Victory Monday! Catching Up With Kieran Over Coffee About Cronulla (26/8/24)

[00:00:00] [SPEAKER_02]: SharkCast! SharkCast!

[00:00:03] [SPEAKER_02]: SharkCast! SharkCast!

[00:00:08] [SPEAKER_02]: Kofina tries to crash his way over, he does!

[00:00:12] [SPEAKER_02]: Kofina dropped the ball over the line!

[00:00:15] [SPEAKER_02]: And to all you people back in the Shire, turn your points lights off because we're coming home with a trophy!

[00:00:31] [SPEAKER_00]: Good morning, welcome to SharkCastPod. Catching up with Kieran over coffee about

[00:00:36] [SPEAKER_00]: Cronulla. What a glorious morning it is to do it. We are the Kings of the South

[00:00:40] [SPEAKER_00]: once again, nine in a row against that dastardly demonic club known as the

[00:00:48] [SPEAKER_00]: St George of the War of Dragons and what a great day for the Sharks

[00:00:53] [SPEAKER_00]: yesterday. Two grades just dominating, NRL winning 38 points to 10 and of

[00:00:59] [SPEAKER_00]: NRL W winning 28 points to 4. The show is brought to you by Dyson Logistics, the

[00:01:04] [SPEAKER_00]: Royal Mediok Club in Port Hacking and Jason Hawes at Crips and Crips Real

[00:01:07] [SPEAKER_00]: Estate. We're on all the socials, you can watch this on the YouTube, you can

[00:01:11] [SPEAKER_00]: listen on your favourite podcast, subscribe, like etc. Now before I

[00:01:16] [SPEAKER_00]: introduce our guy who it's his show basically, I'm gonna say to him no AEW

[00:01:24] [SPEAKER_00]: spoilers aside from the fact that we know they're coming to Australia mate

[00:01:30] [SPEAKER_00]: next year but Kieran, welcome to the show and no spoilers. Now I hear you had

[00:01:37] [SPEAKER_01]: a pretty hectic morning. Yeah so I trained down at Carimbart at a gym

[00:01:42] [SPEAKER_01]: called Reborn down there and Monday's is conditioning day and I am well and

[00:01:48] [SPEAKER_01]: truly conditioned after that. I still am not the same person since I've

[00:01:52] [SPEAKER_01]: been working up because that absolutely took it out of me today. Alright well

[00:01:55] [SPEAKER_00]: hopefully you can hang around for half an hour 45 minutes because we're up

[00:02:00] [SPEAKER_00]: nice and early doing this for all of our listeners and for ourselves because

[00:02:03] [SPEAKER_00]: we want to gloat about being the kings of the South. We'll start with

[00:02:07] [SPEAKER_00]: NRL, what a fantastic win 38 points to 10. I don't think we saw this

[00:02:11] [SPEAKER_00]: coming given the team lineup and I'll just run through a few of the

[00:02:15] [SPEAKER_00]: things that happened. We had Sam Stone Street and Mawini Haradi on the

[00:02:20] [SPEAKER_00]: Kings, Dan Akkerson and Trindle in the halves. Our bench was Jack Williams,

[00:02:26] [SPEAKER_00]: Royce Hunt, Hamlin Welly and Tom Haslam which is actually pretty good but

[00:02:29] [SPEAKER_00]: essentially no Nick O'Hines and no starting wingers to win by such a

[00:02:34] [SPEAKER_00]: convincing margin. Do it in the manner they did Kieran. Everything on the

[00:02:38] [SPEAKER_00]: line for both teams just a fantastic effort all round. Yeah I was a bit

[00:02:43] [SPEAKER_01]: surprised by it because I really thought the Dragons were gonna turn up

[00:02:46] [SPEAKER_01]: I thought Flanagan would have them breathing fire so to speak but the

[00:02:51] [SPEAKER_01]: Sharks just looked in control the whole game and it was you were never really

[00:02:54] [SPEAKER_01]: worried by anything and the scoreline kind of kicked on at the end but it

[00:02:58] [SPEAKER_01]: was just one of those games where they were in control. Going into a game

[00:03:01] [SPEAKER_01]: like that when you've beaten the team eight times in a row, I get a

[00:03:04] [SPEAKER_01]: little bit nervous and start thinking well you're not gonna keep

[00:03:06] [SPEAKER_01]: winning against this team forever but hey nine in a row now without Sifar

[00:03:11] [SPEAKER_01]: both the wingers and Nicko that's a huge chunk of our salary cap

[00:03:14] [SPEAKER_01]: and four players that walk into our 17 so they all should be back pretty soon

[00:03:18] [SPEAKER_01]: it's pretty it's getting exciting they're starting to play a little bit

[00:03:21] [SPEAKER_01]: differently depending on the teams that we're playing. It's looking like

[00:03:24] [SPEAKER_01]: they've actually got a plan at the moment which is quite nice to see.

[00:03:27] [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah left out Talakai obviously as well sorry about that he'll be back

[00:03:30] [SPEAKER_00]: bigger and better soon. Just looking at some of the stats I mean we

[00:03:35] [SPEAKER_00]: completed at 79% so not too bad there obviously you want it higher but

[00:03:40] [SPEAKER_00]: you'd probably any lower you'd be Alarm Bells but that was pretty

[00:03:43] [SPEAKER_00]: good not 79% double the line breaks we ran for 500 more meters we missed

[00:03:50] [SPEAKER_00]: maybe five tackles less yeah we lost the pen on account nine six as well one

[00:03:56] [SPEAKER_00]: restart each so I mean stat wise probably not as glaring as what the

[00:04:01] [SPEAKER_00]: game looked like to the naked eye. We saw some amazing stats from the players

[00:04:05] [SPEAKER_00]: and and achievements. The back five won't surprise you all ran for over

[00:04:11] [SPEAKER_00]: I think given that's herodian stone street I think it's pretty good like I

[00:04:15] [SPEAKER_00]: wasn't expecting them to sort of be up in that caliber and same style of the

[00:04:19] [SPEAKER_00]: guys that they were replacing I thought they'd bring other attributes

[00:04:21] [SPEAKER_00]: but they did really well with the run meters. Toby Rudolph, Oren Gafusi,

[00:04:27] [SPEAKER_00]: Britton Nicka and Teeq Wilden all ran for over a hundred meters which

[00:04:31] [SPEAKER_00]: is awesome. Men of the match were Braylee and Nicka are splitting the

[00:04:36] [SPEAKER_00]: headline build absolutely fantastic we'll get into all that. I could tell

[00:04:40] [SPEAKER_00]: from the first set I'm sure everyone watching could as well that the Sharks

[00:04:43] [SPEAKER_00]: had turned up and you saw the way they were running nice and hard Britton

[00:04:48] [SPEAKER_00]: Nicka with some brilliant early runs just out on the edge a little bit the

[00:04:53] [SPEAKER_00]: Dragons couldn't really compete I mean there was a section where I

[00:04:57] [SPEAKER_00]: thought they were getting back into it in the second half but will

[00:05:01] [SPEAKER_00]: Kennedy's brilliant try kind of put the kibosh on that but overall I'm

[00:05:05] [SPEAKER_01]: super happy with that performance. Yeah and I think the style of play that they

