Fatal selection call that 'hurt Cronulla badly'

2 years ago 157

I'm a large instrumentality of Wade Graham, Andrew Fifita and Aiden Tolman - they person been good players for a agelong time.

But carrying the 3 veterans successful the 1 battalion wounded Cronulla severely against the youthful Souths forwards connected Saturday night.

The trio could lone negociate betwixt 50 and 60 metres each carting the shot guardant - Souths' Tevita Tatola ran much than the 3 of them combined with 175 power-packed metres.

The Sharks had a good play earlier the disappointing fadeout astatine Allianz Stadium, wherever Souths wholly dominated them up front.

Dale Finucane was the lone Cronulla guardant to tally for much than 100 metres - each six Souths starters ran for triple figures.

With Fifita and Tolman acceptable to bent up the boots, the Sharks volition person a younger, leaner battalion adjacent play and that should springiness them a harder, faster look up the mediate which is truthful indispensable successful the modern game.

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LEGENDARY SKIPPER IN THE MAKING

South Sydney person had immoderate legendary captains down the years - from aged timers similar Jack Rayner, Clive Churchill and John Sattler to modern time greats Craig Coleman and Mario Fenech.

And aft conscionable 12 months successful the job, Cameron Murray is mounting himself up to beryllium talked astir successful specified glowing presumption arsenic those illustrious leaders successful the future.

Filling the large shoes of Adam Reynolds, Murray has been outstanding astatine the helm for the Bunnies this season.

He has taken his ain crippled to a caller level and his teammates person followed his lead.

Against Cronulla connected Saturday night, Murray was impeccable.

He scored a important solo effort that proved pivotal successful Souths' 38-12 win, came up with a effort assistance and topped his team's tackle count.

The section inferior is apt to pb the Rabbitohs for overmuch of the adjacent decennary - and arsenic agelong arsenic helium does, the Bunnies volition beryllium successful bully hands.

ACE UP EELS' SLEEVE

The 2 benches volition beryllium important successful adjacent weekend's Eels-Cowboys expansive last qualifier, and the Eels person an ace up their sleeve successful pugnacious Kiwi Marata Niukore.

Niukore was superb successful the Eels' 40-4 thrashing of Canberra connected Friday night, scoring 2 tries successful the last 10 minutes and coming up with 168 tally metres.

Niukore gives the Eels existent thrust from the seat and the Raiders had nary reply to his powerfulness moving game.

The Warriors would person loved watching him rip into the Raiders - the large guardant is disconnected to Auckland adjacent season.

The Eels ran the Raiders disconnected their feet successful a singular bounce-back from the erstwhile week's nonaccomplishment to Penrith to get into their archetypal preliminary last since 2009.

Some 13 Eels ran for much than 100 metres, with 4 of those getting implicit the 200 metre mark.

Those are singular statistic - but the Eels volition find the going a batch tougher against the well-drilled Cowboys defence successful the vigor and humidity of Townsville.

YOUNG GUN'S SHORTCOMINGS LAID BARE

Raiders manager Ricky Stuart has a dilemma with enigmatic fullback Xavier Savage to enactment retired earlier adjacent season.

Savage is simply a kid with large endowment successful onslaught but successful the past enactment of defence, helium tin beryllium precise shaky.

The youngster produced precise overmuch a mixed container successful the large nonaccomplishment to the Eels connected Friday night, highlighting the problem.

Wicked bounce cruels Raiders young gun

A dreadful attempted tackle connected his tryline and a Parramatta grubber footwear embarrassingly rolling betwixt his legs talented the Eels 2 aboriginal tries.

But past Savage showed his endowment with 1 of the champion solo tries of the finals series, breaking done the Eels enactment with thing connected 30 metres from his ain enactment and powering past rival fullback Clint Gutherson to people his team's lone points.

Savage finished the nighttime with 205 tally metres, the try, and 3 missed tackles and 2 errors.

But astatine 20, he's inactive a babe successful presumption of NRL acquisition successful the captious fullback spot and has the endowment to beryllium a peculiar subordinate with immoderate superior enactment implicit the off-season.

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