Round 14 Discussion

[mitch222]

Sharks way under utilise bird
He should have the ball in his hands a lot more

 

[ZeBigLebowski]

i saw his gut tonight too. think he is just sucking in the big ones

Yeah ahah he definitely didn't look like a fafita Gallen love child at origin

 

[holdzy]

Both sides are a class above anything else in this comp. So much talent on both teams.

And they play finals level football every week, they are so confident in their game plans. Cronulla were just a little off tonight, but Melbourne stepped it up, impressive considering no Cronk.

I hope we send a message with our melbourne game coming up.

 

[ZTop]

Fucking oath that was one of the worst games I've watched

 

[tommy]

Reckon Cronulla might have taken the fg a few minutes too early.

 

[Accept]

And they play finals level football every week, they are so confident in their game plans. Cronulla were just a little off tonight, but Melbourne stepped it up, impressive considering no Cronk.

I hope we send a message with our melbourne game coming up.

I think we might be a year or two off. Jack Bird will add an extra dimension to our side. I think good times are ahead but this year might be wishful thinking.

 

[Organix]

It's games like this that make me hate the NRL though. The referees should have taken control and got the grub out early. The number of times players were slowing the play the ball, niggling, dropping elbows etc. etc. was disgraceful. Players should just play the bloody game and leave that trash at the gate. That had the potential to be a much more technically beautiful game, instead it looked like mud wrestling (the kind with fat hairy 40-something men).

 

[holdzy]

I think we might be a year or two off. Jack Bird will add an extra dimension to our side. I think good times are ahead but this year might be wishful thinking.

The best kind of thinking. Ideally we'd be beating the Cows, but Melbourne will do.

 

[JayPee]

We see it every year with defending premiers. They start fast and then it hits em like a brick wall towards the end of the year. Sharks wont make the final

 

[Horseheadsup]

We see it every year with defending premiers. They start fast and then it hits em like a brick wall towards the end of the year. Sharks wont make the final

Think they had the edge with Ennis last year.

 

[Dash]

Like how ?

He's been awesome so far.

Played himself back in at the end there.

 

[Big Pete]

When you play Melbourne, it's imperative you get off to a good start. Melbourne are the kings of protecting a lead and even though the Sharks were well on top for the majority, all it took was one opportunity for Melbourne to seal their victory. Considering they did it without their superstar halfback, that was a huge win for Melbourne and a warning shot to anyone in the competition that 2017 is their year.

I really like the way Cronulla go about their defence. Every set they always look to put a shot on and get on top of their opponents physically, turning the game into an arm wrestle. It's a style that works for them, especially when they have wonderful ball-players like Graham, Lewis, Bird, Gallen, Fifita etc. in their side. Even Heighno was getting in on the action, which caught just about everyone by surprise. The biggest disappointment for them is their #7. As critical as some people are about their halves, when a player of the calibre of Chad freakin' Townsend is a premiership winning half...you begin asking serious questions. He has his moments Chad but tonight he did a poor job of taking ownership of his fringe and the Sharks didn't get much of an opportunity to exploit that Blair/Addo-Carr fringe which for mine is Melbourne's weakest area defensively.

Melbourne weren't at their best in the second half, but their finish to the game was fantastic. Cronulla challenged them on both sides of the football and they were up to it. Slater had his share of ups and downs during the game, but when it was there for the taking, he summed the situation up perfectly. The absence of Cronk nullified the Storm's entire right hand-side for the majority of the second half, but when the game was there to be won, Slater called for it, charged over the advantage line and linked up with Kaufusi who didn't do his unlikely Origin bid any harms with a double. Like a lot of Storm players, Kaufusi is a quiet achiever, but if you pay close attention to his game he shows plenty of energy in everything he does and he would not look out of place in Origin. I would certainly have him above a few others I've seen touted about.

Good game of footy, it's just a shame the NRL isn't more like the NBA in this instance because I could watch a Best of 7 between these two sides. I'd certainly prefer that over watching the Bulldogs, Tigers, Knights, Warriors or any other side that is simply looking forward to their end of season break than winning a competition.

On a final note, I just wanted to rap Storm's #14 Slade Griffin. He's had horrible luck with injury but tonight he made a real difference with his defence around the ruck. A lot of double ups and he grassed some real hard runners of the football. Compared to Jesse Bromwich who has been the Storm's best player these past two seasons, I thought he made Jesse look disintered...

Or maybe that's just Jesse? He seemed off tonight.

 

[JayPee]

Think they had the edge with Ennis last year.

Yeah. Even this year they have been only just winning. I dont really like their attack without ennis and barba. Can only out tough sides for so long. Will come back to bite them

 

[Horseheadsup]

Yeah. Even this year they have been only just winning. I dont really like their attack without ennis and barba. Can only out tough sides for so long. Will come back to bite them

Still like how Maloney can slot a goal under pressure. De Vere was like that.

 

[Browny]

Flanagan whingeing about Cam and how he talks to refs lol

Maybe if your captain didn't talk to the refs like pieces of shit

 

[tommy]

Flanagan whingeing about Cam and how he talks to refs lol

Maybe if your captain didn't talk to the refs like pieces of shit

What is he whinging about? Sharks are the ones that got all the bullshit calls?

 

[mitch222]

What is he whinging about? Sharks are the ones that got all the bullshit calls?

Flanagan rivals Green with the whinging stakes

 

[jarro65]

The Storm showed QLD how to deal with Fafita.
Every time he carted the ball up a storm player wiuld go low around his legs.
Seemed to stop him pretty quickly.