Cronulla Sharks’ lack of State or Origin class proves costly with preliminary final exit to Melbourne Storm
The Sharks don’t have any State of Origin players in their side and it showed in their preliminary final loss to Melbourne. It’s left Cronulla fans wondering how things will get better next season.
The game hadn’t even kicked off at AAMI Park on Friday night and the signs were already ominous for Cronulla.
As cameras cut to the Sharks in the warm-up, captain Blayke Brailey was attempting to shake off an obvious limp, having taken a knock before the game even started.
It was a portent of what was to come as Cronulla once again fell agonisingly short of the big dance. The Sharks tried hard. They did their best, but their best wasn’t good enough. The Storm were just that bit better. That bit classier.
Not by much, but by enough. The adage that you need State of Origin players to make grand finals has rung true again. The Storm have a handful and they all played central roles in Friday night’s win.
Cronulla don’t have any and it showed. So the Sharks season ends once again in the preliminary final and Cronulla fans were left wondering how things will get better next season.
Coach Craig Fitzgibbon has squeezed plenty out of this Cronulla side – there may not be a better coached team in the competition. But even Fitzgibbon couldn’t coax them over the line and the Sharks have an off-season of soul searching on the way.
What they have is what they have. Will Kennedy remains off contract but is likely to stay because he doesn’t appear to have a better option – even an approach to breakaway rugby union competition R360 failed to attract interest.
Their halves Braydon Trindall and Nicho Hynes had nights to forget against the Storm but are likely to wear the six and seven jersey again next year.
Again, what other options are there. The pair have been outstanding in the latter stages of the season but they won’t reflect well on Friday night’s loss.
In the second half after the Sharks were awarded a penalty, they spurned the chance to score a try and opted instead to take a shot at goal in a bid to close the gap to six points.
Hynes and Trindall then frittered away the chance to level the scores. Hynes, who played and talked with a chip on his shoulder through the latter stages of the season, dropped a simple pass to hand over possession on the Storm line.
Then Billy Burns gave away a silly penalty. Trindall capped it off with the most ridiculous play of the game as he stripped the ball from Eli Katoa when two other Sharks players were in the tackle.
Having closed the gap to a converted try, they handed Melbourne back an eight-point advantage. Opportunity lost. Dumb barely does it justice.
Trindall kicked the Bulldogs to death a week ago but his right boot couldn’t get the job done on Friday night.
Cameron Munster was brilliant in the first half. Jahrome Hughes, only weeks after suffering a broken arm, looked up for the fight.
Stefano Utoikamanu continued his powerhouse end to the season. The Storm were more disciplined and their big guns came to play.
The Sharks didn’t have the artillery to go with them.
Originally published as Cronulla Sharks’ lack of State or Origin class proves costly with preliminary final exit to Melbourne Storm
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