Misi Taulapapa lines up a nice right cross at Anthony Quinn during the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks vs Melbourne Storm Preliminary Final National Rugby League match at the Sydney Football Stadium, Friday, Sept. 26, 2008. (AAP Image/Action Photographics, Colin Whelan)
Jack Gibson once famously said that “waiting for Cronulla to win a premiership is like leaving the porch lamp on for Harold Holt”. A few decades later, those words still ring true.
It’s easy to cite the obvious stats – no premierships in over 40 years as a club, ten semi-final victories out of 28 attempts in the last 30 years, including a humiliating 28-0 defeat to Melbourne in their most recent post-season outing.
Once again the Sharks were supposed to make an impact in 2009.
High profile signings such as Trent Barrett, Anthony Tupou and Reni Matua, all internationals, were capable of taking the club to the Promised Land. With Ricky pulling the reins, the supporters were giddy with expectation.
Alas, the start of the season has been less than promising.
So what’s the reason?
Is it simply the players’ lack of ability, is it the ill-informed and misguided coaching instructions, or is it the “curse of the porch lamp”?
The team’s most recent effort on Friday night was courageous, but the opposition was hardly at its best. There was a telling “Cronulla moment” though. No, not the David Simmonds blunder with the line at his mercy.
As funny as it was, that can happen to anybody.
Instead, watch the last twenty seconds of the match carefully. Cronulla are behind by a converted try and Souths have a scrum feed in Cronulla’s half. Souths should win the scrum and go on to kill the game.
An optimistic Sharks player might say “let’s get this scrum out of the way, go for a one-on-one steal in the tackles that are left, pinch a try and get back in the game”.
Well, no.
Not these Sharks players. That’s just too hard. “This is Cronulla!!”
So what does the latest batch of starlets from the Shire do?
These prima donnas loiter about to the point where Terence Seu Seu, the Sharks hooker, is seen bringing the ticking clock to the referee’s notice, basically saying “better whistle this one up big fella”.
Some would say that this is incredibly unprofessional, shows no understanding of the game and, most importantly, a total lack of respect for the supporters.
Others, probably including the late Jack Gibson, would argue that there’s nothing to see here, it’s just the Cronulla way.
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