3 years!

It's been 3 years since I last posted on. Here. I might resurrect it.

COME TO THE BIG BOY TONIGHT.

I will be hosting the away game coverage for the Sharks v Parra in the lounge bar at the club.

Expect non expert commentary, bad jokes, trivia, prizes, music, the blatant theft of Roy and HGs material and hopefully some special guests. Schooners are $3 while the game is on, so you cant afford NOT to go.

Kade Snowden, Luke Douglas, Chris Sandow, Jamal Idris: Why they moved clubs- unfair advantages.

I can tell you right now why Kade Snowden signed with Newcastle. He was offered 320k by Newcastle a year (plus a few bonuses). Cronulla offered him closer to 400k. Dont try and tell me that he didnt want to stay in Cronulla, as before the walking heart attack got on the phone to him he almost announced to the world he was going to stay loyal. Sure, there are benefits to playing under Bennett and getting involved with the Knights, but the real reason he signed with Newcastle?

His manager was offered a $50k "finders fee" if he could get the deal over the line.

The same thing happened with Luke Douglas at the Titans, and Idris, and Sandow. Tell a manager that there is a financial benefit to them personally in getting their player to take a lower deal, and they will make it happen come hell or high water. They simply get in the players ear (who they have provided advice, support and guidance to for many years) and say things like-

"Kade, Ive heard the Sharks are in trouble mate. They are a good club, but Ive heard they may not be around in the next couple of years. Look after yourself and look elsewhere."
"Jamal, Ive heard that the Dogs think youre a bit over-rated mate. They arent going to look after you like the Titans will."

The players believe the lie and all they are doing is increasing the player managers bank balance at their own expense. Sow one seed of doubt and reap the harvest come springtime.



We all know that there isnt a level playing field in the NRL and no-one but the naive was shocked about the Melbourne Storm scandal. This is just another example of clubs finding a way to improve squad value by paying extra in clandestine ways. Trouble is, smaller clubs like the Sharks cant and wont compete in this black market and it means that we will lose marquee players time and time again. Whats worse is that the extra money isnt even going to the players, its going to greedy player managers who have their own best interests at heart, not their clients. The NRL cant and wont do anything about it because a) its too hard to prove and b) the managers wield so much control, it would be detrimental to the game to take them on for the sake of $50k here and there. Sigh.

Tactical Brilliance.

I always knew that this year was going to be tough..... And after two good victories, it has been proven to be tougher than I could possibly imagine. What killing me is our ability to be eyeballs deep in a game and to then go on and lose, and lose badly. We were winning by 13 against manly, 12 against souths and 6 against Newcastle only to be heartbroken, robbed and then lapped. Funny thing is, earlier in the year Supercoach Flanno made the astonishing comment that "we need to play for 70 minutes and we will be ok". If that statement, and its subsequent and summary dismissals over the past week isnt enough to concern you, i, I will outline several tactical moves from the Souths game by Supercoach Flanno below that prove to me the guy is kinda crazy.

1. Playing Nathan Gardner. Blind Freddy could see that Don Burke looked lame and sore from the warm up, and it just got worse from kick off. What if he had aggravated his injury badly and been out for the season? Not only did he risk our best attacking players season, he weakened our team by playing a shot duck.
2.YEAH BOYS, TAKE THE 2!! We dont have a kicker on the field, Souths are under the pump and its 12-0. We score a try from that penalty, we win. Thats the equation. What is this guys obsession with the penalty goal? Our defence has proven to leak up to 30 points a game, so why are we trying to sit on small leads in the first half?
3. Ben Bomberoy for Hot Dog Williams. Williams goes off injured so we need a backline re-shuffle. The role of Winger these days requires them to catch more bombs than an afghani miltary cadet. Its raining. We have a competent winger in Colin Best with experience and form in the position at several clubs. But Supercoach shuffles the man with the worst hands in the history of the club to the wing. He spills two bombs, one in attack and one in defence and both hurt us BADLY.
4. Kicking. At no point during the game did Souths have a fullback anywhere behind the line before the 4th tackle. We did not attempt one early tackle count 40/20, a chip and chase or a grubber. Did he not see this MASSIVE chink in Souths armour, or did he see it and choose to ignore it? Either way, its incompetence.

What worries me is that with Morris and Kelly out and the churn from the Rep season, I cant see things getting any better. I know hes a rookie coach and deserves some slack, but farken hell Flanno, use your brains.

5 Magnificent Victories (Like Monday night) by the mighties.

In view of the absolutly magnificent smashing of THE STAIN MERGE disgrace on monday night; Let us review Five of the clubs best victories that filled supporters with that far too rare feeling of superiority, hope and glory. I have only considered REGULAR season games, so no finals etc.

Rd 1 1967. Sharks 11 Easts 5. Sydney Sports Ground.

When the sharks started off they were a bunch of wide eyed local youngsters (amateurs), a few reasonable journeymen and one experienced hard head. The shire was far flung from the city, and our facilities were sub standard, even for those days. No-one gave them a chance against more fancied and established clubs. What a welcome surprise to belt the tri-colours in an away match to open our first grade account.

Rd 22 2002. Sharks 64 Newcastle 14.
Unlike other floggings we have dished out, going into this match things were evenly poised. Newcastle had belted us earlier in the year, they were the reigning premiers and were pretty much full strength. This was an example of everything going our way on the field. The cherry on top was a full field effort where a rampaging Paul Mellor swatted away a Newcastle defender 5 or six times on the way to the try line. Apparently the boys sang the victory song at half time.



Rd 22 1988. Sharks 16 St George 14.

