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Cronulla say their miserable record against Penrith is now history, although they have not scored a point against the Panthers for almost 800 days.
But the Sharks face the prospect of competing without both first-choice centres Jesse Ramien and Kyle Iro, who are under threat of injury, ahead of Saturday’s grand final qualifier.
Ramin has undergone scans on a persistent ankle injury that saw him wear a moon boot this week, while Iro’s selection chances have fallen into doubt because of a biceps problem.
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A week after avenging their finals loss under Craig Fitzgibbon and recording their first post-season win, the Sharks will face another mental challenge at Accor Stadium.
Cronulla aren’t alone in having a horrific showing against the Panthers, with no team having a winning record against them since 2020.
But the situation of sharks is particularly worrying.
Their only win against the three-time defending premiers this decade came during an Origin-influenced round in 2021.
He also failed to score a single point in the previous two games against Penrith, with his last point coming on 28 July 2022, some 798 days ago on Saturday.
Ronaldo Mulitalo in the current Cronulla squad is the last player to score a cross try against the Panthers in the last four seasons.
And as a team they haven’t scored a single point in the last 219 minutes of football against Penrith.
But despite this, Nico Hines and the other Sharks are adamant there are no mental blocks.
Nicholas Hines presenting his case. (Photo: Albert Perez/Getty Images)
“If I didn’t have the confidence and belief that we could break them down, I don’t think we’d be here right now,” Hines said.
“They are human beings. Everyone can be beaten.”
“It’s going to be very tough, it’s not as easy as just saying they can be beaten. They’re three-time champions and they’re going to their fifth grand final for a reason.
“You have to appreciate their work and applaud them, because that’s hard to do.
“But if we didn’t have the confidence to do it we wouldn’t be here right now.”
The Sharks’ appalling performances included a 42-0 defeat at home to Penrith in May, where Hines left the field with a head injury and did not return because of calf stiffness.
Cronulla had entered that game on the back of seven consecutive wins, with Hines one of the competition’s best players and the equal leader in the Dally M Medal race.
That loss began a streak of three wins in eight games for the Sharks, while Hines became one of the most scrutinized players in the league.
“That’s long gone,” Hines said.
“That was the 12th round. We are a much better team than we were then. We are playing better football, we are much more connected now.
“The way we are playing football at the moment (gives us confidence).
“The (round-27) Manly game in particular, this weekend’s game (against North Queensland). Our style of play is starting to adapt to the way our players want to play.”
Cronulla’s players insisted this week the round-12 loss had not derailed their season but that injuries had played a big role.
And in his eyes, regular season matches have little bearing on the finals.
“We will not be naïve. We know the consequences are there. But for us it is not about looking back, it is about looking forward,” Mulitalo said.
“This is a new competition. You have to give it another try.”
Cronulla’s run against Penrith:
- Round 9, 2020: Penrith 56–20
- Round 15, 2020: Penrith 38–12
- Round 9, 2021: Penrith 48-0
- Round 14, 2021: Cronulla 19-18
- Round 19, 2022: Penrith 20-10
- Round 19, 2023: Penrith 28-0
- Round 12, 2024: Penrith 42-0
Total: 250-61
© AAP