The Sharks joined the competitors manner again in 1967 and so they struggled early on, taking out the wood spoon twice of their first three years within the huge time. Ultimately they needed to wait some 50 years for his or her first premiership in 2016, after ending runners-up in 1973, 1978 and 1997.
Since these humble beginnings some nice gamers have turned out for the Sharks, together with Englishmen Tommy Bishop and Cliff Watson, the incomparable Steve Rogers and Andrew Ettingshausen, and laborious males in Ken Maddison, Gavin Miller, John Maguire, Steve Kneen and the Sorensens.
Their biggest ever group is correct up there with the most effective of them, however who makes their biggest group of the NRL period?
This group wasn’t straightforward to pick, significantly within the three quarters, the place some long-serving gamers like Ben Pommeroy, Ricky Leutele and Sosaia Feki needed to make manner for gamers who spent most of their time on the Sharks on the wing.
Right here’s my group, displaying the variety of video games they performed for the Sharks within the NRL period, and the one choice standards is that they should have performed a minimal of fifty prime grade video games for the membership from the 1998 season on.
1. David Peachey (176)
Top-of-the-line working fullbacks of the NRL period and a prolific try-scorer for the Sharks, Peachey was a freakish participant who might terrorise a lazy defence and his broken-field working was a sight to see.
2. Ronaldo Mulitalo (112*)
Mulitalo is an excellent finisher with each velocity to burn and nice aerial expertise, and it’s generally straightforward to neglect that he’s but to have fun his twenty fifth birthday. There’s much more to return from Ronaldo.
3. Valentine Holmes (105)
Holmes debuted for Cronulla as a 20-year-old in 2014 and by the point he left to attempt his hand at NFL in 2019 had a premiership underneath his belt and was firmly established in each the Queensland and Australian groups.
4. Mat Rogers (60)
Like his well-known father and Sharks legend Steve, Mat Rogers was a perfectly gifted athlete who scored tries and kicked objectives for enjoyable. He might play nearly anyplace within the backline and was one of many first gamers picked for each Queensland and Australia throughout his time with Cronulla.
5. Sione Katoa (116*)
What Katoa provides away to some opponents in top he certain makes up for with velocity, dedication and positional play that’s seen him cross for 76 first grade tries in his profession thus far, together with 11 attempt doubles and three hat-tricks.
Sione Katoa celebrates with teammates (Picture by Jeremy Ng/Getty Photographs)
6. Greg Hen (106)
Powerful, versatile, fiery and controversial, Hen wasn’t everybody’s favorite participant, however as opponents go there have been few higher. He debuted for the Sharks as an 18-year-old in 2002 and went on to signify each NSW and Australia with distinction.
7. Brett Kimmorley (140)
Kimmorley was probably the greatest halfbacks of the NRL period and he joined the Sharks in 2002 from the Northern Eagles after beforehand successful a premiership with Melbourne. He performed the most effective soccer of his lengthy profession whereas on the Sharks, was a really efficient chief, and an everyday choice for each NSW and Australia.
8. Jason Stevens (150)
Earlier than launching his multimedia profession, Jason “The Pastor” Stevens was an enormous, uncompromising, ball-playing ahead who was the rock within the Sharks’ pack for practically a decade, throughout which era he additionally performed 18 Checks for Australia and eight video games for NSW.
9. Blayke Brailey (139*)
Brailey took over the Cronulla No.9 jersey from older brother Jayden in 2020 and hasn’t regarded again, quickly constructing a popularity as probably the greatest dummy-halves within the nation.
10. Andrew Fifita (213)
The Tigers’ loss was the Sharks’ acquire when Fifita headed to Cronulla in 2012, and nobody did greater than the massive man to outline the uncompromising, grinding model of soccer that was to characterise the membership over the subsequent ten years.
He was everyone’s participant of the match within the Sharks’ 2016 grand remaining victory over Melbourne, aside from the Clive Churchill Medal judging panel, and he additionally represented NSW, Australia and Tonga with distinction throughout his profession.
Up, up Cronulla (Picture by Jason McCawley/Getty Photographs)
11. Wade Graham (255)
After debuting with the Panthers in 2008, Graham joined Cronulla two years later and by no means regarded again, spending 12 years within the Shire and establishing a popularity as a hard-working and rugged ahead with excellent ball expertise. There have been few higher than Wade Graham.
12. Luke Lewis (117)
Lewis started life as a winger with the Penrith Panthers, however by the point he joined the Sharks in 2013, he had transitioned into an excellent and versatile again rower, not just for Cronulla, but additionally for each NSW and Australia. Nobody received excessive of Lewis.
13. Paul Gallen (c) (348)
Paul Gallen was a polarising determine, not that he might care much less, however completed his unimaginable profession because the Sharks favorite son after main the membership to its first premiership in 2016. A captain who led by instance, he performed 348 video games for Cronulla in a relentless 19-year profession, by no means taking a backward step, and he additionally lined up 32 instances for Australia and 24 instances for NSW.
14. Cameron McInnes (78*)
After becoming a member of the Sharks from the Dragons in 2022, McInnes has adopted within the footsteps of the likes of Gallen, Graham, Lewis and Fifita and has turn out to be the membership’s ahead chief. McInnes is a rugby league machine who by no means leaves something on the paddock.
15. Briton Nikora (138*)
If there’s a greater ball-running again rower within the recreation in the meanwhile than Nikora then I haven’t seen him. The Kiwi worldwide all the time appears to be on the spot when a attempt is within the offing and he runs excellent traces, reaping 43 tries from his 138 video games.
16. Luke Douglas (146)
There was nothing flash concerning the huge entrance rower, simply assured laborious graft, huge metres and robust tackles every week. Douglas was an ideal match for the Sharks’ grinding model of play.
17. Matt Prior (133)
Prior gained a premiership with the Dragons in 2010 after which backed up with the Sharks in 2016 for a second. He was a no-nonsense ahead who was equally at residence both within the center or on an edge and he gave nice service to the Sharks in the course of the six years he was there, hardly ever lacking a recreation.
Now that’s a robust facet, with loads of talent and tempo within the backs, and a ahead pack that nobody would wish to play in opposition to.
Did I go away anybody out?
