Yaaaaawn

[Since 73]

After popping our cherry early October 2016 most of us 50 year old virgins are now content to take a stool at the end of the bar and watch the band. No amount of skirt will ever outdo our first.

I don't know how many hours I've got left on this planet but I just wasted 2 tonight.
That game.
Never in doubt from the kickoff.
One team came to win tonight and I knew who it was after 10 minutes.

After the Roosters debacle the coach told his team, "Hiroti can't jump - he's white."
Problem was that coach was Webster. Not Mr Futz.
From that point, the mercy rule should have been implemented, crowd asked to leave and curtain brought down.

What about Nicos continual submit play where he does his half-hearted run through a gap and as it closes on him he folds down in protective mode so he doesn't get hurt. You do that back at the storm and Bellamy takes a scimitar to your nuts. Push through the hole you dweeb.

The halves are still learning apparently. Well aside from some special ed lessons I think I'd introduce a bit of Braille for the blind as well. They are going backwards. Next report card will be a stinker.

Coach better get some smarts real quick as he has hitched his wagon to the wrong horse in the 7. Either Futz is one stubborn mother or he has no idea.
We aint winning anything with this combo.
We may make the semi's.
Again.
But we are fast becoming better backdoor specialists than Molly Meldrum.

The 6 and 7 are all about complementing each other.
That takes many forms.
The organiser and the runner.
Or even the 2016 model - captain coach and passenger.
But these 2...I don't who's the worst at the moment but I know who's better at running the team.
Trindall.
But beside Hynes he is becoming more lost than the Robinsons in space.

How do you play beside that??
I can't stand watching it.
Ima repeat what I said weeks ago, he doesn't see out his contract.
Because this is reaching the stage where in order for somebody to save their own skin that somebody is gonna have to make a tough call.

Mr Futz can keep dining out on top 4 finishes and beating the Storm in round whatever 3 weeks ago but...if he thinks - for one minute -he can threaten for a comp with this...then he aint cut out for the Friday night lights.

Me, I don't really care. Ive just ordered another beer.
The bands pretty good and I havent showered since 2016 so I still got that winning smile on my dial.

 

[Dragon Slayer]

I said it before the game.

I want to see our spine turn it in on in a big game. I don’t care how many Dally M points you get against shit sides. Means next to nothing.

The Warriors are a really in form team. They’ll be in the top 4 for sure. Our spines response was to be like upside down cockroaches after being hit by some Bug Killer.

 

[Generalzod]

The signs where there when we played the Bulldogs out muscled, and continue to be, Hynes well send him to super league, The coach needs to go has passed his used by date.

 

[shadowboxer]

Can’t disagree with any of that.
The Warriors were good and a well deserved in for mind. I thought about telling one of their supporters who was drunk and getting manhandled by the cops outside the east gate pre full time, but thought better of it. To your point 73, looked 40 to 50 and obviously desperate for a premiership.
But the sharks, wrong options and a forward pack bullied like a year 7 on the first day of school.
On that performance they should miss the 8 (which is deserving) and be in an idiot arm wrestle with the dragons this Thursday.
Storm game was a blip.. for them

 

[DJDL]

Hard to argue @Since 73

From the game wrap up on SMH:

Some of the scenes late in their game at Shark Park were bad. A bit like Parramatta a few years ago under then coach Brad Arthur, Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon has stuck solid with the core group of players who suddenly look a little stale.

I said something along these lines last year.
This squad is in bad need of a freshen up or we're in danger of becoming the Eels.
Adding AFB as the sole change just doesn't cut it.

I don't know what the answer is, nor where to begin, but he needs to start thinking about what a top tier NRL side looks like in 2025.
Because it ain't this.

I get it that Dykes and Ison suffering long term injuries doesn't help, but other than them who is next in line?
Who has SFB been developing for the past 3 1/2 years?
Who is ready to step up?

Someone posted in the game day thread about how the style of player needed has changed with the 6 again and new rules coming in. Forwards need to be more nimble and explosive.

The new guys coming through the Rooters all fit the bill.
The Eels seem to have some coming through.
As much as I hate to admit it, so do the Dargons.

Pretty much every club has these big, mobile, Poly dudes coming through.
Us?
Tuku languishing in NSW Cup and seemingly regressing.

Where the hell are our 19yo tearaways coming through?
Why has this not been identified?
Why have we not moved on aging and past their best plodders and brought in younger replacements?

Fitzy, we have moved well beyond the jury stage.
You're now headed for the gallows as far as I'm concerned.

 

[Griffoshark66]

Funny thing is, those kinds of players have been killing us for years. Perhaps someone in recruitment might have recognised that and gone fishin? Even blokes like John Asiata and the like used to tear us up. f**king hopeless. Let's keep developing drone like good blokes to finish nowhere near the top sides. It's becoming very boring.

