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Opinion
After taking seven steps forwards and two steps backwards last year, Cronulla should again be contenders for the 2023 premiership but they will need a few things to fall their way to claim the club’s second title.
The Sharks rose from ninth to second on the ladder in their first season under coach Craig Fitzgibbon but after being sunk in extra time by a field goal in the opening round of the playoffs, disappeared without a trace the following week at the hands of South Sydney.
And that’s the heart of the issue confronting Fitzgibbon as he prepares for the new season – his Sharks have proved they can rack up regular-season wins but can they compete with big guns like the Rabbitohs, Panthers and Storm in the bright lights of September.
Did they over-achieve last season on the back of a helpful draw or will the likes of Dally M Medal winner Nicho Hynes, Siosifa Talakai, Ronaldo Mulitalo and Braden Hamlin-Uele continue rising after breakout years in the black, white and blue.
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For the Sharks to go all the way, Hynes needs to prove last season’s star turn in the No.7 jersey was not a flash in the pan.
Hynes took on the chief playmaking role brilliantly after being shuffled all over the backline in Melbourne but will find himself targeted more by opposition defences this year.
Nicho Hynes Dally M Winner 2022 (Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)
He needs more help from Matt Moylan at five-eighth, who restored his reputation somewhat with an improved 2022 performance, while fullback Will Kennedy’s absence with an ankle problem over the final five rounds last season halted their spine’s attacking chemistry just before the finals.
Talakai also needs to get even better. The switch to centre mid-season paid immediate dividends but his effectiveness lessened as the year wore on so Fitzgibbon may consider moving him back to the pack to get more out of the NSW Origin representative.
If not Talakai, then they need one or two of their forwards to become dominant. They have plenty of workers like Dale Finucane, Cameron McInnes and hooker Blayke Brailey, who are valuable contributors, but Cronulla need Hamlin-Uele, Toby Rudolf or Eels recruit Oregon Kaufusi to stamp their authority in the middle third.
Depth is not an issue for a team with plenty of solid first-graders who may not even make the first 17 for Round 1 like Connor Tracey, Matt Ikuvalu, Braydon Trindall and Royce Hunt.
Converting territory and line breaks into points is Cronulla’s biggest issue as they try to make the leap from a very good side to one that can lift the trophy.
They made 155 line breaks last season – bettered only by South Sydney’s 156 – but when it came to putting the ball over the stripe, the Sharks ranked seventh, beating only the Raiders among the clubs that made the finals.
Adding an attacking spark plug who can be thrown into the fray off the bench wouldn’t go astray to give them a little more unpredictability on occasions.
Wade Graham. (AAP Image/Craig Golding)
Club captain Wade Graham has been a tremendous asset for Cronulla since arriving from Penrith in 2011 but there are concerns the 32-year-old may be playing one winter too many.
Injuries have taken their toll on the back-row stalwart – he has not suited up for 20 matches in a season since 2017.
Keeping the squad together and avoiding contract distractions could be an issue – Graham is on a one-year deal and will likely retire or finish his career in the Super League but Kennedy, Jesse Ramien, Sione Katoa and Teig Wilton are free agents at season’s end and all are deserving of upgraded deals.
It’s a torrid start to the season with three finalists from last year in Souths, Parramatta and Canberra before a local derby with the Dragons.
They have again experienced a bit of luck with the draw as they only play the top four contenders for the title once each – Penrith, Melbourne, Parramatta and the Roosters.
Cronulla have one five-day turnaround, five times where there’s six in between matches but get 17 matches with at least a week’s break.
Siosifa Talakai. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
With those three running in unison, defenders will have their hands full. Fitzgibbon instituted plenty of new-look attacking moves with Hynes as the fulcrum last season.
Kennedy, when he flanks the halfback, looms as a secondary playmaker or gap runner, similar to the style of Brett Stewart at Manly for many years.
Talakai is not one for subtleties but after he destroyed Sea Eagles opponent Morgan Harper at Shark Park last season, defenders quickly learned to rush up on him or get steamrolled. If the Sharks can get him wound up before crashing into the line, he can get back to doing plenty of damage on the left edge.
