NRL 2021: Eels v Sharks round 3, Sharks rocked by horror casualty ward
Coach John Morris’s bid to avoid the sack wasn’t helped by a slew of injuries in a brave loss to the Parramatta Eels.
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John Morris should have brought his boots. The Cronulla coach took his place on a lonely Sharks bench after half-time pondering life as an NRL coach.
All he could do was produce a wry smile as he looked around and the normally buzzing interchange bench was empty of players as a horror injury toll joined a growing list of unfortunate results surrounding the Sharks.
Last week it was Chad Townsend’s boot which cost them victory.
This week it was an unprecedented casualty ward. All this with Morris’s coaching future on the line.
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Say what you want about the Sharks but they have been nothing but gallant.
They conceded just two points in the opening 30 minutes of the second half with just 13 players before points flowed in the final 10 minutes with the players out on their feet.
Morris said he had never seen carnage like it. He never used an interchange card.
“In 20 years as a player and coach I’ve never seen a team down to 13 players in the first half,” Morris said. “We had front-rowers defending as backrowers, backrowers defending in the centres. Our whole side was shot to pieces. They were so brave and showed what they are made of. So proud to be their coach.
“I just challenged them it’s an opportunity to show what we’re made of. They passed with flying colours.”
Starting second-rowers Wade Graham and Briton Nikora were ruled out with concussion while winger Sione Katoa limped from the field with a serious knee injury. This happened with 10 minutes remaining in the first half.
Their woes were compounded when fullback Will Kennedy became the third Cronulla player to fail a HIA when he could not return after the break.
With the Eels also losing Mitchell Moses before the break, debate will rage on about the introduction of emergency players.
Remarkably Cronulla trailed by just six at half-time. Their starting middles Aaron Woods, Toby Rudolf and Braden Hamlin-Uele played out the entire match.
Almost the entirety of the backline was makeshift. Josh Dugan played on the wing. His inside men switched from Nikora to Teig Wilton and then Jack Williams.
The left hand side already had Connor Tracey playing his first game as a starting centre. Tracey then filled in at fullback for Kennedy.
Dugan said his side “can hold our heads high.”
“That’s the first time in my career that I’ve finished with no bench,” Dugan said. “That’s why we have pre-seasons, we get our reps in at training so if you do get thrown in those situations you do know your role. I don’t think Jack has played centre before. Our boys were out on their feet.”
Tracey managed the effort to stop a rampaging Blake Ferguson from scoring the opening try of the second half by forcing the ball free.
Getting a read on where Cronulla is at has become increasingly difficult but they are now 1-2 to start the season.
Just like last year they threaten to beat the top sides but fall short consistently. This year is shaping as no different.
Morris said: “I don’t know what will come our way next week” when they play the Cowboys.
But the courage and how much they play for each other and their coach is almost certainly a show of support. Now Morris just needs the same from the Cronulla hierarchy.
DEBATE ON CONCUSSION SUBS
- By Martin Gabor
The calls for a concussion substitute will only grow louder after the Sharks were forced to play the entire second half with an empty bench as Parramatta claimed a 28-4 win to continue their perfect start to the season.
Just hours after the Raiders had to play 67 minutes with just one player on the bench, Cronulla were faced with an even more daunting task when they lost three players to head knocks and had Sione Katoa carried off with a knee injury in the first half.
Eels halfback Mitch Moses had wobbly legs after copping a knee to the head while trying to tackle Jack Williams in the first half, but his coach is confident he will be fine to take on the Wests Tigers on Easter Monday.
“He wanted to come back out, but he was in no condition to. He’s fine,” a relieved Brad Arthur said.
The shocking spate of injuries this weekend will only heighten the debate for the introduction of an 18th man, although the idea has been met with plenty of resistance so far.
The farcical and dangerous scenes ruined any chance Cronulla may have had, but for the second week running, they produced the sort of defensive resolve against a premiership heavyweight that should see their coach re-signed.
Fill-in fullback Connor Tracey produced a gem of a tackle to deny the much heavier Blake Ferguson, while their makeshift backline turned up time and time again until they were overcome by fatigue.