 

[Cheese sandwich]

Hard to argue @Since 73



I said something along these lines last year.
This squad is in bad need of a freshen up or we're in danger of becoming the Eels.
Adding AFB as the sole change just doesn't cut it.

I don't know what the answer is, nor where to begin, but he needs to start thinking about what a top tier NRL side looks like in 2025.
Because it ain't this.

I get it that Dykes and Ison suffering long term injuries doesn't help, but other than them who is next in line?
Who has SFB been developing for the past 3 1/2 years?
Who is ready to step up?

Someone posted in the game day thread about how the style of player needed has changed with the 6 again and new rules coming in. Forwards need to be more nimble and explosive.

The new guys coming through the Rooters all fit the bill.
The Eels seem to have some coming through.
As much as I hate to admit it, so do the Dargons.

Pretty much every club has these big, mobile, Poly dudes coming through.
Us?
Tuku languishing in NSW Cup and seemingly regressing.

Where the hell are our 19yo tearaways coming through?
Why has this not been identified?
Why have we not moved on aging and past their best plodders and brought in younger replacements?

Fitzy, we have moved well beyond the jury stage.
You're now headed for the gallows as far as I'm concerned.

I reckon I've been saying it since as far back as 2022.

Even the knights are bringing in young blokes like Fletcher Sharpe, Dylan Lucas and the other dude on the wing with a mullet. Canberra are another who have evolved.

Not us though, we've stuck solid with a core of steady old Toyota Camrys like Brailey, McInnes and Wilton and will continue to do so.

 

[glenmoresharkie]

The arrogance and petulant attitude that was on display against Melbourne has now made every player in the squad look like a dickhead. Ronaldo yapping in peoples faces, carrying on like the f**kwit he come across as, was a bad look. Particularly because we haven’t backed it up since then, and now that toxic attitude has seeped out and infected the entire squad.

They think they’re better than they actually are, and since the win against Melbourne, have been absolutely putrid. I have seen better displays from some much worse Sharks teams. They have cowered and withered into a team that look like they don’t even know each other, and fit the “flat track bully” tag to a tee. You can’t talk the talk if you can’t walk the walk. Media will hammer us and rightly so.

They are weak, slow, lethargic and mentally shallow. This all comes from the coach who refuses to change tactics, re-signed the entire squad who have shown that they are simply not good enough. How do they get rewarded? A contract extension and no doubt a pay rise. Mediocrity is accepted by a guy who should know better considering his mentor is a multi premiership coach. I have slated Robinson in the past but he has made Fitz look like an amateur

Fitz and the club have decided that what we have is good enough to win something but clearly it’s not. The 1 and 7 are shit. The 6 and 9 not much better. They can barely win a finals game, let alone a premiership

Look at all the teams doing well this season. Canterbury, Canberra, Wahs. Most of them are young, youthful forward packs with a good number 7 to lead them around. We have Hynes who is just a pathetic excuse for a halfback. He’s not the only one who should be singled out but he deserves every ounce of criticism he gets. Mentally weak pony. Get him outta here whatever it takes.

Every single player, 1-17 should be put on notice. Your spot is in danger. That’s how a good coach would handle it. But no. Fitz will go into training on Monday morning, review the game and then fill out his team sheet with a copy/paste. It will be “as you were”.

Will be very interesting to see how they respond next week but as far as I am concerned, this coach has taken us as far as he can.

Pathetic. Embarrassing.

 

[Since 73]

Hard to argue @Since 73



I said something along these lines last year.
This squad is in bad need of a freshen up.

Stale.
Interesting use of the word from outside the supporter base.
So it's not an emotional reaction from us for our team continually not turning up - or if they do it's just to go through the motions.

Good example Parra.
A coach who wouldn't change a losing side.
What this does is send the message to underperformers that they don't have work on getting crap out of their game.
Don't have to get better.
RCG. Classic example. Australian player who is now at the titans and has completely lost his game.
Matterson came over from the rorters as a back rower which such good ball skills he filled in at 6.
He's in reserve grade.

Sound similar?
Besides Iro name one player who is on the up in regard to game development.
And as he is less than a year into first grade you can't get a read. See where he is this time next year in this environment.
Same with Billy burns.

Last night 2 of their best - metcalf and healey - played all over their opposites.
Both not wanted by us.

The warriors forwards.
Young tough hungry.
Played all over the 'bigger name' rivals.

Webster has a Dally M player in his team.
We have one as well.
Webster's is one of the very elite fullbacks in the comp.
He plays him on the wing.
On the wing!!!
Why....well, he's at the top of the table, so maybe he knows what he's doing.

 

[Hooper]

I was hoping against hope that the loss to the Roosters was due to a come down from the Storm win / a team needing a break after three months of extensive travel. I was hoping against hope that the week off would freshen them up, come out at home last night and really get into the contest. But no, it didn’t happen for reasons previously stated. As others have stated and I agree, the problems are systemic now.

