The NRL sledge that lingers
The words uttered after Cronulla won their maiden title could propel them to their next one.
The 2016 NRL premiership victory was labelled ‘‘soft’’ at the time by Penrith supremo Phil Gould, despite the Sharks outlasting a star-studded Melbourne in a gripping decider.
The Sharks haven’t lost a game to the Panthers since, with the players chanting ‘‘three cheers for Gus’’ after beating them at home in early 2017.
It has been almost two years since Gould’s comment, but it may still be ringing in the ears of Cronulla players ahead of their elimination clash against the mountain men tonight.
Reminded of the jibe this week, Cronulla coach Shane Flanagan said: ‘‘We’re on a different journey in 2018.’’
However, Flanagan said every NRL title was difficult to win and shouldn’t be denigrated. ‘‘I said at the time it was disrespectful and my opinion hasn’t changed,’’ he said.
‘‘To win a competition, you need a lot of things to go right. It is so hard to win a competition.
‘‘The Dragons-Broncos game is a classic example of what the competition is like. No one gave them [the Dragons] a chance and they blew the Broncos off the park on their own home ground.
‘‘You need to be ready every weekend and semifinals are no different. The competition is so close. No one can guarantee who is going to win any game.’’
Only one win separated minor premiers the Roosters and the eighth-placed Warriors in what was statistically the closest regular season on record. And there is unlikely to be anything ‘‘soft’’ about the latest Sharks-Panthers
‘‘I said at the time it was disrespectful and my opinion hasn’t changed.’’ Cronulla coach Shane Flanagan, left on a 2016 comment from Penrith supremo Phil Gould, right
battle given the recent history between the teams.
Gould and Flanagan had to work together to make the Matt Moylan-James Maloney trade a reality, adding a further subplot to an already intriguing clash. Moylan has played his best football of the season for Cronulla when taking on his former club, while Maloney has a knack of getting his teams into, and often winning, grand finals.
‘‘He’s been fantastic for us,’’ Flanagan said of Moylan.
‘‘He’s done a great job fitting into the club really well, he’s happy and playing great football.
‘‘It wasn’t a swap – everyone
seems to think it was a swap. It definitely wasn’t a swap.’’
Gould has also been critical of Paul Gallen over the years, but the pair have sufficiently smoothed their differences over to become co-panelists on the Nine Network’s 100% Footy programme.
Gallen said Maloney was ‘‘distracted’’ while playing for the Sharks last season, but is wary of what the NSW pivot can produce at this time of year. Asked if the Cronulla forwards will attempt to target Maloney – who has missed an NRL-high 154 tackles this season – Gallen said: ‘‘Not really. I know what Jimmy is like, he’ll
just hit someone in the head.
‘‘He doesn’t care if he gives penalties away, we know that. He’ll just hit someone in the head and say: ‘Don’t come here again!’
‘‘I know what he’s like, that’s what he used to say when he played here.’’