Round 1: SHARKS vs TITANS

[TITAN PETE]

Ordinary game to watch...
I'm ok with the Mead no try (when a player loses the ball they must regain it with both hands...)
What happened with Bryce Gibbs and Nate Myles?? or did no one else see that blood? lol

That was Kelly & I don't mind either as long as they're consistent with the ruling just like a shoulder charge should be & I expect Fifta to. Get 3 weeks as SBW did..

That was a lot of claret coming from Gibbs scone , looked like a scene from the Walking Dead

[DIEHARD]

Titans down injury-hit Sharks

With coach Shane Flanagan failing in his appeal to overturn a 12-month ban from the NRL last week, the Sharks, already without Todd Carney, Jeff Robson, Beau Ryan and Chris Heighington, lost talismanic skipper Paul Gallen with a potentially serious ankle injury.

Gallen, who was celebrating his 233rd appearance for the Sharks - second behind club great Andrew Ettingshausen - was helped off late in the first half after being held up in a tackle by Titans duo Luke Bailey and Matt White.

The Titans were deserving winners, claiming the two points with a William Zillman try nine minutes from time following a smart grubber-kick from former Shark Albert Kelly.

John Cartwright's side dominated the opening exchanges but had nothing to show for their dominance and the hosts took the lead against the run of play when new signing Tinirau Arona darted over from close range.

Michael Gordon added the extras to open up a 6-0 lead, but the outstanding Greg Bird, another former Shark, helped level the scores when he bulldozed his way over the line after 25 minutes before Kelly raced away with 90-metre interception for four points.

Titans five-eighth Aidan Sezer missed the kick, giving the visitors a 10-6 lead at halftime.

The second half saw the Sharks control the early passages of play and they regained the lead when Wade Graham's effort - disallowed by the on-field officials - was overruled by the video referee and Gordon kicked the goal.

A Sezer penalty put the Titans back on level terms before fullback Zillman got the final touch to Kelly's kick to give his side a winning start to the new campaign.

Titans prop Luke Douglas set a new record with his 195th successive NRL match.

http://www.nrl.com/

[DIEHARD]

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Sharks v Titans match hightlights.

[Supergoose]

Agree with the negative comments on here but happy to get the W. Our edges were poor and we need a lot more depth when we're attacking the line. The Sharks basically rested easy while we attached their line as they didn't need to retreat far each time. The first pass should be sent back behind the 10 m line and then some attacking structures from there - make the other team come up further off the line. We nearly lost an un-losable game to a team that managed to play worse than we did. I think our edge back rowers need to take more responsibility for our attacking shape and they need to run the hard lines to open it up for our "speed" men out wide. I though Blair was the better of the two centres impact wise but neither impressed. Our ball movement is so pedestrian. Hopefully Ridge and James come in to fix up the lack of straight running we showed which should help. I couldn't quite work out what we were supposed to be doing at some stages. The bright point was the cameo by Paul Carter, he really sparked things up. I thought Zillman was ordinary and also the key reason that the left side was so easily covered as he offered nothing inside the attacking zone until the second half. I don't know what's happening out there, but some sort of formation and direction inside the red zone would be nice.

[Boonarga]

Ordinary game to watch...
I'm ok with the Mead no try (when a player loses the ball they must regain it with both hands...)

Unless the rules have changed recently that has never been the rule. According to the laws of the game that was a try.

[Boonarga]

Bird, how bad would we be without his effort every week?
Zillman, the guy will back up and run support plays all day but it's only about one in 20 times that he times it correctly. That inside play (Slater type) in the second half was the worst I've ever seen in first grade.

It's two points and we are likely to get another two this week but the game was horrid. The guys tried and they never gave up, but the lack of quality coaching is obvious to all but the blind.

[titanfan1980]

Agree with a lot of the comments on here our shape was quite poor out wide ill re watch tonight and try to see why.. One thing I thought more people would have noticed is how little impact harro has at all now.. He's defense is great but geez his runs are lack luster I'm sure ridge would do a way better job. And also please put Ryan James back in to start and drop Myles to the back row his hits up are so soft it's painful to watch

[hammer]

Agree with a lot of the comments on here our shape was quite poor out wide ill re watch tonight and try to see why.. One thing I thought more people would have noticed is how little impact harro has at all now.. He's defense is great but geez his runs are lack luster I'm sure ridge would do a way better job. And also please put Ryan James back in to start and drop Myles to the back row his hits up are so soft it's painful to watch

I noticed it as well titanfan1980...Harro looked old on that paddock last night! Myles looked tired...the lack of a preseason run affected him and he did well considering, but Harro just looked slower and old.

[Smakked]

Has anyone seen the Press Confernece after the game?
I havent just seeing if anyone knows what carty said about it all ?

AM i going to loose my **** if i watch it ?

[TITAN PETE]

Agree with a lot of the comments on here our shape was quite poor out wide ill re watch tonight and try to see why.. One thing I thought more people would have noticed is how little impact harro has at all now.. He's defense is great but geez his runs are lack luster I'm sure ridge would do a way better job. And also please put Ryan James back in to start and drop Myles to the back row his hits up are so soft it's painful to watch

Agree 100% on Harro he offers nothing except making 30 tackles a game , swap him for Ridge & James comes in for Minnichello, i don't think Myles is a prop he never looks like he'll break the line the way he seems to casually stroll into the defence..

[TITAN PETE]

Fifita faces 2-3 week ban

NRL.com
12:21pm Tue 11th March, 2014



Sharks prop Andrew Fifita faces up to three weeks on the sideline after being charged with a Grade 2 shoulder charge during Monday night's 18-12 loss to Gold Coast.

Fifita has until 12pm on Wednesday to decide whether to contest the charge, or take the early guilty and miss two games.

The reigning Dally M Prop of the Year follows Roosters star Sonny Bill Williams as the second player charged with committing a shoulder charge over the weekend.

Williams accepted the early guilty plea on Monday, and will serve three matches.

Sharks fullback Michael Gordon was also cited for tripping but won't miss any games, but forward Siosaia Vave wasn't as lucky, charged with making dangerous contact on Titans fullback William Zillman in the 53rd minute. He will miss this week's clash with the Bulldogs unless he defeats the charge at the judiciary.

[Toads]

Has anyone seen the Press Confernece after the game?
I havent just seeing if anyone knows what carty said about it all ?

AM i going to loose my **** if i watch it ?

I tend to try 'n avoid our post game pressers. I've grown tired of the same old mundane excuses from Carty. Luckily for him, he got the pay rise last year before Christmas to help cope with pressure of giving them.

[Titanic]

Harrison should not be in the team but then again nor should Minichiello … and Zillman whilst Blair and Tighe are really borderline. Myles is obviously still injured … he was awful.

[DIEHARD]

Has anyone seen the Press Confernece after the game?
I havent just seeing if anyone knows what carty said about it all ?

AM i going to loose my **** if i watch it ?

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[DavidBouveng]

Ive said harro was gone for well over a year. Mal thought so last year and left him out of the origin side, which has been loyal almost to a fault.

Harro does three things - makes tackles, gets in the way and kills a tackle when we attacking the line, and gives away penalties.

Time for new blood - Ridge please, on an edge and Birdman to lock.