Meet The New Boss, Not The Old Boss.

I woke up yesterday morning to the best news I'd heard in some months.

After several tortuous weeks where the boys were mailing in games and Ricky Stuart looked like a defeated man on the sideline, he finally did the honourable thing and stepped aside.

While it's a pity it took a shellacking of the nature of the Pond Pigeons Rout to finally get him to see the light, what's done is done.

I have one Ricky Stuart story I'd like to share.

It was the day after the Rugby League World Cup final, where the Kangaroos had of course been upset by the Kiwis. I was in Brisbane at the time for a different reason (saw the game with dad at a pub cause we couldn't score last minute tickets) and we were seeing my mum off at the airport when I saw Ricky. He was on his phone and sounded pissed off.

Of course, that was 2008 and I was coming off what amounted to my best year in memory as a Sharkies fan. Since I was wearing a Sharks T-shirt at the time, I thought he could use some words of comfort after the loss so I went up to him to thank him for all he had done for our club once he got off the phone.

His response? "Yeah yeah, thanks mate. Now piss off for a second." And he got back on his mobile.

I was never a huge fan of Ricky Stuart the man, but that just confirmed once and for to me that he was a cunt of the highest order.

As it turns out, my respect for him as a coach eroded pretty quickly as well after the hellish last couple of years.

I became a Sharks supporter in 2001 when I was just 9. I remember the Chris Anderson Era too well. The last couple of years under Stuart were worse. Much worse.

In my opinion (and I can't be alone in this) the biggest mistake of the Ricky Stuart Era was blowing up the 2008 team that was one game away from the Grand Final (and, with the Storm scandal, should legitimately have made it).

First we screwed Noddy over which drove him into the Puppies' kennel. Letting Isaac De Gois go to Newcastle. Not putting up a fight to keep Fraser Anderson. And please don't mention the Greg Bird saga because it really makes me cry thinking about the Bird/Gallen days and just how good our backrow could have been with Tupou.

All those guys were vital pieces to the 2008 team. We let the first two go without a fight, and as for Birdy...well, if the Pond Pigeons can keep the rapist on their team we should have stuck by Greg and kept him. Especially since he was found innocent.

Since then, Ricky's recruiting hasn't exactly been top shelf either. Trent Barrett has been the only major signings of ours since 2008 who has at least somewhat panned out. Other than Baz...Adam Fatcuntbertson. Tim Smith. Screwing little Albert Kelly around by sticking him at fullback. See where I'm going here?

On the field, we haven't really seen much since 2008 either. Here's where I think the loss of Noddy more than anything really hurts us.

Stuart's system doesn't really call for halves with creative flair. It's more important to have a halfback who can organise the team, boot it downfield and kick to the corners. Noddy could do all those things. Other than Scott Porter for flashes, none of our halves since then could organise a poker game in a casino. Which isn't necessarily their fault.

However, with Ricky seemingly insisting on having our halves play his way, you can see the soul slowly being sucked out of them.

Ricky's way of coaching halves reminds me of another coach's treatment of players who play the same position he once played.

Doc Rivers, the current coach of the Boston Celtics, is widely hailed as one of the best coaches in the NBA right now (and one of a select club who have coached a team to a title). However, in his early days as Celtics coach he was notorious for being very tough on his young point guards by giving them inconsistent minutes and frequently berating them.

Only after the 2008 Celtics championship did he begin to give his young starting point guard more licence to play his natural game. Rajon Rondo responded by developing into an All-Star, and, since the 2010 playoffs, arguably the best point guard in the NBA.

Ricky could have done worse than follow Doc's advice with his halves. A less dogmatic coach would have given the talented but erratic Albert Kelly a run at five-eighth (his natural position) or off the bench, or allowed Tim Smith to play his natural game rather than constraining his options while creating the side-effect of leaving us with a slow, predictable attack. It's no secret that we went from having one of the better offenses in the NRL under Stuey Raper to one of the worst every year under Ricky. At least in 2008 our defense was immovable. Since we lost large pieces of our defensive steel (Birdy) and organisation (Noddy, especially on kick chase) that's vanished as well.

So with that said, how will I remember the Ricky Stuart era? I'll be tempted to remember the bad stuff first.

However, there's one memory I'll always have of the Ricky Stuart era.

It was the second game of 2008 when we were playing the Storm in Melbourne at the near peak of their powers. (IIRC Ben Ross was also sent off during that game). Our attack was still sputtering but our defense had kept us in the game until Noddy made that field goal in the last minute.

It was then that I knew we were going to make the finals. I don't know how - I just knew. Such wack psychic moments aren't exactly common to me, and when I do have them I'm often wrong. But goddamnit if I didn't get this one right.

So I keep that memory as well. It serves as a reminder that nothing in life as in footy is irretreivably shit.

Except last week's game.

Eagle Suck.