“Never have I seen a team go down to 13 players at half-time. We didn’t even use one interchange,” John Morris said.
“For them to hang on, they were so brave. I’m so proud to be their coach on a day like today. They did the club proud.”
Fan favourite Maika Sivo scored yet another try at Bankwest Stadium, but he too came off for an HIA which he passed, and teammate Will Smith had a dislocated finger popped back into place as doctors were pushed to the brink.
CARNAGE
Life was already tough enough for forwards with the speed of the game pushed to unprecedented levels in 2021, and that’s before you factor in situations where they are forced to play 80 minutes because there isn’t a fit player available to replace them.
Saturday’s freakish events meant Cronulla’s engine room of Braden Hamlin-Uele, Aaron Woods and Toby Rudolf had to play the entire game, while their backline was unrecognisable with people filling in wherever possible.
Players are fitter than ever, but the quality of footy quickly drops off when one team barely has the energy to get onside.
Morris joked that he would offer former skipper Paul Gallen a $1 contract as they try to field 17 players for next week’s game against the Cowboys.
“We’ve got a number of injuries already so it’s not going to get any easier,” he said.
“It’s a next man in mindset so the next one in will pull the jumper on and do us proud.”
SLIPPERY EELS
Their execution in the first half was sloppy at best as they repeatedly dropped the ball inside the attacking 20, but Parramatta fans should be happy with what they saw after the break.
Ferguson had the nearly 20,000 in attendance in raptures when he dusted off his trademark backflip after scoring his second try, while Reagan Campbell-Gillard and Ray Stone grabbed meat pies that would make any forward proud.
They were helped massively by the fact they were up against a team running on empty with players out of position, but you can’t take anything away from the Eels who were without their general for much of the contest.
“I like the fact that we were patient and didn’t lose our cool,” their proud coach said.
“We stayed calm. I knew once we got one (try) that we’d get a couple. I thought we were professional at the backend of the game.”
SCRUMPTIOUS
The NRL has got plenty of rule changes right over the years, but the quest to eliminate scrums should not be on the agenda after the Sharks scored their second try in 2021 from a set move.
After catching the Dragons by surprise in Round 1, John Morris unleashed another pet play to open the scoring at Bankwest Stadium, with Sione Katoa diving over untouched in the right corner.
Instead of caving in, the NRL should reward enterprising coaches who are smart enough to use the new rules to their advantage.
“I hope they don’t get rid of them because we love attacking from scrums,” Morris said.
“It’s a really exciting part of the game.”
COACHES SPLIT ON CONCUSSION SUBS
Rival coaches John Morris and Brad Arthur were split on the push to introduce an emergency player onto the interchange bench.
There have been calls for the introduction of a concussion substitution – an 18th or 19th player to be called upon if a team is reduced to a smaller bench rotation because of concussion.
The Sharks lost three players with Wade Graham, Will Kennedy and Briton Nikora through concussion in the first half. A knee injury to Sione Katoa left them with no bench players for the final 40 minutes.
Morris said initially he did not support the push for an emergency sub but after watching the carnage unfold to his side he has changed his stance.
“I would’ve liked another player to use,” Morris said. “The protocols are strict with the HIA if we’re going to be strict and rule them out with the headknocks we need to lenient with the plan if you lose three or four. I was 50/50 when it first came out.”
Morris said he was concerned about leaving his big men on the field for 80 minutes. The likes of Toby Rudolf, Aaron Woods and Braden Hamlin-Uele had to play the whole match.
“The 13 players out on the field are out on their feet,” We need to bring some of those guys off. It’s hard to handle when you lose that amount of players.
“If we’re going to be strict with the welfare (we need to) provide extra cover.”
While Eels coach Arthur sympathised with Cronulla’s plight and praised their resolve he said he was comfortable with keeping just four fresh reserves.
“I know it was in our favour today,” Arthur said. “My preference is no. I like sometimes you have to role your sleeves up and have performances that builds your whole season. Cronulla was brave as. They should be proud of their efforts.”
Originally published as NRL 2021: Eels v Sharks round 3, Sharks rocked by horror casualty ward
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