[00:05:10] [SPEAKER_01]: did was a little bit different too with the forwards and the short passes and

[00:05:14] [SPEAKER_01]: it seemed like they had a real plan and they went to that game and they

[00:05:17] [SPEAKER_01]: sort of said all right we've got both halves back now we still don't have

[00:05:20] [SPEAKER_01]: Nicka but we've at least got two players in the halves that are

[00:05:22] [SPEAKER_01]: genuine options there and they played accordingly the attack looked

[00:05:26] [SPEAKER_01]: much better having Trindle back in the in the team it looked controlled

[00:05:30] [SPEAKER_01]: it didn't look as frantic it looked like actually had a game plan and you

[00:05:35] [SPEAKER_01]: the players that they were able to pull off with like Eros try where he ran that

[00:05:38] [SPEAKER_01]: line it that's the kind of stuff that we have been missing a little bit of

[00:05:42] [SPEAKER_01]: the last few weeks I think whilst they've been winning they haven't

[00:05:45] [SPEAKER_01]: really looked you know comfortable and so having both the halves out there I

[00:05:50] [SPEAKER_01]: think made a big difference but I probably would have liked to have

[00:05:52] [SPEAKER_01]: seen Akko do the goal-kicking because I feel like he's a really good

[00:05:56] [SPEAKER_00]: goal-kicker. He is Trindle came good nailed some from the sideline so

[00:06:01] [SPEAKER_00]: I'm not overly concerned but he did miss a few to begin with which you do need to nail

[00:06:06] [SPEAKER_00]: it at finals time so I'm sure I'll be working on that. Nicka will be back

[00:06:10] [SPEAKER_00]: hopefully and I am imagining he'll take the shots we'll see what happens

[00:06:14] [SPEAKER_00]: there on the injury and that kind of thing but I thought both halves were

[00:06:19] [SPEAKER_00]: great again they both had assists and decent kicking games to say the

[00:06:26] [SPEAKER_00]: least been debating all night with people and all morning about what

[00:06:30] [SPEAKER_00]: happens when Nicko is back which could be as soon as this week we're not sure

[00:06:34] [SPEAKER_00]: 50 said he's a chance. Yeah both halves were great Atkinson actually did more

[00:06:40] [SPEAKER_00]: kicking essay the majority of the kicking he kicked for twice as many

[00:06:43] [SPEAKER_00]: meters although Trindle had the short ball happening. Steered us around

[00:06:47] [SPEAKER_00]: well but I think it comes back to the performance of Blake Brayley the

[00:06:51] [SPEAKER_00]: thing that sticks out to me is when he made that break from the turnover

[00:06:54] [SPEAKER_00]: and he had that crisp pass to Stone Street he was just really calm and

[00:06:58] [SPEAKER_00]: measured like he could have got himself he could have got tackled he could have

[00:07:01] [SPEAKER_00]: kicked you know most players get in the open and they kick but he just had

[00:07:05] [SPEAKER_00]: that crisp pass to the left Stone Street I think gets tackled a little

[00:07:09] [SPEAKER_00]: bit later they go to the right next tackle or what he scores we've seen

[00:07:13] [SPEAKER_00]: him do it a few times under Fitzgibbon where that happens but just very

[00:07:19] [SPEAKER_00]: calm and measured from Blake running the ball engaging the line probably

[00:07:25] [SPEAKER_00]: career-best game if not equal career-best. Yeah so was he our player of the season

[00:07:29] [SPEAKER_01]: last year? Yeah. Yeah so I think his performances this year have been a lot

[00:07:33] [SPEAKER_01]: better than last year I remember he was getting spoke about in the mix for

[00:07:38] [SPEAKER_01]: Origin probably about a year or so ago and a lot of people didn't

[00:07:42] [SPEAKER_01]: understand it and kind of were asking well why is he in the mix they

[00:07:46] [SPEAKER_01]: didn't see him at that same level and I forget who was I think it

[00:07:49] [SPEAKER_01]: might have been Greg Alexander he kind of broke down the importance of

[00:07:53] [SPEAKER_01]: the pass from dummy half and I know that sounds really simple and basic but

[00:07:57] [SPEAKER_01]: he was when he was talking about Blake Braley he was talking about the

[00:08:00] [SPEAKER_01]: service and where your halves catch the ball and he was talking about how

[00:08:03] [SPEAKER_01]: Blake nails it like nine times out of ten and puts the ball in the right

[00:08:07] [SPEAKER_01]: spots for the half so I think now that he's mastered that part of his

[00:08:12] [SPEAKER_01]: game and the last few weeks he's had to kind of step up because there

[00:08:14] [SPEAKER_01]: hasn't been you know a Nicko or a Trindle out there we're seeing a

[00:08:18] [SPEAKER_01]: little bit more confident Blake and I think if we're to do something we

[00:08:22] [SPEAKER_01]: need somebody in the spine to step up and go to a different level we've seen

[00:08:27] [SPEAKER_01]: what Nicko can do when Nicko's firing at the top of his game but he needs

[00:08:30] [SPEAKER_01]: help and the way that Blake is playing you know he's looking like the guy

[00:08:34] [SPEAKER_00]: that's gonna step up and do it. Wouldn't it be terrific in all

[00:08:37] [SPEAKER_00]: seriousness if in the finals all four guys stood up in the spine so Will

[00:08:41] [SPEAKER_00]: played like he did yesterday minus one hiccup the halves do their thing

[00:08:45] [SPEAKER_00]: and then Blake's at that level I mean that's a pretty strong spine if

[00:08:49] [SPEAKER_00]: they're all doing that at once so hopefully I do that. I haven't mentioned

[00:08:54] [SPEAKER_00]: this since last week other people have passed from Blake to Atkinson for the

[00:08:58] [SPEAKER_00]: winning field goal where he goes to the ball he shifts his body to shape

[00:09:04] [SPEAKER_00]: to the right and then does the kind of 180 and shifts to the left with

[00:09:09] [SPEAKER_00]: the pass being immaculate if you haven't studied that go back and

[00:09:14] [SPEAKER_00]: watch that everyone I'm sure you have if you haven't that's a reminder

[00:09:18] [SPEAKER_00]: what this guy can do I don't know I think I was so happy we won and you know

[00:09:21] [SPEAKER_00]: so giddy that we won I forgot to really focus in on that but Dan

[00:09:26] [SPEAKER_00]: mentioned it last night and I was like oh yeah and I went back and watched

[00:09:30] [SPEAKER_00]: it last night again absolutely great moment and gave Atkinson just enough

[00:09:37] [SPEAKER_00]: time to get the field goal away and we saw just a more mature performance

[00:09:40] [SPEAKER_00]: even again yesterday. Britton Nickeraub unbelievable we've seen him do it

[00:09:45] [SPEAKER_00]: before maybe not career best game but just a man of the match performance and

[00:09:50] [SPEAKER_00]: we need him to be doing that every week and I think T. Wilton kind of is

[00:09:54] [SPEAKER_00]: under the radar yesterday because he was just as strong probably not as

[00:09:58] [SPEAKER_00]: flamboyant but Wilton had a really good game probably his best since he

[00:10:02] [SPEAKER_00]: came back from injury and even around the time he got injured. Yeah I