I had a bit of a blow this morning when I went to put my laundry in the dryer.

Turns out that I'd left some gum in my jeans and it had gotten out and stuck to my Sharks jersey. So until I can afford another one (i.e. maybe in my next life) my only fan gear is an old hat and scarf from the Raper era.

Nevertheless, I'll still be making the trek across Tom Ugly's this Saturday to watch the boys in the black, white and blue play the Manly Pond Pigeons. Not just cause it'll be my first ever Sharks game (a story in itself) but also because it's fucking Manly.

I hate Manly.

You hate Manly.

Everyone hates Manly.

The funny thing is, I could just as easily have become a fan of theirs. My father has been a Manly fan pretty much ever since he came to the country 20 odd years ago. My mum's side are all Parramatta fans and they took him to an Eels-Eagles game. Manly won and he became a fan, despite the reaction of some of my uncles (I think they tried to stop the wedding).

When I told him that I wanted to become a Cronulla fan, I think he wanted to disown me.

However, I could never have been a Manly fan.

Why?

Cause to me, going for Manly is like backing the favourite every week. Sure, you may win every time, but constant winning as a fan is bad for the soul. You gotta know the pain of losing to truly appreciate the euphoria of winning.

We Sharks fans know all about losing. Which makes the successful years - 1999, 2001, 2002, 2008 - even more memorable and special.

And when we finally win that premiership...there will be parties in the Shire for weeks and I'll pass out naked in the middle of Tom Ugly's with my scarf around my balls.

Manly fans are the same people who go for the Lakers in the NBA, Man United in the EPL and Geelong in the AFL. Some are legit (like my Dad) but most are complete fuckwits.

Like Fergo.

Peace out, bitches and never forget, UP UP CRONULLA!

Blake Ferguson Is A Fuckwit.

I first heard about the Blake Ferguson saga from my dad. He was checking out the sports pages of the Herald and mentioned, "hey, isn't he one of your guys?" I grabbed the article once I read the headline and started cursing in my head.

Fuck. No. This can't be happening.

One of our club's most talented young stars is walking out on us? No.

Once the anger at the situation itself abated, I pretty much turned my rage on Flaky Blake. And that's pretty much where it's stayed.

Look, I'm not so pissed about him leaving. In the modern ultra professional game, players come and players go. While it sucks to see a guy as talented as him leave, shit happens. The days of the one-club player are all but dead.

No, what pisses me off the most is that he took this opportunity to call out the club and his teammates.

Flaky Blake claims that he "just wants to win" and that the "uncertainty" around the club or some shit like that means that he doesn't think he can.

He also points out that the club hasn't been travelling well this year. No shit, you say. Well, Flake, guess what? YOU WERE PART OF THAT FUCKING TEAM!

It's not like you've been setting the world on fire this past year. In fact, after bursting on the scene like he did, I'd say you've definitely had a case of the second year slumpsies up to now - not as bad as Daniel Mortimer, yeah, but a case for sure.

Maybe if you had run straight instead of across field a bit more and used your speed and strength, we'd've done a bit better?

OK, it's a bit harsh to blame Flake alone for the club's on-field woes the past year. Nonetheless, as one of the supposed "future stars" of the team, maybe he should have taken it upon himself to play a greater role? He whinged about being made to play on the wing and not getting opportunities to show his ability as a creator as opposed to just a finisher. Yet in this day and age, the winger doesn't have to just sit on the sideline and wait for the ball. I haven't seen him take the initiative to go looking for action, or getting his arse into dummy half and running frequently, or even doing much with the ball other than aimlessly jogging across field when he has it this season.

I guess what I'm trying to say here is that as a devoted Sharks fan, what Flake has done to the club is pretty much unforgivable. We, the fans, pay his salary. He runs out onto the field with twelve other guys who expect each other to run through a wall for them.

How do you think guys like Gallen and Dougie, who have and will continue to spill blood for the black, white and blue jersey, felt when they heard the news? What about the other young blokes in the team like Isaac Gordon and Nathan Gardner? Do any of them still believe Blake.I.Am (cause Fergie was too easy) has their back?

More importantly, why did he do this?

Basically, I'm getting the impression that Flaky Blake has gotten a bit too big for his boots over the past year.

Stuff like being selected to the Indigenous All Stars team and being named (admittedly by a fool like Phil Rothfield) as one of the 50 best players in league has obviously pumped up his ego a bit and started making him think he's hot shit when he's not there yet.

I imagine he may have come in this season thinking it was gonna be a cakewalk, and when it wasn't, he looked for an excuse to bail. Ricky Stuart leaving gave him said excuse on a platter.

Anyway, what's done is done and fuck him for it. I'd like to see him joining Cuthbertson on the Como Crocs for the rest of the season, but since Stuart is his biggest dick rider it ain't happening.

Good night, good luck, and up up Cronulla!