“He wasn’t on a mission to run hard and tackle hard, he was on a mission to get sent off. He was trying hard. What is he thinking?”
Not my words, the words of Greg Alexander at half-time. Suffice to say, Brandy wasn’t impressed with Tevita Pangai jnr’s contribution to rugby league stupidity in the first half of the Bulldogs’ trial at Shark Park.
TPJ got himself put on report within the first three minutes and sin-binned before half-time in a chaotic performance that will almost certainly see the Dogs forward miss their trip to North Queensland in Round 1.
It crowned what was a poor performance by the Bulldogs, who ran into a Sharkies side that seem to have already made sense of their new combinations.
“We’ve got to get that out of our game across the board. We want Tevita to be aggressive, but he has to be smart,” Barrett told Fox League. “Cronulla have got a few forwards in there with a bit of niggle and you can get roped into that and we’ve got to be better than that.
“We’re not a good enough side to have those errors and penalties go against us. We need an even share of the footy. We got a reality check for a lot of our players. Tries they conceded were soft as well. I wasn’t happy with them.”
For all that the Dogs heaped pressure on themselves through penalties, Cronulla took ruthless advantage of it.
Their spine, which included Nicho Hynes for the first time, is going to be a lot of fun if tonight is anything to go by.
Here are the big takeaways from the return to Shark Park.
Cronulla Sharks 30 – 6 Canterbury Bulldogs
What the difference between controlled aggression and just aggression?
There’s a decent chance that the Bulldogs are going to be rubbish again this year.
As I mentioned in reviewing their trial last week, the difference between their best and worst is huge, and in a weak link sport like rugby league, it’s no good having Josh Addo-Carr on one wing if you have Jayden Okunbor on the other.
While it’s nothing new that the Dogs aren’t great, one key aspect might be returning: they might be fun. Specifically, they might be fun in a way that Bulldogs fans will really appreciate.
This is the club that gave you the “Dogs of War”, and when they started with Luke Thompson, Jack Hetherington, Paul Vaughan, Josh Jackson and Pangai in the same pack, that spirit is there in abundance.
You might think of it as a maximalist answer to the famed All Blacks’ “no dickheads” policy: Trent Barrett’s men have all the mongrel, all the time.
Here in Cronulla, where they won a Premiership with Andrew Fifita and Paul Gallen in the forwards together, they’ll tell you how that can work out.
Now, sensible heads on: TPJ’s actions will probably have him ruled out of at least Round 1. Thompson has played 25 NRL games and managed to miss eight others through suspension.
Hetherington chuckles insouciantly at those numbers: he’s missed nearly 20 weeks through bans.
Vaughan got sacked last year and Jackson’s Wikipedia page variously labels him “uncompromising” and “rugged” – we all know what that means.
There were times, though, where it looked a little better. Thompson carries so hard, and managed to smuggle offloads out as well.
Aaron Schoupp and Matt Burton showed moments of flair. Vaughan even tried to kick the ball at one point.
For a side that has spent the better part of two years getting meekly flogged, the return of a bit of fight might not be the worst thing. Just a bit more control, please, Tevita.
Hynes primed to step out of Storm shell
That Nicho Hynes can play. There’s been doubters, for sure, who would tell you that he was a system player made to look good by being in the best system around.
Granted, this Bulldogs outfit won’t represent that best opposition that the Sharks will face in 2022, but the speed that with which Hynes seems to have taken to his new combinations bodes only well for Cronulla.
Will Kennedy can make anyone look good, Blayke Brayley is now 60 games into an NRL career and primed to step up.
Even Braydon Traindall, who was poor last time out, showed what he is capable of with a smart try – albeit assisted by Jeremy Marshall-King tackling like a saloon door.
Matt Moylan was put on ice in anticipation of Round 1, so the jury will remain out on the fourth part of the system until then, but based on tonight, it’s shaping up well.
The only sour note for the home side was an ankle injury to skipper Wade Graham in his comeback from multiple concussions and the veteran forward is unlikely to be right to rumble with the Raiders in the first round.
“He has literally not missed a pre-season training sessions. He’s done an entire pre-season. Maybe I’ve put the mocker on him. He’ll be OK,” coach Craig Fitzgibbon said.
Mick Gold Coast QLD
Roar Guru
Pffft! I use it all the time, one of my children included it in their very first sentence! Look, really, just off the top of my head I can tell you it has roots in the French in, meaning "not," and se soucier, meaning "to care," giving the English word its "uncaring" meaning. Insouciance can be a positive state - like the childlike insouciance you feel when you are watching cartoons instead of paying your bills. Everyone knows that, shortly! :silly:
mach4
Roar Rookie
https://www.theroar.com.au/2021/10/10/what-the-bulldogs-need-in-2022-back-to-basics-coaching/ Prior to the season commencing. Very disappointed.
mach4
Roar Rookie
One word - DISAPPOINTED.
steveng
Roar Rookie
Bazz what else did you expect from TPJ? He's been like this since day 1 and I don't think that he's going to change at the Dogs, good luck with TPJ in 2022 as there will be plenty more from where that came from!