[00:10:07] [SPEAKER_01]: think with the Wilton situation what he's kind of flown under the radar

[00:10:11] [SPEAKER_01]: in that sense that everyone kind of looks at Nickeraub and Talaqai and

[00:10:16] [SPEAKER_01]: things like that but when Wilton puts it together he can look like a real

[00:10:19] [SPEAKER_01]: player sometimes he can be a little bit quiet but yesterday was not one

[00:10:23] [SPEAKER_01]: of those games yesterday he looked angry he looked fit he looked firing

[00:10:26] [SPEAKER_01]: so it was really good to have him back out there. They did look angry they

[00:10:29] [SPEAKER_00]: look hungry for the win and the centers in particular absolutely shone

[00:10:35] [SPEAKER_00]: and absolutely schooled the less experienced Dragons three-quarters we

[00:10:40] [SPEAKER_00]: know Jesse Ramian was unwell for the last 24 hours before the game he showed

[00:10:45] [SPEAKER_00]: a lot of conviction to get out of bed and do what he did at that level

[00:10:48] [SPEAKER_00]: Kyle Ero was outstanding he scored a try he ran for a whole bunch of

[00:10:54] [SPEAKER_00]: meters he busted nine tackles the most in the game. I'm coming back to

[00:10:58] [SPEAKER_00]: this point on most podcasts we do where every player is playing to

[00:11:02] [SPEAKER_00]: their ability and we talk about a guy like Haradi stepping in hasn't played

[00:11:06] [SPEAKER_00]: for a year or two and one blemish in defense but again just doing his job

[00:11:14] [SPEAKER_00]: and he wasn't trying to do too much but he was heavily involved when he

[00:11:19] [SPEAKER_00]: could be and that's all we need him to do it was like the whole Billy

[00:11:23] [SPEAKER_00]: Burns thing just go do your job you don't have to win the game you

[00:11:26] [SPEAKER_00]: have to save the game just do your job and I think that's a really I

[00:11:31] [SPEAKER_00]: don't think Haradi gets enough credit in the scheme of things because he's a guy

[00:11:34] [SPEAKER_00]: that just signs one to two year contracts it's not the most secure

[00:11:39] [SPEAKER_00]: career although you know he's going year at a time so secure in that year

[00:11:43] [SPEAKER_00]: but he's obviously doing enough both as a player and a human to keep

[00:11:49] [SPEAKER_00]: coming back to the Sharks they keep saying yep we'll sign you again

[00:11:52] [SPEAKER_00]: you're awesome and he's probably I guess realistic in his own skin where

[00:11:56] [SPEAKER_00]: he's like well I probably won't be a starter here but I got a pretty

[00:12:00] [SPEAKER_00]: good job and I think it's like in all seriousness I know you we've sort of

[00:12:05] [SPEAKER_00]: made a lot of some of these past performances years gone by but great

[00:12:10] [SPEAKER_00]: characteristic of him to be able to do that year-on-year yeah I mean that's a

[00:12:14] [SPEAKER_01]: tough job to sign up for right because you you know realistically

[00:12:18] [SPEAKER_01]: Katoa and Ronaldo are the two wingers and you know Stone Street is

[00:12:22] [SPEAKER_01]: the guy that's in the wings literally just to be that next guy

[00:12:26] [SPEAKER_01]: that's gonna be up because the club has you know plans for him in the

[00:12:29] [SPEAKER_01]: future so to sign on and to be the fourth string guy that's a tough mental

[00:12:35] [SPEAKER_01]: situation to put yourself in and in New South Wales Cup we play him in a

[00:12:38] [SPEAKER_01]: multiple position so I think he's even played at 5-8 for us at times right

[00:12:42] [SPEAKER_01]: so he's moved all around the spot but again he kind of embodies that

[00:12:46] [SPEAKER_01]: professional mindset and I have no idea what sort of money that we're paying

[00:12:50] [SPEAKER_01]: him but I'm assuming he's probably on like a minimum tier deal right or

[00:12:54] [SPEAKER_01]: a bit above that but he's racked up 20 games for us now and having somebody

[00:13:00] [SPEAKER_01]: who is in their mid-20s who is now probably more understands their game

[00:13:05] [SPEAKER_01]: maybe when he first came in in the you know 2020 season and in life was

[00:13:09] [SPEAKER_01]: crazy he was still trying to prove himself and maybe he thought you

[00:13:13] [SPEAKER_01]: know he was going to be that dominant player but not everyone can

[00:13:17] [SPEAKER_01]: be that there are role players for a reason and that's not a

[00:13:19] [SPEAKER_01]: disrespectful statement to be a role player like those guys are helping you

[00:13:23] [SPEAKER_01]: build out a roster and help you win games and win titles so to be

[00:13:28] [SPEAKER_01]: comfortable and happy in that I'm actually quite interested to see where

[00:13:32] [SPEAKER_01]: he ends up next because he'll be 26 next year and I think probably now is

[00:13:37] [SPEAKER_01]: the time for him to make that move or he was gonna be that career guy

[00:13:42] [SPEAKER_01]: that's gonna be that New South Wales Cup call-on guy so it'd be

[00:13:45] [SPEAKER_01]: interesting to see where he ends up next year maybe goes to Super League

[00:13:48] [SPEAKER_01]: and tries to you know make a name for himself over there or maybe stays

[00:13:52] [SPEAKER_00]: around yeah I think if he was to play regular first grade Super League would

[00:13:56] [SPEAKER_00]: be calling I think he'd get a gig there doing it week in week on week

[00:14:00] [SPEAKER_00]: in the NRL I think he could do it at some clubs but it's that age-old

[00:14:05] [SPEAKER_00]: question do you want to go do that and get 30 put on you every week or

[00:14:10] [SPEAKER_00]: do you want to beat a winning club where it's happy your job is secure

[00:14:15] [SPEAKER_00]: year-on-year at least you know that you're gonna get a shot between what

[00:14:20] [SPEAKER_00]: and maybe five games a year if he was to keep doing this until he was 32 or

[00:14:25] [SPEAKER_00]: whatever you know at this point in time I'd be like yeah let's bring it on I

[00:14:30] [SPEAKER_00]: think he might look for a change at some point but yeah I just wanted to

[00:14:33] [SPEAKER_00]: point that out because you know you sometimes you see players named you go

[00:14:37] [SPEAKER_00]: up okay well yeah he's not a Ronaldo but yesterday again he got beaten

[00:14:42] [SPEAKER_00]: one-on-one it happens the guy was too quick for him oh well we still

[00:14:47] [SPEAKER_00]: 28 points so Sam Stone Street two tries probably should win four continues to

[00:14:53] [SPEAKER_00]: build his career stake a claim for a first grade spot at some point in the

[00:14:58] [SPEAKER_00]: future depending on contracts and injuries but certainly holding his own I

[00:15:03] [SPEAKER_00]: do want to see him get better with the kick returns and that kind of

[00:15:08] [SPEAKER_00]: thing but it's not a problem it's just he's not at the same I guess

[00:15:12] [SPEAKER_00]: strength as a Ronaldo or definitely not as a Catoa so it's different story

[00:15:16] [SPEAKER_00]: but he's got positives that those guys don't have you know he's good on the

