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Inside the honest talks that saved Sharks' NRL season
Scott Bailey & Jasper Bruce, AAP • September 23rd, 2025 1:54 pm
Toby Rudolf rises high after scoring against Roosters, just like the Sharks after their turnaround | Photo: Mark Kolbe/AAP
Siosifa Talakai has revealed Cronulla players were "at each other's throats" during a mid-year collapse to Brisbane, before an honesty session helped turn around the Sharks' season.
Now the dark horse of the NRL title race, Cronulla will fittingly return to the place where their mid-year recovery began for Friday night's preliminary final against Melbourne at AAMI Park.
Beaten 30-6 by the Storm in late June, coaching staff regularly point to seeing signs that afternoon that the team was back on track after three losses in four games.
But it was a meeting ahead of that match that is considered equally defining by players, after Cronulla capitulated to give up a 16-point lead against Brisbane the previous Sunday.
The Sharks' loss to Broncos in June was the nadir of their season, and forced a heart-to-heart | Photo: Jono Searle/AAP
"In the second half against Broncos, we were at each other's throats," Sharks forward Talakai told AAP this week.
"I think it was because we were under so much pressure and we were so frustrated with each other.
"And we started to put it on each other and keep each other accountable. I feel like it rubbed a couple of players up a bit the wrong way."
The response was simple, with players laying it all out on the table and the focus shifting inwards rather than on the Storm.
"You could say we had an honest chat about it," second-rower Billy Burns said.
"Looking back at it, it was a frustrating time.
"We were able to give each other some constructive criticism without some backlash."
Immediately, players felt the release of a pressure valve ahead of the Storm game and bye the following week.
"We were able to get over our frustrations because we were talking to each other," Talakai said.
"We built through that and we encouraged the honesty around the group.
"Then we were able to thrive on that because we knew through difficult times we could rely on each other."
Billy Burns dives for a try, flying like the Sharks since what he described as 'an honest chat' | Photo: Mark Evans/AAP
Players weren't the only ones to make their feelings known, with coach Craig Fitzgibbon also telling his team to take a hard look at themselves.
"There was a spray because we didn't put the effort in," prop Toby Rudolf said.
"Fitzy is really big on turning up, on effort and certain areas like that. Against the Broncos we didn't do it, we copped a big spray.
"Fitzy believes in a positive coaching mindset ... So when he does turn the screws a bit, we realise it's on us. And we did realise.
"(It's like) Mum had a cry. So we listened and we turned it around."
A core message was that Cronulla's defence had to be fixed, after one of the NRL's pre-season favourites leaked 134 points in the space of four matches.
"That was a line-in-the-sand-moment," prop Addin Fonua-Blake said.
"There was a bit of honesty there about our defence and some of our attitude heading into some of the games
"Everyone was thinking the same thing, knowing that we were better than what we were putting out."
Cronulla's response has been clear, with nine wins in their 10 games since the defeat to Melbourne while conceding 144 points in that time.
"Fitzy was pretty much saying (back then) that this can be a point in our season that defines it or it can be the point that derails it," centre Jesse Ramien said.
"He said look each other in the eye, it's only who's here in this room that can get us out of it.
"We had a choice to make. Lucky for us, we're here playing in a prelim."
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