This match ensured that we won our first minor premiership. We were down by 6 or 8 points and a couple of bustling tries scored in front of beer hill late in the game meant we got the bikkies. To this point the crowd of 18,500 was a ground record. The boys did a lap of honour around the big boy with the J.J Giltinan shield, which Gav Miller later recounted as a "mistake".



http://www.4eva.com/videos/1988_round_22.wmv





Rd 24 2005. Sharks 68 Manly 6

The best day at Shark Park Ive ever had. Manly were depleted to begin with and then injuries to Brett Stewart and someone else meant they only had 2 players on the bench. In glorious winter sunshine we ran rampant to record the clubs biggest ever winning margin. Against the old enemy. In heritage round while wearing a "retro" strip. The only time Ive ever seen the bar sell KB too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98rntSx9Ll8








Rd 2 2011 Sharks 16 St George Illawarra 10

The Dragons are world champs, reigning premiers and havent lost a game in months. The sharks have endured arguably their worst 2 years of on field performances and are $6.00 outsiders. In heavy rain the sharks smash, grind, belt and crunch their fancied rivals into the mud restoring pride back into the club.

The wash up against Raiders.

40-12 defeat. Blake Fergurson has a field day. Our ball security is shocking as usual. Our defence worse.

Doesnt matter. I didnt even watch it. I was so negative about our chances I went to the Golden Plains festival in Melbourne. Picture this, a music festival with no queues for food/drink/toilet set in a beautiful natural location, you can bring your own beer and the Hold Steady were playing.



Sadly there is no such peaceful option for Monday night and I will be at the big boy for the derby.I have never dreaded watching a sharks game so much in my life.

Preston Campbell. 250 games

So,

The little champion, Preston Campbell, brings up 250 NRL games this weekend. Imagine if he played 250 games for the sharks? Thanks alot Chris!

The photographic proof of the big boy dominating US and A

Repping the NW Hill at the Utah Jazz v Charlotte Bobcats. Those tshirt bazookas are pretty impressive.



You need to click on the above one.

The wonderful positivity of a yes vote!

So I along with many, many others attended the EGM on monday night. And Ive gotta say, what a night! Despite many being concerned that the vote wouldnt get the required 50% + 1 to get through, when I saw E.T, Gav Miller, Jonno Docking, Luke Douglas, Dave Faulkner and a sea of others wearing sharks polos in the foyer, I knew we were a shoe in. Paul Aiton and the 20s boys were enthusiastically handing out chairs. And when the one dissenter (Jack Stewart, life member and maker of long winded speeches) was met with audible groans there was no way this was ever going to fail. When the hands flew up in approval, it felt like a win. Some positive news for battling supporters. The wonderful positivity of a yes vote washed over everyone in the room.

The fact is, this arrangement with the consortium is the best deal for the club that is humanly and spiritually possible. Some feel we should be able to realise more money out of the asset, and a more risky strategy could realise bigger dollar values. But more risk, is just that, risk. We cant afford that right now. What we need is a well researched, solid, commercially viable plan that give us short and long term funds and ensures not only that we exist in longevity, but that we prosper. This plan categorically provides that. If you dont agree with it, I challenge you to seriously come up with a better and safer plan, budget it, and present it to me. You cant, can you? Didnt think so.

The board and the consortium partners should be applauded for their thorough efforts and they deserve the buzz they would have received when this was so summarily accepted. It is again a good time to be a Sharks fan.

The fact that the application has been accepted to be heard as a part 3a by state government ALREADY, and the fact that Woolies, Coles, Aldi and Dan Murphys are ready to sign on, is proof eternal that these guys that we jumped into bed with are the real deal. I hope they make alot of money out of this development. And of course, I hope we do too.


It felt like a post game celebration in the Sludge bar afterwards, but it was bigger than that. It was the first day of a new era. Be happy.

Other Hipster Stuff: The Rapture.

Hey, I did a review for my mates at scenedeath.com.au

http://www.scenedeath.com.au/reviews/the-rapture-at-the-metro.html

New player signing rumours.

THE CRONULLA SUTHERLAND GODZILLAS

Godzilla is my hero. He lurks about in the depths, encased in ice for centuries and is then awoken by some kind of nuclear event. Angry, he marches ashore and destroys cities by stomping all over them, eating trains, breathing fire and swatting away 747s like pesky mosquitoes. As long as he stays away from power stations he is invincible.

The sharks should rebrand as the Godzillas, the sleeping, angry giants hell bent on destruction. We have seen what being called the Sharks has got us. Nothing. What is there to lose?

I have already done the logo.

Dragons Mania, shire pride, the never ending downward spiral and depression.

The week just gone has been a bad week for Sharks supporters. Hopefully it will be the end of a bad couple of years, but to see our mortal enemies, the merged Dragons suceed while we flounder badly hurts. When the sharks would go bad, it would be some kind of comfort to sit back and watch the dragons implode and choke in the finals. No such luck this year. And it has left me, and many other long time supporters to wonder; when will it end?

What hurts even more is to see our homeland, the Cronulla district FILLED to the brim with support for the Dragons. Certain shops (namely Eloura take away, the shearers cook bakery, and Pauls famous hamburgers) which service the district should hang their head in shame at their outward support of the dragons and have lost this discerning customers ongoing business. Homes were decorated. And the worst was the cars. Scores of cars with dragons flags and streamers proudly waving in the wind. You would think that the sharks didnt exist, and to many of the local residents, they dont.

Places Blake Ferguson is banned from;

Either by the club or by the establishment

- Northies
- Fusion
- McDonalds Cronulla
- My House