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“My focus is on coaching my players, as I’ve said a number of times over the past couple of weeks. Clubs do go through these stages at some stage. It’s a cycle where clubs are at sometimes. We’re at a moment in time where we have to keep working hard through this period.
“Every fan wants to win. We all want to win. But you can’t just wave a magic wand when you want to change a few things within an organisation.”
A political protester with a flare is tackled to the ground by security after invading the pitch.Credit:Getty
Despite missing backline stars Jackson Hastings (suspended), Adam Doueihi (ACL), Daine Laurie (COVID) and James Roberts (back), this wasn’t a performance of an NRL team. Not even close.
It’s hard to see when they’re going to win a game, any game. And with the Eels and Rabbitohs to come in the next fortnight, Maguire is fighting to save his job this month.
“It’s five [losses] in a row and it’s easy to kick stones,” Tamou said. “We’ve just got to keep going. We know we’ve got a strong team there, and it’s all the little things to put it together.
“Not so long ago I was in a similar position at Penrith. You can’t give up and at times at Penrith it felt like that, and I know that this group is in the same situation. I feel they’re similarities here.”
Held: A pitch invader is wrestled to the ground by security.Credit:Getty
The Sharks could have been even bigger winners if not for one of their most clunky attacking displays of the year, but still ended the opening five rounds with their best start to a season since 2008.
They will take on Craig Bellamy’s Melbourne in a blockbuster at AAMI Park next Saturday night.
“I thought our attitude ws spot on, but our execution has been a bit of an issue now for us for a few weeks,” coach Craig Fitzgibbon said.
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“There’s a balance between playing the style of footy we want to play and expressing ourselves with the ball, but also knowing how to rein it in and get to the end of our sets. We’re sort of blurring the lines a bit there. It’s a tough balance, but we don’t want to stop playing our footy either.”
The Sharks raced to a 14-point lead at the break thanks to Sione Katoa’s first-half double, and the Tigers bombed their best chance to get back in the game when Luciano Leilua couldn’t ground Tyrone Peachey’s grubber a minute before half-time.
It was a procession after the break, only interrupted with the madness of pitch invaders. They eventually put the fire out from the flare.
How much longer can Maguire avoid having his own snuffed out?
CRONULLA SHARKS 30 (Sione Katoa 2, Briton Nikora, Ronaldo Mulitalo, Jesse Ramien, Will Kennedy tries; Nicho Hynes 3 goals) defeated WESTS TIGERS 4 (Ken Maumalo try) at PointsBet Stadium. Referee: Adam Gee.
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