[00:15:20] [SPEAKER_00]: highball etc etc so he did really well and yeah the forwards need to keep

[00:15:26] [SPEAKER_00]: doing what they're doing Rudolph looked like he was on a mission again

[00:15:31] [SPEAKER_00]: fantastic looking at the minutes played Rudolph over half a game

[00:15:36] [SPEAKER_00]: Caffuzzi almost half a game and he was outstanding again

[00:15:39] [SPEAKER_00]: McKinnis 60 minutes Jack Williams almost half a game Royce Hunt only got

[00:15:44] [SPEAKER_00]: 16 minutes not sure what's going on there do you know what happened there

[00:15:47] [SPEAKER_01]: what happened there I put my money on him to score at any time and I said

[00:15:51] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm not gonna do a crazy multi yeah you got 16 minutes so I'm to blame for

[00:15:55] [SPEAKER_00]: that one probably didn't even go close had some good runs Hamlin Welley 22

[00:16:00] [SPEAKER_00]: minutes 65 meters 7 runs 18 post-contact 11 tackles no misses so

[00:16:09] [SPEAKER_00]: he sort of warming into it the runs looked a little bit more physical

[00:16:12] [SPEAKER_00]: and told Tom played for half an hour and had a pretty honest stint as well so

[00:16:17] [SPEAKER_00]: we do have guys returning for the Warriors Manly and finals it's gonna be

[00:16:23] [SPEAKER_00]: fascinating to see what happens there do you have any idea what's gonna

[00:16:25] [SPEAKER_00]: happen with the forward pack in the bench originally have been saying that

[00:16:29] [SPEAKER_01]: I want our two guys on our depth chart which is Toby and Hamlin Welley

[00:16:33] [SPEAKER_01]: starting but Caffuzzi has really impressed me the last couple of weeks

[00:16:38] [SPEAKER_01]: again he's playing super physical he's super hard on the ground his

[00:16:42] [SPEAKER_01]: wrestling is really good too so I think you can kind of leave him as a

[00:16:46] [SPEAKER_01]: starter but then rotate Toby and Hamlin Welley I need to see those guys fit

[00:16:51] [SPEAKER_01]: and firing for me to believe that we're gonna do something in the finals

[00:16:54] [SPEAKER_01]: because I don't think you can start Tommy at this point or Royce in the

[00:17:00] [SPEAKER_01]: finals I think they're great players for us off the bench but I think for

[00:17:03] [SPEAKER_01]: what we need when you come up against pen rest and things like that

[00:17:05] [SPEAKER_01]: you're gonna need those guys that are experienced and hard and I want

[00:17:10] [SPEAKER_01]: those guys that can play big minutes out there for those positions so my bench is

[00:17:14] [SPEAKER_01]: probably Jack Williams Hamlin Welley, Sifah and then that's that fourth

[00:17:20] [SPEAKER_01]: spot where I would probably go Hazelton over at Atkinson assuming

[00:17:24] [SPEAKER_01]: everyone's back and fit firing but gee that's a tough call to make at the

[00:17:27] [SPEAKER_00]: moment yeah it is and the coach gets paid good money to do that so we'll

[00:17:31] [SPEAKER_00]: see where he goes with that it's it's gonna be fascinating for a bunch

[00:17:35] [SPEAKER_00]: of positions not just the halves what was your biggest takeaway from

[00:17:38] [SPEAKER_01]: the winners today the way that they change their game plan versus the

[00:17:43] [SPEAKER_01]: opponent and we've seen it a couple of times this year where they've actually

[00:17:46] [SPEAKER_01]: nailed that and you kind of get to a point where I still don't think I am a

[00:17:51] [SPEAKER_01]: believer of we could win the comp this year I still I still need to see

[00:17:55] [SPEAKER_01]: more but what I do now see is that they are building something and they

[00:18:01] [SPEAKER_01]: were going in the right direction and the way the finals are starting

[00:18:04] [SPEAKER_01]: to take shape there is a chance that Melbourne and Penrith will play each

[00:18:08] [SPEAKER_01]: other around one and then the loser of that will go into an elimination game

[00:18:11] [SPEAKER_01]: which you know I fully expect both those teams to go very far in the

[00:18:14] [SPEAKER_01]: finals but if we got the roosters in round one of the finals we've got

[00:18:18] [SPEAKER_01]: everybody fit and we've got a team that is you know playing smart football

[00:18:23] [SPEAKER_01]: and thinking about their opponents and changing their style each week we're

[00:18:26] [SPEAKER_01]: not as predictable to play against two years ago we were running those

[00:18:29] [SPEAKER_01]: slingshot plays right and once we got to the finals nothing it didn't

[00:18:33] [SPEAKER_01]: work because teams had had all year to prepare for it now we're playing

[00:18:36] [SPEAKER_01]: different styles when we played Melbourne we played a different style

[00:18:39] [SPEAKER_01]: yesterday we played the Dragons play a different style when we played the

[00:18:42] [SPEAKER_01]: Knights the week before right with a lot of offloads so again the short

[00:18:46] [SPEAKER_01]: passing from the forwards it just seems to me that we're working

[00:18:49] [SPEAKER_01]: towards something and flying under the radar everybody saying that the

[00:18:54] [SPEAKER_01]: sharks are gonna go out straight sets in the finals and all that type

[00:18:56] [SPEAKER_01]: of stuff like I can feel a bit of like a swagger that is building there

[00:19:00] [SPEAKER_01]: at the moment and you can kind of even see it with like aero pushing guys

[00:19:04] [SPEAKER_01]: when they're on the ground giving away penalties and things like that but

[00:19:06] [SPEAKER_01]: they're starting to get that little bit of not arrogance but they're

[00:19:10] [SPEAKER_01]: starting to get that little bit of like hey if you guys we're back and

[00:19:15] [SPEAKER_01]: when we're building towards this right and getting Sifu back getting Ronnie

[00:19:19] [SPEAKER_01]: back getting Katoa back getting Nico back you're gonna be pushing out

[00:19:23] [SPEAKER_01]: four guys that just did a really good job on the weekend right so

[00:19:25] [SPEAKER_01]: again it's elevating the level of performance across the board and I

[00:19:29] [SPEAKER_01]: think for us getting everybody fit and on the field and minutes in their legs

[00:19:33] [SPEAKER_01]: you know if we're playing the Roosters in round one of the finals and we can

[00:19:39] [SPEAKER_01]: get a week off that the whole season's completely changed my whole

[00:19:43] [SPEAKER_01]: outlook has completely changed on the season so again fingers crossed we

[00:19:47] [SPEAKER_01]: get the Roosters but hey the Roosters are not an easy bait I'm just saying

[00:19:50] [SPEAKER_01]: I would rather play the Roosters versus Melbourne or Penra because those

[00:19:54] [SPEAKER_00]: two teams are just dynamite. The positives in getting the Roosters is

[00:19:58] [SPEAKER_00]: it'll be in Sydney and if they're second little bit Allianz if we're

[00:20:03] [SPEAKER_00]: second it could be anywhere literally who knows the negative is they're

[00:20:07] [SPEAKER_00]: really good like they can score 48 points but they can also let in 20 or

[00:20:12] [SPEAKER_00]: 24 points and also against our defense they may not get the 48 they

