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I didn’t want to write this column, but Monday night’s debacle at Remondis sealed Cronulla’s fate. Yet again.
Harold Holt ain’t comin’ home soon – the Sharks are lemmings and their season is done.
The Melbourne Storm ruthlessly showed the difference between title contenders and pretenders in an 80-minute exhibition that exposed Cronulla’s limitations in attack and, at the same time, made mincemeat of their famed home-ground defence.
Deep down, I thought the Sharks would give plenty of front and mongrel this year. I have watched pretty much every game and felt they were finally on the right track. I was wrong.
I am talking about the players themselves. You had a chance to achieve something this year, fellas, but it will end in tears yet again. And that’s really bad.
You have a roster that can compete with the best, but on Monday we saw zero in attack and not much more than that in defence. You scored two points, the other mob got 30. Melbourne weren’t exactly flying when they arrived at Remondis, but they are now. Without wings.
So who is to blame? You are.
Five wins straight suggested that something special was brewing. A finals berth, maybe even fourth or fifth spot was beckoning. But no, the Cronulla of old turned up and got embarrassed by 28 points.
Sure, Melbourne played very well. But Craig Bellamy’s men showed that they have a hunger to win the big games. Cronulla? Nup. You will never be heavyweight contenders with this type of display.
The Sharks’ forwards got bent backwards repeatedly. Best pack in the comp? Not even close.
Paul Gallen, Wade Graham, Michael Ennis, Chris Heighington? No fear here. Melbourne rolled right over the top – repeatedly.
Cronulla’s kicking game was easy pickings for the Storm’s back three, and I am battling to recall a break from the Sharks in set play. Cronulla have some brilliant attacking forces such as Sosaia Feki and Valentine Holmes – did we get a glimpse of them in open space? Not once.
It was a strange move for the coach to put x-factor Ben Barba on with just 15 minutes to play. The game was long gone when he came on, and his injury became just another factor.
The Sharks did not display the grit, steel and hunger needed to forge a path through the tough weeks ahead. Take a good look at the Manly videos guys – they have put themselves in the mix at the time when you have crashed beyond belief.
I was very disappointed in what I saw. The Sharks have most of the ingredients to make a pretty good finals dish, but there’s something missing. They do not have the halves to make a noise in the big weeks ahead. And their forwards are preoccupied with being tough guys at a time when good, old-fashioned tough work is needed.
The young and free-wheeling Wests Tigers are heading for Remondis this weekend. Look out!
The Tigers forwards are playing and hunting as a pack and will probably win this.
Cronulla may well grab the spotlight before the season is done but porch lights for whomever, will become passe.
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