‘Is he unhinged? Is he crazy?’ The question Craig Fitzgibbon asks every day about Dale Finucane

Ahead of his 250th milestone NRL game against the Dogs, the Sharks have heard all the noise about Dale Finucane getting through his long-term deal. But they wouldn’t swap him for anybody, writes DAVID RICCIO.

PENRITH, AUSTRALIA - JULY 23: Dale Finucane of the Sharks passes the ball during the round 19 NRL match between the Penrith Panthers and the Cronulla Sharks at BlueBet Stadium on July 23, 2022, in Penrith, Australia. (Photo by Matt Blyth/Getty Images)

Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon has been involved in rugby league since he was a ballboy at Cronulla more than 30 years ago.

He’s played in premiership-winning teams at the Roosters, he’s won World Cups and State of Origin matches with NSW.

But ask Fitzgibbon to compare Sharks forward Dale Finucane to any of his past teammates and the Cronulla mentor starts scratching his head.

“There’s some days watching training and you’re asking, is he (Finucane) unhinged? Is he crazy? Or is this just who he is?” Fitzgibbon said.

“He’s the most humble, unassuming nice guy, who prepares on the red line every time he takes the field.

“We have to manage him. His brakes don’t work.

“He constantly needs to be controlled.

“The way he charges in the door of my office … he even walks with an intensity.”

Dale Finucane will join the game’s elite in the 250 club. Picture: Matt Blyth/Getty Images

Finucane, the former Bulldogs and Storm forward who originally hails from Bega, will join the game’s elite by playing in his 250th NRL match against Canterbury at PointsBet stadium on Friday night.

Given the rolls of strapping tape that the man they nickname ‘Rambo’ has gone through across his career, it’s a feat that even rival fans will stand and applaud.

“He always starts the game with his head taped and that’s off in one tackle and then he finishes with new tape because something else has happened,” Fitzgibbon said.

Finucane has changed the Sharks’ dressing room culture, since signing with the club in 2022, according to Fitzgibbon.

“Dale’s recruitment to the club has changed the way a lot of our players think about their preparation and how you approach a game,” Fitzgibbon said.

“It’s about the meticulous detail in getting yourself into the best state you can be and he just does not have a day off.

“That’s the sort of player that our younger guys have looked up to and they marvel at a guy who is 250 games deep, who takes no shortcuts.

“We would always hear from the Melbourne Storm and the Bulldogs about his preparation and the application to the hardest parts of the game.

“You hear stories about a guy like that and when you see it, it is kind of uncomfortable.

“He just won’t relent.

Finucane has reached all the great heights of rugby league. Picture: AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts

“I reckon most clubs would have guys that are the standard setters and the leaders in the most uncomfortable parts of the game.

“It’s impressive to watch, because it’s obviously hard to do. But to do it over 250 games, that’s something else.

“They’re the players their teammates love and real true fans of the game appreciate those sorts of players.”

Finucane’s willingness to push his body to the limits has impacted his time on the field in recent seasons, highlighted by a painful torn bicep last year that cut his total number of games to just 13.

At 32 years of age and with a contract at the Sharks for 2025, Finucane’s output is always being monitored by Sharks fans. However, if there’s one footballer who understands better than most that the game stops for no player, it’s Finucane.

“Typical of Dale, he doesn’t have any concern or any thought that it’s his 250th, he just wants to play well,” Fitzgibbon said.

“He prides himself on consistency and that’s testament to the way he lives his life.”

Originally published as ‘Is he unhinged? Is he crazy?’ The question Craig Fitzgibbon asks every day about Dale Finucane