Round 6 Discussion

[Cult]

That sideways run from Fifita would really intimidate the Kiwi forward pack. Love his x-factor.. For ***** sake. Does anyone really look for x-factor from their prop forwards?

 

[Big Pete]

:laugh::laugh: Fifita!!

 

[Super Freak]

Well that's a penalty.

 

[Cult]

Haha need I say more? I hope you were paying attention then Roosterman.

 

[Super Freak]

What a shot.

 

[Big Pete]

Taylor has blown a try there.

Was a huge gap back on the inside.

Now Cronulla has a 7 tackle set.

 

[Super Freak]

You can blame Taylor for that one..

 

[Big Pete]

Great tackle by Zillman, better put-down by Holmes.

Great footy.

 

[Big Pete]

Wow.

Grand stand finish here.

 

[Broncoman]

The Sharks scrambled better towards the end so they were deserving winners in the end.

 

[Super Freak]

I think they need to start sending players that purposely give away penalties.

 

[Big Pete]

That was an enjoyable game of footy.

Credit where it's due, there's a lot to like about the Titans. Even skipping away from Ash Taylor who continued to show signs of greatness the contributions from the likes of Nathan Friend, Agnatius Paasi, Leivaha Pulu, Nene MacDonald and Anthony Don impressed me.

Greg Bird continued his rich vein of form as well. I know he isn't popular around here and he's usually good for one or two coach-killers every now and then but some of his efforts were inspirational. Even if you take out the Barba hit, he was usually coming up with the best run of each set for his side, gave them direction around the ruck and would take on some of the Sharks bigger names.

I sort of feel like we've stumbled onto their theme for this season. They'll be competitive in every game, find ways to hang in there but ultimately it will be a handful of instances that cost them. While they received little luck from the referees I thought there were just a few plays at key moments that let them down. I also thought some of their senior players like David Shillington, Josh Hoffman and William Zillman let them down and didn't take as much ownership as they should have.

Hopefully they take it all in as a learning experience. Considering most of us had them as wooden spoon contenders, they've made a nice start to 2016 and hopefully they can build for the sake of the competition.

As for Cronulla, I thought they were resilient and rose to the occassion when the game was on a knife's edge. I actually thought they looked a better team with Bird/Townsend in the halves with Beale in the centres. Beale is a really underrated player in my books and his combination with Valentine Holmes who had his best game this season is too valuable to lose. I rate Jack Bird as a talent and wouldn't write him off for an Origin berth in the not-too distant future but I don't think right centre is his best position in the team.

Outside of that go-to combination, I thought the difference between the two teams was the leadership of Ennis and Graham. Mick just has enough gamesmanship and ingenuity to his play to make up for the odd error he has in his game while Wade is a constant presence down his left-hand fringe. With players like Fifita, Gal, Bird and Prior providing a handful the Sharks just had enough thrust to stay in the game.

 

[Broncoman]

Great play on the last by Moses and off course Tedesco is there in support.

 

[Big Pete]

Gee that's poor from Brooks.

I know he had the attention of Uate but for a player of his standing in the game he should have made a better effort.

Wait, I just had a look at the line-ups.

What is Nathan Milone doing out there instead of Addo-Carr?

 

[Big Pete]

The defence of Feeney and Uate...

Good stuff from Brooks to pick it, but if he doesn't score at least two more tries down his side he hasn't done his job.

 

[Broncoman]

Brooks is a perfect rock and a diamond

 

[Broncoman]

That was some nice stuff from Hodkinson

 

[Super Freak]

Someone tell Braith it's Hodkinson. Not Hodgkinson.