician Joanne Turner. It's there when they file into a video session (they're already breaking down round-one opponents Melbourne). And it's there when Stuart takes them for a ballwork session. Even Stuart, all furrowed brow during the seemingly endless catastrophes of 2009, is beaming.
''If you're not happy coming to training, you're not learning,'' Stuart said. ''If you're not learning, you're not getting better. If you're not getting better, you're not progressing as a footy team. I can vouch for the fact that we've got a very close bunch of players, which is very evident from their work over the off season.''
The first week of pre-season was held at Kiama. The idea of the camp was to ensure that strangers - recruits John Morris, Albert Kelly, Dean Collis, Josh Cordoba, Paul Aiton, Stuart Flanagan, Taulima Tautai and Cuthbertson - would leave it as mates.
''I couldn't have asked for a better bunch of blokes to be a part of,'' Collis said. Morris added: ''We don't have the superstars, the Slaters and Thurstons, that can cut you to pieces. ''But we've got a whole core of people that are working for each other. That's one of our strengths. We'll be one of those gritty sides. When sides come here to play us they'll know we'll get under their skin by doing all of the little things right."
It wasn't all bonding, however. ''The first week was pretty hard,'' Flanagan said. ''Everyone was queuing up at Rebel Sport, looking for some new hamstrings.''
There's not much talk of the past. Centre Ben Pomeroy is as reflective as 2009 survivors got when he said: ''Last year was probably the worst year - the team didn't go so well. ''I'm definitely looking forward to not having another year like that. We just want to get off to a good start and forget about last year. It can only get better.''
There were two main messages drilled into the players at Kiama.
''Always look out for each other,'' was a message as applicable off field as on it. The other was ''make the next session better than the previous one''.
The session The Sun-Herald watched was pretty impressive. Few teams do so much contact so early in the piece.
Then again, most NRL clubs are looking the goods in February. We will have to wait a bit longer to see if Miller is on the money.
ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES
IN: Adam Cuthbertson (Manly), John Morris (Wests Tigers), Dean Collis (Wests Tigers), Paul Aiton (Panthers), Stuart Flanagan (Raiders), Albert Kelly (Eels), Taulima Tautai (Eels), Broderick Wright (Eels), Rodney Moefaauo (Eels), Nathan Gardner (Eels), Siosaia Vave (Titans)
OUT: Corey Hughes (retired), Atelea Vea (Storm), Blake Green (Bulldogs), Ben Ross (Rabbitohs), David Simmons (Panthers), Mitch Brown (Wests Tigers), Brett Kearney (Bradford), Brett Seymour (Warriors), Terence Seu Seu (Manly), Ian Donnelly (released), Misi Taulapapa (released), Bryan Norrie (released)
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...ire-after-season-from-hell-20100206-njrg.html
