Cronulla Sharks NRL premiership tip was foolish, bold but ultimately correct

TWO days before the season Paul Kent tipped Cronulla to win the NRL title. There was only one occasion he was worried about his tip coming through.

WE are in the green room one night before NRL360, sometime near the end of Cronulla’s 15-match winning streak.

Tuesday nights fell into a routine after a while and this night begins the same way. Mick Ennis walks in and Benji Marshall congratulates him and the Sharks on another win.

If nothing else, you feel for Marshall. He is dealing with the disintegration of his own career but each week he finds the time to admire what the Sharks are doing.

We chatted for a while before I say to Mick, “I reckon that winning streak is coming to an end soon.”

He laughed, saying, “Keep writing us off, Kenty.”

“Hang on,” Ben Ikin says from across the table, “he tipped you.”

And I had.

I wasn’t death-riding the Sharks at all. I was actually a little concerned.

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Michael Ennis celebrates winning the 2016 NRL grand final.

Two days before season kick-off I tipped the Sharks to win their first premiership this season and I cared deeply about being correct.

It was as foolish as it was bold, evading common sense and history. This was Cronulla’s 50th season and they had never managed to win a premeriship.

How do you suddenly find support for the guys that never get the job done?

No club had gone longer for a premiership and no group of fans were as consistently teased by a team that was nearly good enough as often as Cronulla fans.

Next best are Parramatta fans, who have now gone 30 seasons without a premiership.

But there were signs during this season’s streak that the Sharks had gone off and that the wins were now papering over their actual performance.

James Maloney and Luke Lewis celebrate with Cronulla fans at Shark Park. Picture: Gregg Porteous

It was something Ennis later admitted to, when 15 straight wins almost catastrophically turned in to a win and a draw from their next six. This, heading into the playoffs.

Recognising they had gone away from the small efforts that got them winning during the streak was all the adjustment needed.

It took no great science to pick the Sharks.

Last season they were as tough as grandma’s wart and, given they struggled to score and couldn’t win a game where 20 points was required, about as pretty.

They showed they could compete and hang in games but could not manufacture the points when they needed to take a sword to opponents.

I thought that was remedied over the summer.

Chad Townsend, Valentine Holmes and Jack Bird celebrate Cronulla’s grand final win. Picture: Mark Evans

James Maloney and Chad Townsend were brought in to play in the halves, providing direction and flair. Suddenly, they were as good as any team as far as game management was concerned.

They essentially had the same forward pack, so no drop-off in toughness or grit.

The word was Ben Barba had stripped weight and was fit and back in Dally M winning trim.

Jack Bird was young and good and coming, Valentine Holmes too, and Sosaia Feki and Ricky Leutele and Gerard Beale had the burst of youth and speed and points in them the Sharks needed.

As I told Mick, my only concern was at hooker.