Round 6: SHARKS vs TITANS

[TitanSam]

He hasn't had a line break this year according to Total Footy Stats........ or a try assist......
For all his courage and running metres Mead doesn't offer much else in attack. He is however the best FB we have. If he could add a kicking game and the ability to chime into the line and become a threat as a passer he would be the FB fulltime regardless of who else was in the team.....
(sits back and awaits the stones that will get thrown my way)

I was just exaggerating, just saying Zillman will have that spot no matter how good Mead/Hoff play.

[Toads]

I got a boulder here, ozy. But it's reserved for Mr Henry if Zillman waltzes out in the #1 on Sunday.

[DavidBouveng]

He hasn't had a line break this year according to Total Footy Stats........ or a try assist......
For all his courage and running metres Mead doesn't offer much else in attack. He is however the best FB we have. If he could add a kicking game and the ability to chime into the line and become a threat as a passer he would be the FB fulltime regardless of who else was in the team.....
(sits back and awaits the stones that will get thrown my way)

i agree with what your saying ozy. have always said he is our best bet, but doesn't really have a passing or kicking game.

a few factors about that are:

1. he would have developed those skills more if he had been playing there for the last few years as he should have been. he would be coming into his prime about now, but we have kept Zillman who also cant do those things, as well as not having meads strengths. this is thanks to Carty and Searle.

2. With LG and Ash, i think we can get away with a strong running, support play type FB who is safe as hell back there and has improvement left in him like Mead.

3. Coote, Munster, and a bunch of others would be a better option as they are more developed already. but until we sign someone Mead is clearly the best choice.

4. If Mead had have been FB for last few years, i believe he would at least be co captain by now also.

none of that is in argument to you at all Ozy, just my take on how we have wound up here. we have mismanaged Meads career and the FB role for going on 5 years.

[DIEHARD]

Cronulla Sharks v Gold Coast Titans
Southern Cross Group Stadium
Sunday, 2pm

For the second season in succession the Titans are handing a half an NRL debut at the home ground of the Sharks but will Cameron Cullen have the same immediate influence that Kane Elgey did 12 months earlier?

Elgey's introduction in Round 4 last season saw the Titans scrape past the Sharks 24-22 thanks largely to a James Roberts intercept try and the team progressed to win four of their next five games.

The visitors have gotten off to a brighter start in 2016 but an experiment with former Shark Greg Bird back at five-eighth against Brisbane last week was not effective so coach Neil Henry will blood Cullen instead.

It's yet another disrupted preparation for a Titans team that has been unable to field the same side two weeks in a row this season who will face a Sharks outfit looking more settled and menacing with each week that passes.

The addition of captain Paul Gallen against the Wests Tigers was a timely boost on the back of a short turnaround and coach Shane Flanagan has been able to name the same 17 for Sunday, Gerard Beale included as 18th man.

Since their 24-22 loss to the Titans last season the Sharks have won six of their past nine games at home and stole a one-point win on the Gold Coast in Round 10 last year courtesy of a Valentine Holmes field goal.

Watch out Sharks: 12 months ago the debut of Kane Elgey conspired to sink the Sharks and another NRL rookie half shapes as the Titans' most dangerous weapon this Sunday. Given a level of responsibility that his experience would not normally warrant against the Broncos last week, Ashley Taylor refused to be daunted and fought through a shoulder injury to help engineer his side's comeback from 16 points down. His kicking game close to the line has shown to be one of the finest in the NRL and his five try assists puts him second only to Johnathan Thurston among the competition's leading playmakers. With debutant Cameron Cullen alongside him, Taylor will be the danger man when the Titans enter the Sharks' red zone.

Watch out Titans: We've been waiting three years to see some semblance of the Ben Barba that enraptured the NRL in 2012 and more than at any other time that spark seems to be returning. He has scored three tries in the first five weeks of 2016 and each of those have coincided with a Sharks victory, including the past two weeks against the Storm and Wests Tigers. His seven tackle busts last week was second only to James Tedesco and he is equal for try-saving tackles with Greg Inglis. A sunny Sunday at Shark Park might just be the perfect stage for Barba to light up the NRL again.