He performed well enough last season to get a two-year contract extension but the veteran five-eighth could shoulder more of an attacking load. Hynes created 33 line breaks last year, Kennedy 27 and Moylan 16. The former Panther is in the team for his attacking flair, he needs to show more of it.
The young centre made his NRL debut last year, was feeder team Newtown’s player of the season at NSW Cup level and represented Cook Islands at the World Cup.
Only teammate Lachlan Miller (115) made more line breaks than Iro in the second-tier comp in 2022.
He couldn’t have been much more impressive in his first season at Cronulla and the club is keen for him to be around long term. Nothing to see here, move along.
They are fifth at $13 to win the title with PlayUp, behind the Panthers, Roosters, Storm and Cowboys.
The top four beckons, fifth or sixth at worst. But unless there’s significant improvement among a few of their key players, it’s hard to see the Sharks making the big dance on Grand Final night.
1 Will Kennedy
2 Ronaldo Mulitalo
3 Siosifa Talakai
4 Jesse Ramien
5 Sione Katoa
6 Matt Moylan
7 Nicho Hynes
8 Braden Hamlin-Uele
9 Blayke Brailey
10 Toby Rudolf
11 Briton Nikora
12 Wade Graham
13 Dale Finucane
Interchange
14 Braydon Trindall
15 Cameron McInnes
16 Teig Wilton
17 Oregon Kaufusi
Other squad members: Kade Dykes (injured), Connor Tracey, Jack Williams, Royce Hunt, Jayden Berrell, Jesse Colquhoun, Kayal Iro, Matt Ikuvalu, Mawene Hiroti, Siteni Taukamo, Tom Hazelton.
| Round | Opponent | Date | Time | Venue |
| 1 | Rabbitohs | Saturday, March 4 | 7.35pm | PointsBet Stadium |
| 2 | Eels | Friday, March 10 | 6pm | PointsBet Stadium |
| 3 | Raiders | Sunday, March 19 | 6.15pm | GIO Stadium |
| 4 | Dragons | Sunday, March 26 | 6.15pm | Netstrata Jubilee Stadium |
| 5 | Warriors | Sunday, April 2 | 4pm | PointsBet Stadium |
| 6 | Bye | |||
| 7 | Roosters | Friday, April 14 | 6pm | PointsBet Stadium |
| 8 | Bulldogs | Saturday, April 22 | 5.30pm | Accor Stadium |
| 9 | Cowboys | Thursday, April 27 | 7.50pm | PointsBet Stadium |
| 10 | Dolphins | Saturday, May 6 | 5.30pm | PointsBet Stadium |
| 11 | Sea Eagles | Sunday, May 14 | 4.05pm | 4 Pines Park |
| 12 | Knights | Saturday, May 20 | 3pm | Coffs Harbour |
| 13 | Bye | |||
| 14 | Broncos | Saturday, June 3 | 7.35pm | PointsBet Stadium |
| 15 | Storm | Sunday, June 11 | 4.05pm | AAMI Park |
| 16 | Bulldogs | Sunday, June 18 | 4.05pm | PointsBet Stadium |
| 17 | Bye | |||
| 18 | Dragons | Thursday, June 29 | 7.50pm | PointsBet Stadium |
| 19 | Tigers | Thursday, July 6 | 7.50pm | CommBank Stadium |
| 20 | Warriors | Sunday, July 16 | 2pm | Mt Smart Stadium |
| 21 | Sea Eagles | Sunday, July 23 | 4.05pm | PointsBet Stadium |
| 22 | Panthers | Saturday, July 29 | 7.35pm | BlueBet Stadium |
| 23 | Rabbitohs | Saturday, August 5 | 7.35pm | Optus Stadium, Perth |
| 24 | Titans | Friday, August 11 | 6pm | PointsBet Stadium |
| 25 | Cowboys | Thursday, August 17 | 7.50pm | QCB Stadium |
| 26 | Knights | Sunday, August 27 | 4.05pm | McDonald Jones Stadium |
| 27 | Raiders | Sunday, September 3 | 4.05pm | PointsBet Stadium |