[00:20:17] [SPEAKER_00]: might may they it might be a shootout I don't know it could be 1918

[00:20:20] [SPEAKER_00]: like last year but the playing in Penrith or playing Penrith you want to

[00:20:29] [SPEAKER_00]: avoid them when you can so yeah if you have to play them in the GF well

[00:20:33] [SPEAKER_00]: you're happy to be in a GF right but Melbourne in Melbourne that was kind of

[00:20:39] [SPEAKER_00]: my preference for a lot of reasons but I mean they're not gonna lose

[00:20:43] [SPEAKER_00]: that game I mean they could they could and we could beat them we've

[00:20:45] [SPEAKER_00]: before but it's it's us playing at 99% of our potential which doesn't happen a

[00:20:53] [SPEAKER_00]: lot so the option now to play in Sydney I think is a massive bonus for the

[00:20:58] [SPEAKER_00]: crowd swell and I think yeah playing the Roosters they'll be pretty amps

[00:21:03] [SPEAKER_00]: they'll be pretty heavy favorites and that's how we like to play we like to

[00:21:07] [SPEAKER_00]: be the underdogs and you know people are still talking about the

[00:21:11] [SPEAKER_00]: Bulldogs getting into a top four spot and I don't know how that's gonna

[00:21:15] [SPEAKER_00]: happen now given that you think Penrith will win the last two so it's up to us

[00:21:21] [SPEAKER_00]: to keep winning to stay where we are but yeah it's fascinating the whole

[00:21:24] [SPEAKER_00]: thing is fascinating and don't get me wrong playing the Roosters yeah they're

[00:21:28] [SPEAKER_00]: hard it's hard but we're at the finals point now now we need to get

[00:21:32] [SPEAKER_00]: that thing that bowling's talking about all the time like the well we

[00:21:35] [SPEAKER_00]: don't care who we're playing we're gonna beat you you know we'll beat

[00:21:38] [SPEAKER_00]: you wherever we need to have that yeah we need to have the Kaleero

[00:21:43] [SPEAKER_01]: and I feel like kind of just that agitation the squad all the noise

[00:21:48] [SPEAKER_01]: around the finals I feel like that narrative kind of goes well with the

[00:21:52] [SPEAKER_01]: Roosters just because again it's in Sydney you know like we'll have a

[00:21:56] [SPEAKER_01]: lot of fans there you know it's not going down to Melbourne or Penrith

[00:22:00] [SPEAKER_01]: where you know we might have a bit of self-doubt I think we would really

[00:22:03] [SPEAKER_01]: walk into that game thinking we can do this and also given that last

[00:22:06] [SPEAKER_01]: year those guys ended our season and Fitz's history with the Roosters

[00:22:10] [SPEAKER_01]: and all that type of stuff I could see us doing a shock the world moment and

[00:22:16] [SPEAKER_01]: beating the Roosters to get that week off what happens after that I've got no

[00:22:19] [SPEAKER_01]: idea but you know in my perfect world where you know I'm sitting up at night

[00:22:24] [SPEAKER_01]: dreaming of things of what I would love to happen I'd love to see that

[00:22:27] [SPEAKER_01]: but again the Roosters are a ridiculously good site as well so

[00:22:31] [SPEAKER_01]: again I've been saying that there's I think there's two top teams and I

[00:22:34] [SPEAKER_01]: think the top two teams are the Roosters sorry the Panthers and the

[00:22:37] [SPEAKER_01]: Storm then I think there's a tier below it where the Roosters sit and I

[00:22:40] [SPEAKER_01]: think we sit in that tier as well now and then I think there's another tier

[00:22:43] [SPEAKER_01]: with the Bulldogs and all that type of stuff and you kind of saw that

[00:22:47] [SPEAKER_01]: yesterday when we played the Dragons who are in the top eight fighting for

[00:22:51] [SPEAKER_01]: their season to secure it in the local derby at home flannel against his old

[00:22:56] [SPEAKER_01]: club right and we looked at a different level to the Dragons and we still

[00:23:00] [SPEAKER_01]: had players out and if you go and read the Dragons forums and comments

[00:23:04] [SPEAKER_01]: and all that type of stuff they're all saying that that Sharks team

[00:23:07] [SPEAKER_01]: looked like they were playing a different game to us because they were

[00:23:10] [SPEAKER_01]: more physical that was faster they were fitter they were stronger and I think

[00:23:14] [SPEAKER_01]: that's the difference between the bottom four teams in the top eight and

[00:23:17] [SPEAKER_01]: the top four teams and then it'll be on us to see what we can do my only

[00:23:21] [SPEAKER_01]: concern is are we getting players back too late to build that

[00:23:25] [SPEAKER_01]: consistency and that momentum because I think that's gonna be tough

[00:23:28] [SPEAKER_00]: hmm interesting if we win week one does that mean we get the inverted

[00:23:35] [SPEAKER_00]: home prelim or not yeah and that would be at Allianz okay well that's good

[00:23:40] [SPEAKER_01]: because yeah well I'm just I'm saying that would be at Allianz just based on

[00:23:44] [SPEAKER_01]: when we were in 2022 and we got that we lost the first week but then

[00:23:49] [SPEAKER_01]: you get we got the home game for the next week against Souths and that was

[00:23:53] [SPEAKER_00]: at Allianz so I'm basing that off that very good stuff NRLW absolutely

[00:23:57] [SPEAKER_00]: killing it 5-0 they won 28 to 4 they did it pretty easily the Dragons

[00:24:03] [SPEAKER_00]: team is not great in our own W they're still growing their their brand at the

[00:24:09] [SPEAKER_00]: moment I mean the stats could change but the moment we have six missed

[00:24:13] [SPEAKER_00]: tackles to their 34 so great defensive effort we can complete it at 89% this

[00:24:20] [SPEAKER_00]: could change but it won't change too much 11 line breaks to one so it was

[00:24:24] [SPEAKER_00]: obviously very dominant Preston missed a bunch of goals she got some in the

[00:24:28] [SPEAKER_00]: end but probably three or four she missed I think from memory so the

[00:24:31] [SPEAKER_00]: goal line could have been a lot better just a really really dominant

[00:24:35] [SPEAKER_00]: performance again Tonigato was unbelievable they just couldn't stop her

[00:24:40] [SPEAKER_00]: I think they could read her but they just couldn't stop her and she was

[00:24:43] [SPEAKER_00]: feeding some great balls to Penitani actually the the back five were awesome

[00:24:49] [SPEAKER_00]: Staples who's not a traditional fullback is making it her own we saw

[00:24:54] [SPEAKER_00]: Davies Welsh play on the wing with some injuries she ran for 130

[00:24:57] [SPEAKER_00]: meters scored a try Penitani got two tries 160 meters 160 meters Biddle ran

[00:25:04] [SPEAKER_00]: for 200 meters Triassis, line break assist and George Ravix had a double as

[00:25:10] [SPEAKER_00]: well so very very good performance they're really mixing it up it's not

[00:25:16] [SPEAKER_00]: one dominant player although although Tonigato was outstanding with three

[00:25:20] [SPEAKER_00]: Triassis the whole team were really strong Quinty Dodd still going great

[00:25:24] [SPEAKER_00]: we saw Byers come in for Talei Holmes and she had a strong game usually she's a

