It all started six months ago, when the Cronulla Sharks finally won the NRL rugby league premiership at after 49 years of trying.
The midweek Amco Cup trophy was all that was in the Sharks’ top grade trophy cabinet before then. Runners-up three times – in 1973, 1978 and 1997 – was the closest the Sharks came to winning the NRL premiership, and unfortunately you don’t win a trophy for finishing second.
But everything changed on the evening of October 2, 2016, at ANZ Stadium.
The saying that ‘there’s always next season’, which had been uttered by Sharks fans for 48 previous frustrating seasons, was finally no more.
After leaving the Sharks during the 1980s, legendary coach Jack Gibson infamously said, “Waiting for Cronulla to win a premiership is like leaving the porch lamp on for Harold Holt”.
But the impossible did happen, and everyone in the Shire was ecstatic about the premiership win.
Enter premiership-winning coach and Channel Nine commentator Phil ‘Gus’ Gould, who decided to give the Sharks a reality check with his sobering assessment of their premiership win.
Despite winning 15-straight premiership matches during 2016, the Sharks were “soft” premiers, Gould said on his Six Tackles with Gus podcast.
Six Sharks players represented New South Wales in State of Origin and three represented the Australian Kangaroos last season, but that mattered little to Gould.
The Sharks beat the Canberra Raiders during week one of the finals and then demolished the 2015 premiers, the North Queensland Cowboys, in the qualifying final. They won the grand final beating the Melbourne Storm 14-12 as deserved NRL premiers. Gould remained unconvinced.
Gould reasoned further that the Roosters and Sea Eagles, traditional NRL powerhouses, weren’t there at the death due to indifferent early season form and due to other teams being tired towards the end of last season, despite there being no Four Nations tournament the previous year.
(Photo: AAP Image/David Moir)
It didn’t matter one iota to Gould that the North Queensland Cowboys and perennial semi-finalists Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, Brisbane Broncos and Melbourne Storm were all there during the finals series.
Gould is coaching coordinator at the Penrith Panthers, who were eliminated in the second week of the finals, and one wonders how he would have viewed a Panthers victory.
Sharks coach Shane Flanagan wondered as much, telling the Sydney Morning Herald, “I am filthy with Gus saying we won a soft competition.
“You could find 100 takes from Gus during the year about how tough this competition is. When the Panthers were playing the Bulldogs at the SFS he was saying ‘what a great competition’ and ‘it’s the hardest competition in the world’.
“All of a sudden the Panthers get rissoled and it’s the weakest comp in the world. I thought it was poor form.”
Does Gus have an agenda against the Sharks? As a journalism student, I tried to get to the bottom of it.
I tweeted Gus: “Just asking @Gus10Gould was Roosters title soft-due to Bulldogs demise 2002?”
A response was quickly forthcoming from the Panthers coaching coordinator: “Indeed. Goes to show some competitions are more competitive than others. I said as much at the time. What’s your point?”
Well at least Gould with his “indeed” comment indicated his own 2002 Roosters were also “soft” premiers due to the demise of the competition frontrunners, the Bulldogs, on account of salary cap issues that year.
Other than his tweet answering my question, there is no further evidence of his own Roosters winning a “soft competition”, and he didn’t elaborate further.
Gould’s comments may prove to be prophetic indeed, but not in the way he would have liked. He gave the Sharks plenty of ammunition, and if they were in a hangover phase this year, that has now passed.
The challenge now is to stay healthy with minimal injuries to overcome the World Club Challenge curse and around-the-world travel associated with that.
Last year, the Sharks asked “Why not us?”. They should ask that same question again in 2017.
If they do manage to win back-to-back premierships for the first time since the Brisbane Broncos in 1992-93, they may invite Gould into the changerooms to celebrate their win – which would make Gus’s podcast its own larger-than-life story sufficient to win his way into Sharks history in the same way Holt and Gibson did.
Big Jack would have a wry smile on his face as Gould joins him and Holt in Cronulla folklore if the Sharks once again sing their victory song Up, Up Cronulla after another grand final victory. You heard it here first.
Caroline Layt
Roar Rookie
The debate is great. There are no soft premiers in my book. All premierships are hard earned. The multiple premiership winners of yesteryear like the Dragons, Rabbitohs, Sea Eagles, Roosters, Eels, Bulldogs, Raiders and Broncos are special as they won over multiple years. Much tougher to do in this modern era of the salary cap. My point is if Cronulla can win back-to-back premierships then they will join the above illustrious company and in part the Sharks can thank Gus for firing them up. He already has paid them a great service by doubting their credentials - three cheers for Gus.
Renegade
Roar Guru
Also, there's context around dropping 4 of the last 6.... Flanno put them through a mini pre-season so they were flat and he also rested players. I still don't get how you can say the dragons dominated 2010.... So, the Sharks had a NRL record 15 game winning streak, beat every team in the competition except Souths (who they played once), finished on 39 points and beat all the top 4 teams in the finals to the premiership.... meanwhile the dragons didn't beat half the top 8 teams in 2010 - Could not beat the Titans, panthers, raiders or storm in 2010, finished on 38 points and beat teams 8,6 and 3 in the finals.... and you're saying the dragons dominated their season?!? As I said - defies logic and just a ridiculous statement.... may as well call the 2010 season reserve grade.
Renegade
Roar Guru
Yet the dragons won less games through the year in 2010 than the Sharks did last year.... your point is clearly showing 2010 was a weak comp hence why the dragons dominated. 3 teams last year accumulated more points than the dragons did in 2010.... it's a ridiculous statement for Gus to say and even worse to agree with. Every premiership in the last 110 years has been soft if there is even an inkling that 2016 was.