EagleWal
Roar Rookie
The author is really starting to lift the rugby league vocabulary…. insouciantly. I am not ashamed to say I had to look it up!!!!!!!!!
RLFan
Roar Rookie
I'm a glass half full person, but I didn't see much to be positive about in that display. Thompson and Vaughan did their job, but there were many out there that didn't. With the extra talent they have bought, they should be better than that - Averillo is an outside back, not a half, but Barret seems to be determined to play him there. Okunbar's defence non-existent and we all knew that defence was Dufty's weakness, but it's not fair to single them out as the team was poor, mistake ridden and ill disciplined. As for TPJ Barret should be reading the riot act to him, not making excuses. Burton looked the goods, but he needs to get more ball at the right time.
Tony
Roar Guru
He was terrible Andrew
andrew
Roar Rookie
Didn't see the game Tony, but are you saying Dufty missed a tackle or two. Yes he's a great attacking player with some toe but Barrett needs to sort out his defensive woes.
Tony
Roar Guru
There's still a lot to be positive about. I liked Hetherington on the edge, Thompson and Vaughan made some good metres, and the halves looked good when they had the ball. You're dead right about Okunbur, and Dufty isn't the answer at fullback. Why the hell did they let Meaney go?
Adam
Roar Guru
TPJ lost his mind? I don't believe you
The Barry
Roar Guru
“they didn’t looked like a side which had been coached well” That’s at the crux of it all and the main reason it’s so disappointing and a big turnaround seems unlikely…
The Barry
Roar Guru
:unhappy: I don’t even have huge expectations for this season… just wanted to see better structure and to stay competitive in games for longer… that had neither After last season guys like Dufty (and others) are playing for their careers, turning up for a pay cheque isn’t close to good enough… although to be fair I thought he was good last week Anyway, I was hoping to go into the season with at least a bit of confidence, but it’s back to fingers crossed and praying to the football gods… :unhappy:
Tony
Roar Guru
Brilliant nevertheless
Tony
Roar Guru
Yep. That was embarrassing.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Cheers… Trindall looked great, shame he’s suspended Yeah, I wasn’t impressed with TPJ’s shirt ripping antics… when has that ever been a tough guy thing to do…? Barrett should be dressing him down, not trying to make excuses for him…
The Barry
Roar Guru
With the draw we have, my concern is there’s not time to settle into the season… To torture the teacher / student analogy, Barrett seems like a cross eyed teacher… he has no control over his pupils… :stoked: They looked more like a rabble of school kids charging at Helms Deep than the fighting Uruk-Hai… I haven’t been as excited about a Dogs signing as I have about Burton for a long long time, but he can’t do it on his own. JMK doesn’t seem to be developing as a 9, his service is terrible. When does Barrett call time on the Averillo at 7 experiment? What’s the back up? He’s taken a kid with huge potential as an outside back and not done anything with him but take two years off his development and maybe mess up his game… Anyway, this is me not reading too much into a trial :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: but the signs are pretty grim…
Albo
Roar Rookie
Sure was pretty deflating for Dogs fans who have had expectations built up in the off season. It looked like they hadn't had any training runs together as yet ? And the lack of enthusiasm from players was palpable . Dufty ? It looked like a bunch of guys just turning out for a pay cheque ? Gus needs to read the riot act this morning . Burton & Addo Carr must be wondering "what have we done ?" As for TPJ , I thought he might have matured somewhat after his brief stint with the Panthers last season where he was effective and kept his nose clean. But alas, the old leopard & spots phrase is proven 100% correct once again. As for the Sharks, they looked well organised with their new spine. They have some good attacking outside backs, and a solid pack of forwards. How strong is that Royce Hunt ?? TPJ might have ripped his jumper apart , but he was never going to the ground. I am happy with my early forecast of a spot in the 8 for the Sharks.
Mike Meehall Wood
Editor
No credit taken for this one
Mike Meehall Wood
Editor
That was embarrassing...would be a penalty in Super League for voluntary tackle.
Briss
Roar Rookie
Sharks can not pick trindall due to him being suspended for the first 2 rounds FYI. But on Barrett trying to deflect pangi jr actions on Hunt claiming the sharks forwards all have niggle in them is as weak as it comes maybe he needs to look in his own back yard or better yet look at his own coaching methods. With all the money the dogs spent on players last year and still get spanked by 24 points, for me it clearly says you cant coach.