While I don’t want to jinx them, there are plenty of reasons for Sharks fans to believe that Harold Holt will be coming home to turn off the porch light on the first Sunday of October.
This year the Sharks are a different kettle of fish. Coach Shane Flanagan has assembled a highly talented and balanced squad in his seventh year at the helm, with a great mix of experience and youth scattered throughout.
A new confidence has filled the air in Sydney’s Sutherland Shire, and exciting times are ahead of us.
The recruitment of James Maloney and Chad Townsend turned out to be an absolute masterstroke, with the NSW five-eighth and Cronulla junior combining well.
After so many years with the steady but lacklustre Jeff Robson, with too many different five-eighths to name, it’s good to see the Sharks with a genuine halves combination that can steer the side around and create opportunities with flair.
Ben Barba has returned to career best form and has been an enigma at the back. His newfound confidence has helped propel the Sharks to equal first on the ladder, with his evasive running putting doubts into defenders minds, his sound defence and ball playing.
Young guns Jack Bird and Valentine Holmes have added some spice to the Sharks’ flanks, combining strength, speed and finesse to the previously lacklustre backline. These two will be the future of the club, and I have no doubt they’ll feature predominately for their state and country respectively.
Flanagan has opted to use an outside back off the bench, with both Gerard Beale and Ricky Leutele having taken place there at various times this season. Sosaia Feki is the third player to fit in two spots and while it may seem odd having a back on the bench, it creates competition between these players, which means the team will always have their best set of players.
I absolutely love the way the Sharks are using their forward pack.
Luke Lewis and Wade Graham have been doing a terrific job on the edges for years, and with their ball playing abilities, they’ve been able to send their outside men for linebreaks and tries. Both have experience and are great in both attack and defence and would make most NRL sides’ backrows, and they compliment each other well.
Andrew Fifita provides the x-factor that you need in the forwards. He can provide impact by churning out metres, he can put on a big hit, he can pop a ball or he can come in as a support player. I really think a lot of the Sharks’ success in the finals will hinge on him as he’s able to create that much needed explosiveness and game changing play.
The underrated and solid performers should all be acknowledged as well. Although they don’t provide the same impact as the previously mentioned players, they all do their job up front and are great contributors to the team. Every NRL side needs blokes like these and the Sharks are lucky to have such experienced, level headed and consistent forwards doing the dirty work each and every week.
Lastly I’d like to mention two key players in the team: Michael Ennis and Paul Gallen.
Plenty of people rubbished Ennis’ move to Cronulla, claiming that it would be the end of his career and he’d finish off a loser. How wrong they were. Ennis has not only bettered the Sharks’ attack and direction on the field, but he has also added another dimension to his game that was seldom used at his previous clubs – kicking.
Having a hooker with a kicking game can be such a great asset for a team in the modern game, and while Ennis did have his fair share of punts at the Bulldogs, it’s now evident that he has upped his game and has learnt when and when not to put in kicks. So many times he has trapped opponents behind their in goal and forced line drop outs because of his added maturity and timing, and the Sharks have to thank this man for that.
And of course, who can forget captain courageous Paul Gallen?
I know plenty on here will bag Gal for his untimely runs and hogging of the ball, but realistically the Sharks are nothing without him, and vice versa.
He adds the starch and the go forward for the team, always leading from the front and never taking a backwards step. He’ll put his body on the line each and every game in order to get his team the win, and in the last few years he has toned his aggression down and learnt when and when not to play his part.
The man is the heart and soul of the club and has been for quite some time, and if there’s anyone deserving to lift the Provan-Summons trophy at the end of the year for the Sharks, it’s him.
The only concern I have over Cronulla’s premiership chances is the chance they very well could choke. We saw this both happen to the Dragons and Souths in 2009 and 2013 respectively, but both clubs broke their long droughts the year after, and I know with their experience that the Sharks can overcome the 50-year-oldhoodoo as well.
I’m hoping that if my team doesn’t make the finals (which they probably won’t), the Sharks take out the comp. And what better year to win your maiden premiership than in your 50th?
Up, up Cronulla.
How do you think the Sharks will finish this season? Will they break their 50 year curse, or will it just be another unsuccessful year? Let me know in the comments below!
celtic bandaid
Guest
If your referee Klein and you live in Sylvania and you know the game is not on free to air TV, every decision you make will be right> you will then be able to go to MIranda Fair next week and you and your family wont be hassled by the donies from Kindilan Place. Watch tries 2,3 and 5 and the lead up. Take out Gallens no try to even up one of them and your still lucky to win.
