NEWS FLASH - Cooper gets one week

will give the sharks a leg up this weekend massively... but still big ask v Reds @ Suncorp Stadium...

Thats one massive leg up, for sure. This game is going to be the game of the weekend for sure.

still going to be a massive game regardless. the travel will be a issue but the sharks travel a lot better than the bulls

Redsman

Sorry to hear about Cooper - he is the Reds key player.   However his conduct on and off the field is really problematic and he should get a more professional approach in both.

By the way - elsewhere you asked how many games the Sharks won.  They won 10 games against the 11 of the Reds.   However, they beat the Reds previousoly and they also performed well in the SA Conference - who but for the Lions are better-performing than the Conference teams in Australia.  If there is one thing about bonis points - and that is that losing teams also garner them for losses by small margins.   The fact is that the Stormers top the log with only 2 bonus points - both for the two losses they had and not for scoring four tries.   I do not like that at all.   If there was one team that benefited from the bonus point issue - even the last game in the round- robin games - it is the Reds.   That bonus point kept them in the top 6 of the log - otherwise they would have been be out altogether.   This should be seen also with regard to point differences.   There point difference of 12 points in their favour - the lowest of all the teams with a positive point difference in teh competition.   Not very encouraging at all. 

Clever Mike I will not defend the conference system as I find it uninteresting compared to previous format - nor can I dispute the depth of rugby talent in Australia as it is (unfortunately) a 4th tier winter code played by skinny white rich kids predominately. The islander and maori migrants are filtering through the system now more and more - ie Quade and Ioane amongst others...

However clearly the Reds are the only team in the Oz conference that are competitive @ top level and actually have won 7 of their last games whilst having a devastating injury toll this season.

When touring SA they were down to the 5th string no10... debateably the most important player on the field in the modern game especially at SA altitudes...

Anyway bonus points aside and if comes down simply to Win / Loss followed by For / Against they still ended up 4th place behind the crusaders - thanks to dodgy bryce lawrence the cheat.

Anyway we welcome the Shawwks to Suncorp this weekend for a big clash and hopefully play valiantly but lose nonetheless.

Realise that Kaplan is ref which is massive advantage to the Sharks - nullifies the travel and homeground advantge....

I hear massive whinge(s) from SA fans re Stu dickinson but Kaplan has a shocking track record and all I can hope is that the rugby determines the outcome and not an idiot ref.

Aargh redneck, get off the Kaplan thing...seems to me you making excuses before the game even starts.

its a big loss but so is franna steyn as well. i reckon its about even for me. though i still think franna means so much more for the sharks than QC does for the reds. the reds are still a decent outfit even if QC is not playing i feel. the sharks fowards will be massive on the day. the sharks have really been the best side the past couple of weeks barring the utter rubbish game against the lions. so let hope the mindset is right then they are on the pitch. i reckon the sharks has a edge in the pack but at the back the frenchy can weave some magic hopefully. i think the quicker the game the better the sharks will play. i reckon the boys will be up for it. my pick for game of the weekend