NRL 2022: Cronulla coach Craig Fitzgibbon ‘disappointed’ by Dale Finucane’s big ban

Cronulla coach Craig Fitzgibbon says the decision to ban Dale Finucane could set a dangerous precedent heading into the finals.

The Sharks will be without their inspirational leader. Picture; Matt Blyth/Getty Images

Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon says he’s “disappointed” with the judiciary’s decision to suspend Dale Finucane and agreed with his banned skipper that the punishment sets a dangerous precedent.

Finucane was found guilty of making dangerous contact on Penrith’s Stephen Crichton in a tackle that split the centre’s ear and left him requiring emergency plastic surgery.

The veteran lock was initially suspended for three matches but had the ban downgraded to two games during a marathon hearing at NRL HQ on Tuesday evening.

Stephen Crichton copped one of the most gruesome injuries of the season.

While the tackle was spectacular, many people in the game have said that there was nothing wrong with it and it was unfair to suspend one of the cleanest players in rugby league for what they saw as an accidental head clash.

“It’s really disappointing, not only for Dale but for the whole team,” Fitzgibbon said.

“It is what it is and we have to move on. Cam McInnes comes into the team in the starting line-up. Everyone loves Cam and trusts him and they all love playing alongside him.

“There’s no point going over it now. We’ve just got to move on. The decision gets taken away from you and we’ve just got to get on with things.

“We’re disappointed about it but Cam steps up.”

Losing Finucane at this stage of the season is a massive blow for a Sharks side that is coming off a narrow loss to the Panthers last week.

The performance was encouraging and showed they can match it with the defending premiers, but dropping two points in 2022 exposes you to a dangerous game of snakes and ladders.

The Sharks are in third spot but are only two points clear of the Eels, who are seventh on 24 competition points.

The finals come early for Craig Fitzgibbon and the Sharks. Picture; Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

One spot above the Eels is South Sydney, who head to the Shire on Saturday night on a four-game winning streak thanks in large to returning fullback Latrell Mitchell, who has come back from injury rehab and is playing some of the best footy of his career.

While every game feels massive at this stage of the season, Fitzgibbon said Saturday’s showdown wasn’t make-or-break for his side’s top-four hopes.

“It’s impossible to ignore the positions on the ladder, but we do still feel like there’s a bit of time left,” he said.

“It’s not like this is the week before the semi-finals and we need to get this done.

“We’re just trying to improve on consistency and improve on parts of our game to piece it all together at the right time. It’s definitely an important contest.

“You just want to be involved in big games. When you have a quality opponent and you’re playing at home, you want those challenges and we want to be a part of that. If you’re in an important fixture, then that means you’re doing well.

“We’ve got to make sure we bring ourselves into the contest and that we assert ourselves into that part of the game. Latrell has come back and given them a huge lift and he’s playing strongly.”