Sharks to face new coach, new challenge, against Warriors on Sunday

Author: Sharks Media
Timestamp: Sat 11 Jun 2022, 06:00 PM

The Warriors team will largely remain the same, however they will have a different man in charge when they face the Sharks in Redcliffe on Sunday.

Nathan Brown has made way for Kiwi legend Stacy Jones as head coach of the New Zealand side, with this weekend his first game in control, potentially throwing up a new set of challenges for a Sharks team coming off a loss, before a last round bye.

Comfortable 29-10 winners when the two teams met at PointsBet Stadium just five weeks ago, in a memorable match where they played three-quarters of the game with 12 men and another 10 minutes with only 11, Sunday shapes as a fresh start for the Warriors and an awkward assignment for the Sharks.

“It’s a new situation for them but they’ve got a legend of the game and their club in Stacey Jones taking over,” Matt Moylan said.

“We’re going to have to prepare well and get out there and put in a good performance to bounce back from our last game.”

Known for their physical and flamboyant style, Moylan and the Sharks are aware of where the attacking threats will come from, the task then being to stop them.

“If we can limit the opportunities of some of their strike players, Reece Walsh, Shaun (Johnson), a couple of their outside backs, it’ll put us in good stead,” Moylan added. “But we’re going to have to play good footy.”

While the match is about the Sharks resurrecting their charge towards a spot in the top four, it is probably more about how the Warriors will respond to a mid-season coaching change.

The eighth coach to start mid-season in the NRL since the start of 2020, Jones played 261 games and scored 77 tries for the Warriors between 1995 and 2009, represented the Kiwis in 46 Tests and was awarded the Golden Boot in 2002.

Since retiring Jones has coached the Warriors to the Holden Cup Premiership in 2014, for two seasons was coach of the Warriors NSW Cup side in 2015-16 and was in charge of the their NRL 9s squad in 2017.

Jones and Sharks head coach Craig Fitzgibbon were rivals in the 2002 Grand Final, with both men scoring a try in the match won by the Roosters.

In the head-to-head stats from the 45 matches played between the two clubs the Sharks hold the advantage with 27 wins, the Warriors 18.

The Sharks have won nine of the past 11, including the most recent encounter when the Cronulla side came out on top despite Will Kennedy being sent off in the 17th minute for a high shot on fullback Walsh. That victory saw the Sharks become the first team to win with a player sent off in the opening half since Manly beat Canberra way back in round 12, 2008.

Making worse for the Sharks that afternoon, or perhaps for the Warriors who weren’t able to take advantage of having extra men of the field, it was 11 against 13 when Jesse Ramien was sin binned in the 54th minute. During that period the Sharks didn’t concede a point.

The Sharks come into this contest sitting in sixth position on the NRL ladder with a seven and five record, the Warriors are 14th having won just four of 13 games in 2022.

The Warriors, who suffered their fifth straight loss and their second biggest defeat this season in losing to Manly 44-12 last week, are chasing their 300th win in what will be their 669th NRL match.

Prior to the bye, the Sharks lost 36-16 to the Roosters in Round 12, their most points conceded and equal biggest loss this season

In team news, Johnson, who played 44 matches from 2019-2021 for Cronulla, will take on his former club for the second time this year following his return to the Warriors, while Jesse Ramien is back in the Sharks line up after a three-game suspension for a careless high tackle on Euan Aitken in the round 9 Warriors match.

Ramien comes back into the Sharks side at the expense of Connor Tracey who has been named on an extended reserves bench.

The Sharks v Warriors match is the last of the NRL’s round 14, kicking off at 6.15pm on Sunday at Moreton Daily Stadium in Redcliffe.

See below the two 19-man squads.

Round 14 - Round 14 - Sunday 12 Jun

Full Time

Warriors

Sharks

Team Lists

Backs

Fullback for Warriors is number 1 Reece Walsh

Fullback for Sharks is number 1 William Kennedy
Winger for Warriors is number 2 Dallin Watene-Zelezniak

Winger for Sharks is number 2 Sione Katoa
Centre for Warriors is number 3 Rocco Berry

Centre for Sharks is number 3 Jesse Ramien
Centre for Warriors is number 4 Adam Pompey

Centre for Sharks is number 4 Siosifa Talakai
Winger for Warriors is number 5 Marcelo Montoya

Winger for Sharks is number 5 Ronaldo Mulitalo
Five-Eighth for Warriors is number 6 Chanel Harris-Tavita

Five-Eighth for Sharks is number 6 Matt Moylan
Halfback for Warriors is number 7 Shaun Johnson

Halfback for Sharks is number 7 Nicholas Hynes

Forwards

Prop for Warriors is number 8 Ben Murdoch-Masila

Prop for Sharks is number 8 Toby Rudolf
Hooker for Warriors is number 9 Wayde Egan

Hooker for Sharks is number 9 Blayke Brailey
Prop for Warriors is number 10 Jazz Tevaga

Prop for Sharks is number 10 Royce Hunt
2nd Row for Warriors is number 11 Euan Aitken

2nd Row for Sharks is number 11 Briton Nikora
2nd Row for Warriors is number 13 Jack Murchie

2nd Row for Sharks is number 19 Wade Graham
Lock for Warriors is number 12 Tohu Harris

Lock for Sharks is number 13 Cameron McInnes

Interchange

Interchange for Warriors is number 14 Josh Curran

Interchange for Sharks is number 12 Teig Wilton
Interchange for Warriors is number 15 Bunty Afoa

Interchange for Sharks is number 14 Aiden Tolman
Interchange for Warriors is number 16 Dunamis Lui

Interchange for Sharks is number 15 Braydon Trindall
Interchange for Warriors is number 17 Bayley Sironen

Interchange for Sharks is number 17 Andrew Fifita