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Opinion
The first time I met Aiden Tolman, his genuine nature and obvious integrity were easy to spot. Unlike many athletes who adopt something of an aloof persona when in the company of us common folk, Tolman looked me straight in the eye, shook my hand and asked questions, and we had what I would refer to as a comfortable conversation.
As I walked away ten minutes later, I remember thinking that he was potentially the most softly spoken, gentle and mild-mannered rugby league player to whom I had ever spoken. It is no wonder the Sharks snapped him up for a handful of seasons that will cap off what has been a long and superb NRL career.
Though a few eyebrows may have been raised when he left the Bulldogs at the end of the 2020 season, with some wondering just how much football was left in his legs, there is little of that sentiment remaining as the front-rower powers past 300 games.
Cronulla knew exactly what they were doing in bringing such a mature and experienced campaigner to the club.
Tolman’s signing has paid dividends already, yet it was not the only prudent move undertaken down at Shark Park over the last 24 months. New coach Craig Fitzgibbon arrived with glowing praise from all who had worked with him at the Roosters and has subsequently made a stunning start to his NRL coaching career.
Players talk openly about wanting to play under the 44-year-old, with former Rooster Matt Ikuvalu open in admitting that the coach was a key factor in his move to the Shire. Joining Ikuvalu at Cronulla after what was more a shrewd recruitment drive rather than anything resembling a spending spree were Melbourne duo Nicho Hynes and Dale Finucane.
Initial impressions suggest that Hynes may well be Tolman-like in his maturity, poise and perspective on the game as well as his role in it, and Finucane has long been considered one of the most mature and best on-field leaders in the NRL.
In short, the Sharks have brought in some quality humans who conveniently also know how to produce consistently good on-field performances.
(Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)
Five games into the season, the Sharks are yet to play some of the predicted NRL big guns yet have tasted defeat just once, against the Raiders, and been clinical in their wins over the Eels, Dragons, Knights and Tigers.
Fitzgibbon has coached well, even when banished from the box, and the control of Hynes has helped Matt Moylan and married impressively with the discipline and diligence added by Tolman and Finucane in the forwards.
Off the back of what looks like one of the most organised teams in the NRL, burgeoning players have now begun to show their potential, with Siosifa Talakai and Braden Hamlin-Uele the most obvious of those.
Talakai has been unstoppable at times in 2022 and Hamlin-Uele is simply a born-again player under Fitzgibbon. Will Kennedy and Sione Katoa could potentially be classed in the same bracket and alongside Talakai at just 24 years young and will be integral parts of the Sharks squad for some time to come.
At the moment everything appears rosy in southern Sydney, yet the question of just how real and sustainable the early season form of the Sharks is should be asked.
Perhaps the short-term road ahead will tell us all we need to know, with the Storm and Sea Eagles to be faced over the next fortnight. Two humbling losses would see something of a recalibration of thinking by pundits and fans who by then may seem to have perhaps over-estimated the value of the early performances.
Yet another two displays similar to what we have witnessed already, win or lose, may well prove to the entire NRL world that the Sharks are indeed the real deal in 2022.
I believe what Fitzgibbon has built in such a short period of time is concrete, with a simple disciplined defence restricting points and a balance in the attacking unit that appears to be allowing each member of it to excel. Like all the dominant teams we have seen in recent times, there is simplicity and efficiency about them, and currently there are no weaknesses evident that are likely to result in any dramatic loss of form.
Only time will tell, yet the acquisition of proven leadership, some quality people and new coaching ideas appear to have been a masterstroke in the Shire. While it may not all collate into a premiership this season, I wouldn’t mind investing in some medium-term success for the Cronulla Sharks.