Key match-up: Paul Gallen v Greg Bird. It's impossible not to look at the match-up of these two teams and not be drawn to the head-to-head confrontation that will occur between 'Blues Brothers' Gallen and Bird. Two close mates who spent seven seasons together at Cronulla, Gallen and Bird bring markedly different skill sets to their respective teams but each represent the spiritual heart. In his first game since Round 1 last week Gallen ran for 154 metres, had three tackle busts, an offload and a line break while Bird struggled with coming to grips with a late switch to five-eighth. With a return to lock forward expect Bird to be much more around the middle of the field on Sunday and to make it his personal mission to keep Gallen quiet.

The history: Played 13; Sharks 7, Titans 6. The youngest of the Sharks rivalries, the Titans have been victorious in their past two visits to Cronulla but have a record of just three wins from eight previous meetings in the Shire. The past three years have seen close contests between these two sides with their past four clashes being decided by six points or less.

What are the odds? Sharks $1.30, Titans $3.55. All of the early money has gone on the Titans due to the big price of $5 that was offered by Sportsbet. Gold Coast have been the big firmers as a result but the Sharks have been popular to win by 1-12 in the winning margin market. Latest odds at Sportsbet.com.au

Match officials: Referee: Grant Atkins. Assistant Referee: Alan Shortall. Touch Judges: Jason Walsh and Tim Roby. Review Officials: Bryan Norrie and Steve Chiddy. Senior RO: Bernard Sutton.

Televised: Fox Sports – Live 2pm

How we see it: The Sharks are showing the signs that many predicted would carry them into the top four before the season kicked off. Their mix of hardened forwards and exciting young backs is combining well and Barba is nearing his brilliant best. The clash of the forwards will be intense early on but the class of the Sharks backline may be more effective at taking advantage of any opportunities that arise. Sharks by four points.

http://www.nrl.com/

[Titanic Believer]

This one looks like the real test for the team. Sharks looked very sharp last week so we will have to shore up our backline weaknesses to get in cooee of them. I have confidence in our pack to do the job.

For the record I am prepared to give Zilly the benefit of the doubt, if in the past he was playing unfit, but would much prefer him to get match fitness and timing, under his belt with a few games in Qcup.

[teke]

i agree with what your saying ozy. have always said he is our best bet, but doesn't really have a passing or kicking game.

a few factors about that are:

1. he would have developed those skills more if he had been playing there for the last few years as he should have been. he would be coming into his prime about now, but we have kept Zillman who also cant do those things, as well as not having meads strengths. this is thanks to Carty and Searle.

2. With LG and Ash, i think we can get away with a strong running, support play type FB who is safe as hell back there and has improvement left in him like Mead.

3. Coote, Munster, and a bunch of others would be a better option as they are more developed already. but until we sign someone Mead is clearly the best choice.

4. If Mead had have been FB for last few years, i believe he would at least be co captain by now also.

none of that is in argument to you at all Ozy, just my take on how we have wound up here. we have mismanaged Meads career and the FB role for going on 5 years.

You'd get a thumbs up from Scott Prince aswell if he was on here. He's wanted the Titanium Kumul in that role yrs ago.

[Titanic]

The best we've got going for us is Flanagan who in my opinion is in the bottom few coaches in the NRL.

[5 Year Contract]

Cant wait to see Zillman no where near where tries are scored coupled with his back issues stopping him from stopping players on the line #fivemoreyears!!!

[JunctionBlock]

Putting aside the obvious disappointment of Zillman getting handed his fullback position back I hope Cullen has a good solid debut. Sorry for Meady and all the other young fellas who are going to be continually screwed over by a has been or never was.

[5 Year Contract]

That was awful miss from Macdonald but good effort to chase him down. Knock on all day that ball time to see the bunker work properly. ABSOLUTE ****ING DISGRACE!!!!!!!

[teke]

Looool nene got stepped while chasing from behind

[JunctionBlock]

And here I thought that when a player knocks a ball onto the ground towards the oppositions try line it was a knock on. Bunker is on fire already. One second it was a knock on then it was a try.

[5 Year Contract]

Cronulla shark moving backwards drags the ball forward. That is an absolute woeful miss by the bunker there

[lonegull]

More tv's than Harvey Normans warehouse can't see a knock on, refs already being influenced by home crowd

[JunctionBlock]

It would appear that Maloney is exempt from knock on calls today