[00:25:30] [SPEAKER_00]: benchy she came into play on the left edge there I think they're in the

[00:25:35] [SPEAKER_00]: finals I think I'm just gonna say it things could happen but they're 5-0

[00:25:39] [SPEAKER_00]: tough game against the Gold Coast coming up this week but Kieran a team

[00:25:44] [SPEAKER_00]: that you can be very proud of yeah Emma looked like Andrew Johns out

[00:25:48] [SPEAKER_01]: there I watched the second half and she was just carving people up and

[00:25:52] [SPEAKER_01]: that try she got pulled back with like the 40 meter break my daughter was

[00:25:57] [SPEAKER_01]: watching it and she couldn't believe she was watching a Sharkeys girl you

[00:26:00] [SPEAKER_01]: know going such a big run and score a try she didn't realize the try got

[00:26:03] [SPEAKER_01]: taken off her but just to see my daughter's reaction to like a line

[00:26:07] [SPEAKER_01]: break like that it was really cool to see so I watched a fair bit of

[00:26:12] [SPEAKER_01]: that game so Wheeler I think is my favorite player the front row I just

[00:26:18] [SPEAKER_01]: always in a kerfuffle or something like that just does like a lot of

[00:26:21] [SPEAKER_01]: tough hard stuff so yeah it was a good game good win yeah and it just capped

[00:26:27] [SPEAKER_00]: off the NRL performance with just as good performance I think the NRL

[00:26:33] [SPEAKER_00]: Dragons are slightly better than the NRL W Dragons at the moment that could

[00:26:36] [SPEAKER_00]: change either way but just a dominant performance I don't know what the

[00:26:41] [SPEAKER_00]: crowd was in the end for that game I know some people hung around

[00:26:45] [SPEAKER_00]: initially I'm not sure how long they did but I'm sure as many Sharke's

[00:26:48] [SPEAKER_00]: could stick around as they as long as they could just outstanding it's just

[00:26:53] [SPEAKER_00]: it puts the icing on a really good season for the club in general long way

[00:26:58] [SPEAKER_00]: to go like two regular season games hopefully three successful finals games

[00:27:04] [SPEAKER_00]: but we are nearing the end like you know that's five or six weeks away from

[00:27:08] [SPEAKER_00]: the end and and the women's team I've got every reason to believe

[00:27:12] [SPEAKER_00]: they're gonna be there I'm sort of waiting for the wheels to fall off

[00:27:15] [SPEAKER_00]: but then last night that was just unbelievable and I don't think the wheels are gonna

[00:27:19] [SPEAKER_00]: fall off I think they're really well balanced team really well coached team

[00:27:22] [SPEAKER_00]: by Tony Herman and we'll see what happens against the Titans Titans are

[00:27:25] [SPEAKER_00]: pretty good and got some pretty good players so it's gonna be a tasty

[00:27:28] [SPEAKER_00]: clash next week but congratulations to all involved with the Sharks NRL W

[00:27:33] [SPEAKER_00]: team so far so good Warriors in the NRL this week Kieran they were

[00:27:41] [SPEAKER_00]: pretty bad against the doggies last week not diabolical but pretty bad given

[00:27:46] [SPEAKER_00]: the event that was Sean's last home game they called the stadium after him

[00:27:50] [SPEAKER_00]: for one week they ran out with the kids and he cried and all that kind of

[00:27:54] [SPEAKER_00]: thing and he had an okay game like he was up for a bit he looked like

[00:27:58] [SPEAKER_00]: the old Sean for a bit but as a team they just did not gel together

[00:28:02] [SPEAKER_00]: they actually didn't play very well at all the dogs were solid they weren't

[00:28:07] [SPEAKER_00]: phenomenal but they did enough to get the win and I have no fear this week

[00:28:12] [SPEAKER_00]: going in to play them the only fear I have is us being consistent I'm not at

[00:28:16] [SPEAKER_00]: all worried about what they do Sean could chip and chase he can do whatever

[00:28:19] [SPEAKER_00]: he wants I just think we're gonna be too strong this week and I think

[00:28:24] [SPEAKER_00]: we're gonna you know put the end to a great career but a forgettable

[00:28:29] [SPEAKER_01]: season for Shawnee I would love nothing more than to pump them by like

[00:28:32] [SPEAKER_01]: 70 80 points and just watch Sean Johnson walk off shark park in his

[00:28:36] [SPEAKER_01]: final game in Australia no he's got another one after this one but no I

[00:28:41] [SPEAKER_00]: think this is it they've got the Bible last week I think it's why they're

[00:28:45] [SPEAKER_01]: saying it's his last game oh well there you go so yeah look nothing

[00:28:49] [SPEAKER_01]: against Sean but um I think he's kind of like that poster boy for me for

[00:28:54] [SPEAKER_01]: those really weird years there that we had and like there would be

[00:28:58] [SPEAKER_01]: COVID stuff and all that type of thing so and also to you replaced my

[00:29:01] [SPEAKER_01]: time right so I know it wasn't a lifelike swap but that's kind of the guy

[00:29:07] [SPEAKER_01]: that came in and you know I tried to get behind it and just didn't work and

[00:29:12] [SPEAKER_01]: it never really felt like he kind of fit in I know that he loved the club

[00:29:16] [SPEAKER_01]: and he wanted to stay but it just never really it just didn't feel right

[00:29:19] [SPEAKER_01]: and having him at the Warriors feels like that's where he should be yeah

[00:29:23] [SPEAKER_00]: there's no real will from I would say the majority of fans like he's

[00:29:28] [SPEAKER_00]: quite likeable but I just think it a it's time B it's been a hell of a career

[00:29:34] [SPEAKER_00]: and see yeah I think hopefully we're gonna pump them and I don't say that

[00:29:38] [SPEAKER_00]: arrogantly I just think the way we're trending in the way they're

[00:29:41] [SPEAKER_00]: trending I mean yeah they could go look one more game for Sean of

[00:29:45] [SPEAKER_00]: course it's possible of course and we've seen some tight ones down

[00:29:48] [SPEAKER_00]: there we've seen him win games for them but again he's personally killed

[00:29:53] [SPEAKER_00]: us he has but he's pulled things out he has but I just don't think it'll

[00:29:58] [SPEAKER_00]: happen to me this week I just think they put they've put the full stop on their

[00:30:02] [SPEAKER_00]: season and we'll see what happens we'll see what happens I could be horribly

[00:30:06] [SPEAKER_00]: wrong but I'm kind of happy that we're playing them this week I think it's

[00:30:12] [SPEAKER_00]: old boys day I need to confirm that but I think it's old boys day it's

[00:30:15] [SPEAKER_00]: gonna be a full house imagine there's no reason why we can't go on that

[00:30:19] [SPEAKER_00]: we'll see what happened with Nico he may be playing I think they might

[00:30:23] [SPEAKER_00]: just chuck him in the squad for a bit of fun and we'll see how far that

[00:30:26] [SPEAKER_00]: takes it but he's confident he's telling everyone he's playing now he doesn't make

[00:30:31] [SPEAKER_00]: the decisions but he's telling everyone he's playing put it that way so we'll

