Coach clips 'flat' Sharks in 'men against boys' shocker

May 30, 2024 Sports 98 Views

Craig Fitzgibbon has remained defiant after the Sharks “flat” display against the Eels

The Eels were victorious in front of a home crowd on Thursday night, with a 34-22 win over the ladder-leading Sharks ending Parramatta’s five-game losing streak.

The defeat marks the second consecutive loss for Fitzgibbon’s side, with last week’s errors during Cronulla’s 42-0 thrashing at the hands of the Panthers evidently unable to be brushed off.

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Fitzgibbon said he was “uncomfortable” sitting in the coaches box and witnessing his team crumble, stating that Cronulla had “no excuse” for a poor performance.

“It was uncomfortable… We were just doing everything a bit flat,” the Sharks coach told reporters during his post-match press conference.

“It was a flat performance. We got jumped on energy.

“I thought they put us on the back foot straight off the bat. And there were a lot of poor defensive lapses. Just really simple stuff.

Will Penisini celebrates with team mates after scoring a try. Getty

“[The players] weren’t in position, missing tackles, and falling over each other,” he continued.

“There was a flat energy there. They tried to hang in there for the most part but (the Eels) were in control for most of the game.

“We can’t blame the five-day turnaround. There are no excuses. It is what it is.

“We need to go back to the drawing board and get ready for next week.”

Without the star talent of Nicho Hynes and Cameron McInnes, who were both absent due to Origin duties, the Sharks struggled to make inroads.

Despite the Sharks scoring the first try through Sione Katoa, Parramatta responded with three back-to-back tries.

“It was a training gallop,” Andrew Johns noted of how easily the Eels scored.

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Junior Paulo of the Eels scores a try. Getty

After the final siren sounded, Johns revealed his concerns about the worrying state of the Sharks’ defence over the past two weeks, claiming that it looks like the side may be about to enter a “flat period”.

“It’s a real worry this Sharks defence … they are going through a bit of a flat period,” he said.

“They’ve been a different team tonight, Parramatta. They’d beat a lot of teams the way they’ve played tonight.”

“It (was) just a game of men (against) boys,” Phil Gould claimed.