Beating Canberra in week one of the NRL finals is a "big ask" for Cronulla, says Sharks great Paul Gallen.
The Sharks go into the clash in the nation's capital without a win against a top eight team, and went down to a vastly under strength Raiders in round 20 in a try-scoring shoot-out.
The Raiders were without nine regular first grade players and blooded a host of rookies, yet it was the Sharks who committed a "comedy of errors" according to coach John Morris after his side failed to field the kick-off three times after restarts.
Speaking on Wide World of Sports' The Final Whistle, Gallen described the Sharks' error rate as "ridiculous" and lamented his former team's poor performances against the better sides in the competition.
NRL great PAUL GALLEN will appear on Nine's 100% FOOTY tonight, debating rugby league's big issues alongside Phil Gould and James Bracey. Watch from 10.10pm AEST!
"Their performances this year haven't been great against top-eight sides. It's going to be a big ask for them to go to Canberra against a star-studded side. Their biggest issue has been defence," Gallen said.
Cronulla have undergone a transformation under new coach John Morris, who is two seasons into the job. The club's on-field identity was shaped by its attitude on the defensive side of the ball under former coach Shane Flanagan, according to Gallen.
That style of play led the Sharks to their only premiership in 2016 and the NRL great said it was clear the side's focus had shifted since he captained them to their drought-breaking title win.
"The Sharks that I've known have changed, that's due to a change of coach and personnel. It's not an insult. It's not a criticism. Different coaches coach differently," Gallen pointed out.
"Shane Flanagan and guys around him like Steve Price had a real focus on defence. I think there's more of a focus on attack at the moment.
"They're scoring 30-odd points a game but they're also leaking 30 points a game. You need to get that balance right and they probably haven't done that this season. It's going to be a big ask."
Beating Canberra in week one of the NRL finals is a "big ask" for Cronulla, says Sharks great Paul Gallen.
The Sharks go into the clash in the nation's capital without a win against a top eight team, and went down to a vastly under strength Raiders in round 20 in a try-scoring shoot-out.
The Raiders were without nine regular first grade players and blooded a host of rookies, yet it was the Sharks who committed a "comedy of errors" according to coach John Morris after his side failed to field the kick-off three times after restarts.
Speaking on Wide World of Sports' The Final Whistle, Gallen described the Sharks' error rate as "ridiculous" and lamented his former team's poor performances against the better sides in the competition.
NRL great PAUL GALLEN will appear on Nine's 100% FOOTY tonight, debating rugby league's big issues alongside Phil Gould and James Bracey. Watch from 10.10pm AEST!
"Their performances this year haven't been great against top-eight sides. It's going to be a big ask for them to go to Canberra against a star-studded side. Their biggest issue has been defence," Gallen said.
Cronulla have undergone a transformation under new coach John Morris, who is two seasons into the job. The club's on-field identity was shaped by its attitude on the defensive side of the ball under former coach Shane Flanagan, according to Gallen.
That style of play led the Sharks to their only premiership in 2016 and the NRL great said it was clear the side's focus had shifted since he captained them to their drought-breaking title win.
"The Sharks that I've known have changed, that's due to a change of coach and personnel. It's not an insult. It's not a criticism. Different coaches coach differently," Gallen pointed out.
"Shane Flanagan and guys around him like Steve Price had a real focus on defence. I think there's more of a focus on attack at the moment.
"They're scoring 30-odd points a game but they're also leaking 30 points a game. You need to get that balance right and they probably haven't done that this season. It's going to be a big ask."
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