Kenw
Guest
As for the Dragons draw through the finals, that's the benefit of dominating the comp and finishing 4 points clear of 2nd place.... everyone you play is below you. The Sharks didn't have that because they weren't the dominate team, which is kinda the whole point I was making
Kenw
Guest
The thing is I don't think he's even trying to take that away. His full comments contained the line: "The Sharks to me were the experienced team, the hard-nosed team that were last man standing.” He was basically saying the Sharks were a good team but nobody else stuck around to test them. Flanno beat it up for a bit of inspiration, which is his right as a coach but it's still a beat-up.
Kenw
Guest
They had a top mid-season with low rep commitments, then came crashing down with 4 losses in their last 5 regular matches to scrape into 4th. They arrested the slide manfully and then hung in to grab some tight victories in the finals. It was a well-timed effort by a decent team. It wasn't easy and no-one can take it away from them. But it was a comp that no-one dominated. The Sharks were there at the end and held the trophy. 2010 was different since the Dragons were dominating the comp. It's unfortunate the Storm were cheating as they probably would have been the top contenders. But the Dragons were already on top of the table before the Storm went down and stayed there for the whole season. They had also won the minor premiership the year before so it was no fluke.
JVGO
Guest
When people in the future look back on paper and see a side that has Paul Gallen, Luke Lewis, Ben Barba, James Maloney, Wade Graham, Jack Bird, Valentine Holmes, Michael Ennis, and Andrew Fifita in it they'll just go wow that team can beat anyone the way I did at the start of last season. Phil Gould is a mug.
jeff dustby
Guest
yes, the top team was caught systematically cheating - you are a typical sharks supporter with a long memory like that. if sharks were so good they couldnt even be the minor premiers?
jeff dustby
Guest
first half of the season broncos and cowboys were definitely better. Melbourne won the minor premiership and were one pass away from winning they werent far and away - they were deserved winners
Mike
Guest
I'm just happy the Sharks won a comp, if they end up winning another one this year that's great but last years win was massive and no amount of Gus Gould criticism can take that away.
Agent11
Guest
Gould still has a really strong bias towards the Roosters, bizarre considering his role at the Panthers. He obviously seems to think the 2015 and 2014 premiers must have been so strong cause one of the grand finalists had to knock out the Roosters. In 2016 the Roosters didn't take part in the finals therefor according to Gus it was a weak comp. His commentary at the end of the Roosters vs Broncos game early this year was so one sided. You could tell he was expecting the Roosters to go up to Suncorp and give the Broncos a footballing lesson and when they got smashed it was like - the Roosters never saw it coming and what a shock it was.
Renegade
Roar Guru
Yeah they won 15 straight but didn't dominate the comp... righto typical dragons fan ? I assume you think 2010 was rock solid even though the dragons didn't beat half the teams in the top 8 that year who they avoided in the finals by playing teams 8,6 & 3 and the absolute best side in the comp couldn't compete that year.... talk about soft.
Clinen
Guest
Proof that teams win games, not players. Sharkies were without Gallen and Graham.
KenW
Guest
What a beat-up. I mean Flanno jumped on something for some team spirit style inspiration - it's an oldie but a goldie for a coach - but it's still mostly hot air. Let's break down Gould's point into 2 parts and see where you disagree: Assumption 1. The competition is not constant year after year. I doubt many would truly argue this - squads, play styles, rules etc are all variable so it stands to reason that some years have a higher level of competition than others. Assumption 2. Last year had no overall dominant team/s which would indicate a particularly strong year. Cronulla didn't dominate the comp, nor did they have to beat another team that was dominating the comp. This is of course not the sole measure of the standard of the comp but it's not a bad rule of thumb. Gould is paid for opinions and, while Cronulla fans could find grounds to argue, it's far from indefensible. I'm not sure about your closing to the article that the Sharks have definitively shaken off any hangover phase, as if their current form is particularly impressive. The last 2 weeks they've come from behind to narrowly beat injury-hobbled opponents. It's enough to keep them in the top 4, and that's all anyone needs at this stage of the season, but they haven't looked particularly special doing it.
Paul
Guest
He is right. Canberra were dominating before Hodgson went down in their semi. Canberra could have lost any player but him.
Clinen
Guest
Even when the roosters were good the sharks got them every time. Have won 6 of the last 7 over them. Fail to see Gould's 'logic'.
the Phantom Bantam
Guest
Gould has to be the bloke with the greatest conflict of interests in the NRL.He is supposed to be an objective commentator,while at the same time being General Manager at The Penny Panthers. Notice how when he makes statements on behalf of Penrith he dresses in his XXX large club T-shirt.Then he dons a different hat when he sits behind the microphone As for his TV "commentary", I find it nauseating.........lacking in objectivity and usually highly critical.of players...despite the fact that he often makes elementary mistakes himself.... Notice how his 5 year plan at Penrith has now been extended out to a 15 year........its called moving the goalposts(dont know if they are made out of wood or metal)
Chook
Guest
He will if more BS like this article keeps surfacing
Sharkattack
Guest
Cronulla's premiership was very well deserved. They had a very good side, and they were consistent. They also won the big matches when they counted. they still do have a very good side, one who is winning and haven't gone close to peaking, as they are getting the points playing poorly.
Renegade
Roar Guru
They were far and away the best side in the comp last year.... Gould can explain it anyway he wants - its a ridiculous thing to say.