[00:30:36] [SPEAKER_00]: see how far he goes where it goes but it's gonna be a great occasion and

[00:30:42] [SPEAKER_00]: possibly the last game of the year you don't know what's gonna happen

[00:30:44] [SPEAKER_00]: with the finals scenarios and you know the the politics and should we or

[00:30:49] [SPEAKER_00]: shouldn't we and we'll probably get into that right now but it could be

[00:30:53] [SPEAKER_00]: last game for the year you think it is leaning that way and I see us I see us

[00:30:59] [SPEAKER_00]: winning are you at all hesitant about this game the only thing that makes me

[00:31:03] [SPEAKER_01]: worried is that Sean Johnson has pulled out a number of like

[00:31:07] [SPEAKER_01]: performances against us when the Warriors haven't been traveling quite

[00:31:11] [SPEAKER_01]: well or we've been in control for a whole game and then next thing you

[00:31:15] [SPEAKER_01]: know Sean's pulled out one or two things and it's like what just

[00:31:18] [SPEAKER_01]: happened here how the hell are they winning now and I get back to even last

[00:31:23] [SPEAKER_01]: year when he played at Shark Park you know he killed us so that's the only

[00:31:27] [SPEAKER_01]: thing that I'm worried about but you know if I was to rank the Dragons

[00:31:31] [SPEAKER_01]: Warriors and Manly games or which ones I was most nervous about I think

[00:31:36] [SPEAKER_01]: definitely the Dragons game I was very nervous about just because again

[00:31:39] [SPEAKER_01]: we won eight in a row flannel local derby all that stuff the Manly game

[00:31:44] [SPEAKER_01]: at Brookvale Manly can score points you never know which manly

[00:31:47] [SPEAKER_01]: is going to turn up but when they turn up they're really good I'd say the

[00:31:50] [SPEAKER_01]: Warriors was probably down the bottom but I feel like all this expectation now

[00:31:54] [SPEAKER_01]: that I'm putting on this and thinking that we're gonna win it's I've been in

[00:31:59] [SPEAKER_00]: this situation before so yeah there's no there's no guarantees I'm just

[00:32:03] [SPEAKER_00]: basing it on performances this year and the Warriors really have not had

[00:32:07] [SPEAKER_00]: too many standout performances Sean hasn't had too many performances

[00:32:10] [SPEAKER_00]: that have been fantastic and as I said if they all bond as a group if

[00:32:15] [SPEAKER_00]: Blake is playing I don't know if he is for no Blake but if he is and he wants

[00:32:20] [SPEAKER_00]: to do a number well you know what maybe he wants to say hey look who's

[00:32:23] [SPEAKER_00]: coming next year and maybe if he's playing I think he's up for a

[00:32:26] [SPEAKER_00]: judiciary kind of issue but if he's if he somehow makes the field he might

[00:32:30] [SPEAKER_00]: want to go you know what I'll see you next year boys this is what we're

[00:32:33] [SPEAKER_00]: gonna get or he might just take it easy on us I'm not really sure but

[00:32:38] [SPEAKER_00]: it's gonna be it's gonna be fun it's gonna be fun we've got a fun fun

[00:32:43] [SPEAKER_00]: month ahead of us Kieran I hope you got your seat belt on because there's gonna

[00:32:48] [SPEAKER_00]: be some ups and downs I'm hoping more ups but just emotionally it's gonna be

[00:32:52] [SPEAKER_01]: a bit of a ride yeah and I keep going back to alright where are we sitting

[00:32:58] [SPEAKER_01]: right now on the ladder and so the sharks are sitting in third position

[00:33:01] [SPEAKER_01]: right now and we haven't really seen them kick into gear there's been some

[00:33:06] [SPEAKER_01]: signs over the last few weeks that they are building towards something but

[00:33:10] [SPEAKER_01]: I think when you look back at this season we've lost as many games as

[00:33:13] [SPEAKER_01]: Penrith has and I again I'll say this again I rate Penrith very very highly I

[00:33:18] [SPEAKER_01]: think they're a better team than us at the moment but I think that gives

[00:33:21] [SPEAKER_01]: some perspective for where we currently sit because again we had so many

[00:33:26] [SPEAKER_01]: excuses this year to drop the bundle and to fall out of the eights or to

[00:33:30] [SPEAKER_01]: be fighting in those lower eight positions like we kind of did last

[00:33:33] [SPEAKER_01]: year but they've had a different resiliency this year that whole next

[00:33:37] [SPEAKER_01]: man up outside of one or two really poor performances they've put together

[00:33:43] [SPEAKER_01]: a good season and I think I think Dan was even saying this last night I think

[00:33:46] [SPEAKER_01]: this is a better Sharks team than you know 2022 and I do tend to agree with

[00:33:51] [SPEAKER_01]: that because again they've spent time together Trindle and Nicko

[00:33:54] [SPEAKER_01]: have spent you know a lot of time on this combination so hopefully we can

[00:33:58] [SPEAKER_01]: get that on the field and see them playing well but I feel like right

[00:34:02] [SPEAKER_01]: now getting all these troops back we don't touch wood have any long-term

[00:34:06] [SPEAKER_01]: injuries at the moment you got to be fit in September to do things you look at

[00:34:10] [SPEAKER_01]: the Panthers they've lost Cleary we're getting Nico back so it's looking like

[00:34:15] [SPEAKER_01]: we're going on we're building something for the next few weeks and

[00:34:19] [SPEAKER_01]: I've bought my tickets to Brookvale I'll be at that game I'll be at the

[00:34:23] [SPEAKER_01]: game on this weekend and I'll definitely be there at the finals too

[00:34:26] [SPEAKER_01]: so looking forward to some fun nights at the footy now you say we

[00:34:28] [SPEAKER_00]: haven't clicked in the gear we've won four in a row three of those

[00:34:32] [SPEAKER_00]: games have been by 14 points or more in margin that's crazy four of the six

[00:34:37] [SPEAKER_00]: we've kept teams to 10 points or less some of the games we've scored 58 points

[00:34:42] [SPEAKER_00]: 44 points 38 points now the only asterix there is it's West Tigers

[00:34:47] [SPEAKER_00]: South Titans Newcastle Dragons so that's that's the only point where you

[00:34:53] [SPEAKER_00]: might go well kicked in the gear but if I look at the season as a whole

[00:34:57] [SPEAKER_00]: we've lost to West Tigers at Leichhardt lost to Penrith at home lost to Para away

[00:35:04] [SPEAKER_00]: lost the Dolphins at home lost the Titans in Coffs Harbour lost to the

[00:35:09] [SPEAKER_00]: Cowboys away I mean some of those are really winnable games and they

[00:35:12] [SPEAKER_00]: hopefully learnt their lessons I don't think we're not deserving to be

[00:35:16] [SPEAKER_00]: where we are in third and I think that if people want to write us off

[00:35:19] [SPEAKER_00]: because of finals history or whatever it's like well that was in the past

[00:35:23] [SPEAKER_00]: this is a new year you're telling me teams don't grow players don't grow

[00:35:28] [SPEAKER_00]: they don't learn coaches don't learn I think Fitzgibbon is and I say this as

[00:35:33] [SPEAKER_00]: an Anabash fan he's coaching his butt off man like I'm so impressed with the