I anticipate in response to having 80plus points scored against us will be Ronnie (back from suspension) in for Hiroti and Sifa onto the centres for an injured Iro, meaning that another bench forward will be needed. Yes, a win over the Merge is likely, but will only paper over the serious systemic cracks that are there. I suspect that after games against the Broncos and Storm, where we will be exposed again, we will drop out of the 8 and think it unlikely that we will get back in.

 

[DJDL]

Besides Iro name one player who is on the up in regard to game development.
And as he is less than a year into first grade you can't get a read. See where he is this time next year in this environment.
Same with Billy burns.

I've been thinking over this for a while now and I can't.
Everyone seems to have stagnated at best, or regressed.
But SFB thinks he can get improvement out of them.

It was obvious 18 months ago he needed to tweak the squad.
His steadfast refusal to change anything week to week, regardless of performance, is killing the club and, arguably, his career in the process.

 

[Griffoshark66]

The arrogance and petulant attitude that was on display against Melbourne has now made every player in the squad look like a dickhead. Ronaldo yapping in peoples faces, carrying on like the f**kwit he come across as, was a bad look. Particularly because we haven’t backed it up since then, and now that toxic attitude has seeped out and infected the entire squad.

They think they’re better than they actually are, and since the win against Melbourne, have been absolutely putrid. I have seen better displays from some much worse Sharks teams. They have cowered and withered into a team that look like they don’t even know each other, and fit the “flat track bully” tag to a tee. You can’t talk the talk if you can’t walk the walk. Media will hammer us and rightly so.

They are weak, slow, lethargic and mentally shallow. This all comes from the coach who refuses to change tactics, re-signed the entire squad who have shown that they are simply not good enough. How do they get rewarded? A contract extension and no doubt a pay rise. Mediocrity is accepted by a guy who should know better considering his mentor is a multi premiership coach. I have slated Robinson in the past but he has made Fitz look like an amateur

Fitz and the club have decided that what we have is good enough to win something but clearly it’s not. The 1 and 7 are shit. The 6 and 9 not much better. They can barely win a finals game, let alone a premiership

Look at all the teams doing well this season. Canterbury, Canberra, Wahs. Most of them are young, youthful forward packs with a good number 7 to lead them around. We have Hynes who is just a pathetic excuse for a halfback. He’s not the only one who should be singled out but he deserves every ounce of criticism he gets. Mentally weak pony. Get him outta here whatever it takes.

Every single player, 1-17 should be put on notice. Your spot is in danger. That’s how a good coach would handle it. But no. Fitz will go into training on Monday morning, review the game and then fill out his team sheet with a copy/paste. It will be “as you were”.

Will be very interesting to see how they respond next week but as far as I am concerned, this coach has taken us as far as he can.

Pathetic. Embarrassing.

I don't think anyone would disagree with any of this. Except the coach and his band of yes men.

 

[Craigshark]

Very hard for Nicho to perform off the back of our “experienced hardened” forward pack being bullied week in week out by 19 and 20 year olds and concreters

 

[Since 73]

Hynes is not a halfback.
Not in the NRL.
Not at SOO.
Not in finals football.
He never will be.
He can do a job in first grade at this level.
He came off the bench or filled in for Paps and ran off the back of a premiership winning spine in open space at the storm.
But the 6, 7 and 9 soaked up all the pressure.
Pressure is Hynes kryptonite.
He isnt strong physically at this level, even less mentally.

He might get a gig at the Titans with 7 on his back.
Ash Taylor.
Shannon Boyd.
Nicho Hynes.
Gets a start each week.
But finishes in the bottom 2.
Top 4 teams?..nah.

Bellamy knew where to play him.
Shame he didn't scribble that on a post-it note and stick it to Nichos forehead when Futz brought him north.

 

[Frenzy.]

Very hard for Nicho to perform off the back of our “experienced hardened” forward pack being bullied week in week out by 19 and 20 year olds and concreters

To a point but that old chestnut is also a cop out

Luai, Cleary and Moses, all coming out of bottom 5 teams are all still performing better by comparison. Why? Because they know what it is to be a halfback.

Prozac is a run of the mill utility with NFI.

 

[Craigshark]

I agree with Moses and Cleary. Both great players and arguably the two best halves in the comp. Luai I don’t feel is doing as well. Probably because of his forwards

 

[glenmoresharkie]

The other thing as well, is we don’t have a game breaker. A difference maker. A Latrell, a Papenhuyzen, a Cleary, a Moses, an X factor. We have Atkinson.

 

[txta2]

They are in a hole ATM.
Don't worry they will win a few and scrape into the Top 8. Fitz will be re signed for another 3 years and they will get bundled out in first semi.
Back slaps all round from Dino and the other flops involved in the club