{"id":424714,"date":"2024-10-03T22:20:05","date_gmt":"2024-10-03T22:20:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/?p=424714"},"modified":"2024-10-03T23:07:59","modified_gmt":"2024-10-03T23:07:59","slug":"how-mid-season-shake-up-spurred-sharks-to-title-tilt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/?p=424714","title":{"rendered":"How mid-season shake-up spurred Sharks to title tilt"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jillaroos great Ruan Sims<\/a> believes Emma \ufeffTonegato's position switch to fullback is shaping up to be a game-changing factor in the Cronulla Sharks<\/a>' premiership quest.<\/p>\n

The Sharks take on the Roosters for the NRLW premiership on Sunday.<\/p>\n

Tonegato looked to have farewelled the No.1 jersey at club level as Sharks coach Tony Herman looked to better utilise the star's playmaking skills.<\/p>\n

READ MORE:<\/strong> Stunning exodus four years since grand final laid bare<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

READ MORE:<\/strong> Mother of all twists sees grand final feud resolved<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

READ MORE:<\/strong> Daniher stuns teammates with retirement news<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

\ufeffBut a turbulent run of performances from the Sharks, prompted by a brutal knock by their premiership rivals the Sydney Roosters<\/a>, called for major changes to be made.<\/p>\n

The rugby convert first moved into the fullback position in round eight in place of Cassie Staples, who was moved to the wing at the expense of \ufeffNakia Davis-Welsh.<\/p>\n

\"Emma<\/p>\n

Tonegato's move paved the way for Georgia Hannaway to join forces with Tayla Preston in the halves, a decision which elated Sharks \ufeffassistant coach Ruan Sims.<\/p>\n

"I have been \ufeffincredibly impressed with Georgia Hannaway," Sims said on Wide World of Sports' NRLW Weekly<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

"\ufeffStepping into that left edge position. She's been playing really well.<\/p>\n

"Then for Emma Tonegato to do a full pre-season at five-eighth, playing the first half of the season at No.6 and then having to go back to fullback (is impressive).<\/p>\n

"It is pretty handy that you've got the Sky Blues fullback playing as your six."<\/p>\n

Watch the 2024 NRLW grand final live and free on Nine and<\/strong><\/em> 9Now<\/strong><\/em><\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\"NRLW<\/p>\n

Reflecting on the club's concerning run in the back end of the season, Sims declared the side has been able to regroup and recover from a minor bump.<\/p>\n

But the assistant coach stressed her team must not forget the basic skills and discipline required to win the big game on Sunday.<\/p>\n

"\ufeffThey had won six games in a row, the first time that had ever happened in NRLW history," Sims said.<\/p>\n

"They were doing that because of their defence. \ufeffA lot of people wrote them off coming into this year… but everybody played their role.<\/p>\n

"They copped a bit of a knock against the Roosters \ufeffand then again against the Broncos.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/omny.fm\/shows\/nrlw-weekly\/nrlw-roosters-and-sharks-fight-for-the-nrlw-crown\/embed<\/a><\/p>\n

"What needs to stay the same as last week ahead of the grand final is their discipline.<\/p>\n

"I think the Sharks' surging defence on their kick chase has been very good, and it's going to have to be again this week.<\/p>\n

"If you provide any of the Roosters' back five \ufeffwith a chink in you're armour they will exploit it and they will keep going at it.<\/p>\n

"The Sharks are going to have to maintain that discipline in defence and \ufeffmaintain the integrity of their line.<\/p>\n

"I see the workings behind the scenes, I see what they are putting into it. It's not dissimilar to any other side… but I think the result of the Broncos game will give them a lot of hope and comfort coming into the (grand final)."<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Jillaroos great Ruan Sims believes Emma \ufeffTonegato's position switch to fullback is shaping up to be a game-changing factor in the Cronulla Sharks' premiership quest. […]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":424717,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/424714"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=424714"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/424714\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":424722,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/424714\/revisions\/424722"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/424717"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=424714"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=424714"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=424714"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}