[00:35:38] [SPEAKER_00]: changes he's making the changes to his style even some of the bench stuff

[00:35:42] [SPEAKER_00]: he's doing is a little bit better I think there's just so much improvement

[00:35:45] [SPEAKER_00]: this year and as you say we had every right to sort of give it all up

[00:35:48] [SPEAKER_00]: Nico Hynes gone for a whole bunch of games you know the Harv's never

[00:35:52] [SPEAKER_00]: really getting much time together we've seen outside backs be out for numerous

[00:35:58] [SPEAKER_00]: weeks at different times forward pack being a little bit injured time to

[00:36:03] [SPEAKER_00]: time like there's been reasons to give it up but we're sitting in third

[00:36:05] [SPEAKER_00]: ahead of Penrith I mean that's pretty good well and I think the big

[00:36:09] [SPEAKER_01]: thing is when you look at this team now compared to I'm just pulled

[00:36:13] [SPEAKER_01]: up the team that played in the finals versus the Roosters last year

[00:36:16] [SPEAKER_01]: okay so if you remember that we were we had a lot of injuries so Will

[00:36:20] [SPEAKER_01]: Kennedy wasn't playing there was talk to be rushing back blah blah blah in the

[00:36:25] [SPEAKER_01]: end we had to pull the trigger and we said no so we had Conor Tracy at

[00:36:28] [SPEAKER_01]: fullback we were still working out what we did with Cypher in the

[00:36:31] [SPEAKER_01]: sentence so Ero wasn't there we we didn't have Teague Wilton at the time

[00:36:35] [SPEAKER_01]: so Teague was injured he was out we had Wade Graham playing on the edge

[00:36:39] [SPEAKER_01]: our front row was Royce Hunt and Toby Rudolph so again we didn't have

[00:36:44] [SPEAKER_01]: Hamon Ewelly so these guys now getting fit if you look at our bench

[00:36:48] [SPEAKER_01]: as well we had Williams Hazelton Cofusi and Colhoon now that's not a

[00:36:53] [SPEAKER_01]: bad bench but I would argue the form of those players outside of Colhoon

[00:36:57] [SPEAKER_01]: who's currently injured they're all playing better football right now

[00:37:00] [SPEAKER_01]: than they were this time last year so I can see the fact that we are

[00:37:05] [SPEAKER_01]: building something and we're going in the right direction I just think I

[00:37:09] [SPEAKER_01]: would love to see us get those four guys that were out yesterday back

[00:37:13] [SPEAKER_01]: this week so we can have two weeks to prepare for the finals because I

[00:37:18] [SPEAKER_01]: think Fitz touched on it in a press conference yesterday it's nice to know

[00:37:22] [SPEAKER_01]: that we're there now and that's we you know we're locked in and all that

[00:37:25] [SPEAKER_01]: type of stuff and the way that the draw is sort of shaking out we can

[00:37:28] [SPEAKER_01]: start to sort of see where we're gonna land but I think the

[00:37:31] [SPEAKER_01]: difference between the finals history in the past you go back to 2022 that

[00:37:36] [SPEAKER_01]: game against the Cowboys took everything out of the club and then

[00:37:39] [SPEAKER_01]: they were busted when they went and played Souths and Souths absolutely

[00:37:42] [SPEAKER_01]: pumped the Sharks but that team was never gonna do anything after

[00:37:47] [SPEAKER_01]: that Cowboys lost because of the injuries and you know that whole drain

[00:37:51] [SPEAKER_01]: that we went through right so it's a different mood which is why I can kind

[00:37:55] [SPEAKER_01]: of see the ambush happening in that first finals game but look I'm a

[00:37:59] [SPEAKER_01]: desperate you know I want to believe I am a keep it realist but I do want

[00:38:04] [SPEAKER_01]: to believe and I think everyone's firing everyone's fit our bench is

[00:38:08] [SPEAKER_01]: looking good at the moment let's get the guys back this week and see what

[00:38:11] [SPEAKER_00]: we can do so the only scary thing there is it's still two games away

[00:38:14] [SPEAKER_00]: from the ambush and we need to make sure it all goes well as far as injuries

[00:38:20] [SPEAKER_00]: you need to do it in both but you also need to stay injury free yes absolutely

[00:38:25] [SPEAKER_01]: and you need to work out what you're gonna do with Dan Atkinson because

[00:38:28] [SPEAKER_01]: right now his form is very good and it's gonna be very very difficult to

[00:38:34] [SPEAKER_01]: work out what we what we do with that bench and where we play Akko but

[00:38:37] [SPEAKER_01]: again to fit his point is I'll worry about that an hour before kickoff

[00:38:41] [SPEAKER_01]: because you know even look at the Nico situation Nico was was gonna be named on

[00:38:45] [SPEAKER_01]: that Tuesday you know he's our leader everything was going great and then he

[00:38:49] [SPEAKER_01]: go down training so you just never know what's around the corner so

[00:38:52] [SPEAKER_01]: fingers crossed everybody can say fit but I guess my point is this is the

[00:38:56] [SPEAKER_01]: first time where we're going into September with everybody on deck so

[00:38:59] [SPEAKER_00]: I'm excited about that we are out of time Kieran so we're not gonna play

[00:39:04] [SPEAKER_00]: any fun and games on this episode but you'll be back for another

[00:39:07] [SPEAKER_00]: episode soon and we can have as much fun and games as you want super

[00:39:11] [SPEAKER_00]: appreciate you jumping on at this early stage of our Monday morning thanks

[00:39:16] [SPEAKER_00]: everyone for listening to all the episodes this week we did a whole

[00:39:19] [SPEAKER_00]: bunch which was fun Derby week we try and amp it up and we got to do that

[00:39:22] [SPEAKER_00]: which was great and appreciate all your feedback and listenership on the

[00:39:26] [SPEAKER_00]: shows viewership on some of the YouTube and we'll just keep them

[00:39:31] [SPEAKER_00]: coming when we can so stay tuned to Shark Cast Pod we are gonna amp it up

[00:39:36] [SPEAKER_00]: as much as we can running into the finals because we're pretty excited

[00:39:39] [SPEAKER_00]: Kieran it was great if the Sharks send us these matching jackets we

[00:39:42] [SPEAKER_00]: appreciate their support thanks to Barnsie and Ash at the the shark shop

[00:39:48] [SPEAKER_00]: great place if you want to go check it out we're gonna get out of here

[00:39:51] [SPEAKER_00]: Kieran we will play the song on the podcast so that'll be fun for you

[00:39:55] [SPEAKER_00]: feel the scene on the podcast here comes a song sing along and we will

[00:39:59] [SPEAKER_00]: talk to you soon Kieran have a great week buddy and remember wrestling is

[00:40:03] [SPEAKER_00]: real people are fake up up

[00:40:36] [SPEAKER_02]: now's the time to see good football for the Sharks are here

[00:41:14] the boys in the black white and blue

[00:41:23] up up

[00:41:25] up up

[00:41:30] [SPEAKER_02]: SHARKS

[00:41:32] [SPEAKER_02]: forever

[00:41:34] [SPEAKER_02]: Go out and play without fear Now's the time to see good football

[00:41:41] [SPEAKER_02]: For the Sharks are here at the Sharks!