Griffo
Guest
Does that mean Newcastle will come good and win the premiership?
Squidward
Roar Rookie
Sorry which decisions? I don't recall any wrong ones
celtic bandaid
Guest
The perfect GF and the winner is influenced by Channel 9. A sharks maiden premiership in their 50th year is a story made for Ken Sutcliffe to bore us to tears about.
celtic bandaid
Guest
They have won their last 2 games at home on a Saturday night due to poor and convenient refereeing decisions. I'd like to see how they cope with decisions like last night and last week when the shoe is on the other foot. Roidrage will kick in and they might lose their cool. Dogs are humming along under the radar.
Birdy
Guest
The perfect GF would be Sharks V Cows. The possibility of the Sharks breaking their duck V cows slotting 2 in a row. The impossible by today's reckoning. And no one is tipping the worriers. One day , some day.
Sharkattack
Guest
Haven't peaked yet. The games we are winning have been close games, giving away headstarts. Time to get a good start and go on and smash a team. Finals is the time to peak, just keep winning and get the Top 2 spot. That will get us onto Allianz Stadium where we play well.
Chris
Guest
Agree but finding another gear in finals is another thing all together. And the Dogs havent put a 80 min performance this year. I do think Dogs v Sharks GF
JVGO
Guest
Dogs at full strength would be formidable. But you need to remember that the Sharks are on a 12 match winning streak which is impressive, particularly mentally, finding ways to win week after week. They have had to deal with 4 origin players, have started most games cold and flat but have come back in all of them and dominated in the end. I think they will actually step up another level when they refocus later in the season. They haven't even put on a full 80 minute performance yet. Most games they set out to just do enough to win and when they have been challenged and got themselves behind have found another gear and have the confidence to back themselves. The Dogs win was a perfect example of how dangerous they are. They were down and out with minutes left backed themselves and came away with the win.
Chris
Guest
Dont know they played a not full strength Dogs and just won
JVGO
Guest
Any idiot can see the Sharks are capable of winning it. But a lot depends on injuries, suspensions, refereeing decisions and luck. Sharks would already have had a premiership in 1978 but for injuries and Greg Hartley. If they have their strongest team on the park they are probably favourites.
Birdy
Guest
Steveng, your right , the NRL is definitely a no go .
Chris
Guest
The big question is do the sharks have another gear??? Melbourne are to easily beaten. Cowboys dont think will go for the 50 50 ball like last year. Brisbane are choking again with no depth. Dogs are hit and miss. But i do think Sharks Dogs Grand Final
Renegade
Roar Guru
There's not a side in the competition that they can't beat. Cronulla, Melbourne and the Cowboys are all so even, I don't think we've ever seen such high quality teams evenly matched. Then you throw in the likes of the Bulldogs and Broncos when on song and we are set for some amazing semi finals this year. I had the Sharks in the grand final before a ball was kicked. If they do get there, they are certainly good enough to win it.
steveng
Roar Rookie
'Birdy' who is mad enough to bet on the NRL? I'm not lol
Richard Maybury
Guest
Unless thwarted by some accident of finals scheduling, I expect we will see a Cowboys v Storm Grand Final.
Julian King
Roar Guru
They're peaking too soon. Sharks remaining without a premiership is one of the romantic anomalies of rugby league. Then again, Eden-Monaro looks like falling to the non-governing party for the first time in Australian electoral history, so all things come to an end. You never know......
Mike Huber
Roar Pro
Heard all this before ! As long as Smith and Thurston are pulling the strings of their respective teams the Sharks won't win a premiership .
Benedict Arnold
Guest
The Sharks have been going well, having their best season in history so far, but haven't had to experience an injury crisis like some of the other teams have this year. They have maintained a full strength squad for the majority of 2016. I think it will depend on the health of the squads at the right time of the year to truly be able to lock down what teams have the best chance. Cowboys have only really had to deal with the loss of Morgan as of late and have been fairly unscathed thus far. Brisbane have a contingent of origin players and have been blaming their less than stellar mid season hump on that and the injuries of kahu and reed, other than that they have been relatively lucky to have a strong squad on the park. The Storm have been without Slater, chambers, glasby, munster, NAS and blake green for long periods yet continue to thump teams. I would say with the cattle Melbourne have had out, they have the most improvement in them of the current teams that are most likely premiership contenders which is quite a scary prospect. But at the the moment the Sharks deserve the favourites tag, been going very well.
Meathead
Guest
Only time will tell