Why Sharks star Ronaldo Mulitalo hasn’t watched the past six NRL grand finals

Vegas-bound Cronulla winger Ronaldo Mulitalo hasn’t watched the NRL grand final for almost a decade – and until he makes one with the Sharks, he won’t be tuning in.

It’s his own little silent protest, or maybe an act of self preservation.

Vegas-bound Cronulla winger Ronaldo Mulitalo hasn’t watched the NRL grand final for the past six years, because he says he doesn’t need to see others living out his dream.

In that time, entire era-defining moments have passed him by.

He missed the six-again drama when the Roosters beat Canberra in 2019, Cameron Smith bow out a champion with the 2020 title for Melbourne, and all four of Penrith’s history-making premierships.

But until he makes one with the Sharks, he won’t be tuning in.

Ronaldo Mulitalo hasn’t watched an NRL grand final in six years. Picture: NRL Photos

Last year was especially difficult having come agonisingly close only to lose the preliminary final to Penrith a week earlier.

“I was still numb,” he said.

“You work nine or 10-plus months to get to where those guys are, but as hard as it is I don’t watch the grand final. I haven’t watched it at all since I started playing, just for the pure fact that I’d rather be there than sit there and watch someone else live out my dream in that situation.

“That’s tough. That’s something hopefully we don’t have to watch this year, we can be a part of it.”

It became a yearly boycott once he started playing NRL in 2019. –

“I spend time with my family instead, and they’re the same to be honest. They’re not going to watch it if I’m not a part of it,” he said.

“But as much as I love them, I’d rather be playing a grand final than sinking beers with family and catching up with them.”

Heading into his seventh NRL season with the Sharks, Mulitalo wants to extend his time with the club.

The 25-year-old comes off contract at the end of the season and speculation about his future has emerged after it was reported he was shopped to the Broncos.

Although he laughed off the reports, he is hoping an extension is sorted soon.

“My main focus is here and I’ve communicated that straight to the coach and all of the board members, right now my focus is nowhere else but at this club. I’ve turned up with the same attitude, and I want to give that respect to the club and my teammates and making sure they’re confident in me, he said,

“I just want to crack on with business and hopefully my future sorts itself out pretty soon.”

For the Sharks, the premiership mission starts this week with the first trial of the Pre-season Challenge against the Warriors at Shark Park on Friday night.

Mulitalo feels the Sharks underachieved in 2024, despite breaking a six-year drought without a finals win.

“Internally it’s probably another disappointing one for us, and that’s something that’s got to keep fuelling us to chase the next big thing for ourselves, and that’s premierships,” he said.

“But we’re building every year.”

They’ll need all those learnings ahead of a brutal opening few months to the season.

Across the first 10 rounds the Sharks play just two games at home, with travel to Las Vegas, Townsville, Canberra, Perth, Newcastle and Brisbane before round 11.

The Sharks are the only team heading into camp outside of Vegas in the US, staying in Los Angeles for a few nights before meeting the remaining three teams in Sin City for the season opener.

“It’s super cool (to go to Vegas), but there’s heaps of work to be done before we head over,” he said.

“Building confidence for us as a group is super important, getting these early wins away from home.

“Setting our season up, we’re on the road a bit from the first 1o rounds but then I feel like it will bring us closer to be honest, travelling together, staying at the same hotels together, eating most meals and leaving our families behind to travel.”

Originally published as Why Sharks star Ronaldo Mulitalo hasn’t watched the past six NRL grand finals