What a distinction a matter of weeks make?
After being virtually written off simply two weeks in the past, the Cronulla Sharks are as little as one win from all however sealing their place within the NRL Finals after a crushing 36-6 drubbing of the Gold Coast Titans on Friday evening.
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But whereas the Sharks had been sturdy on subject, followers lashed out on the jersey conflict.
With either side having a lightweight blue color scheme, the Sharks had a black strip throughout the highest of the jersey and the shoulders with a block of sunshine blue under, whereas the Titans have gentle blue up high which fades right into a darkish blue on the backside of the jersey.
Although there are variations together with the Sharks’ black shorts to the Titans’ white, from a distance it was laborious to inform.
Social media was swamped with followers struggling to inform the edges aside.
Jersey conflict apart, it was a win the Sharks simply needed to have.
After a 44-12 loss to the Warriors in spherical 20, Phil Gould mentioned the Sharks can be “cannon fodder” heading into the finals with the facet’s poor document towards high eight sides.
At the time, Gould mentioned on Channel 9’s 100% Footy that he didn’t assume the Sharks may make the post-season and: “If they get there, I think they would be cannon fodder, which is what happened to them last year. They sort of got through to the top-four, but went out in straight-sets.”
While the Sharks had been following the prediction with a loss to Manly and Penrith within the subsequent weeks, Cronulla defeated South Sydney 26-16 in Perth in spherical 23, earlier than the drubbing of the Titans.
It’s believed finals groups will want 32 factors to make finals this season and the Sharks are actually as much as 30 — with the Storm and Raiders to play one another on Sunday, the facet ought to end the spherical in fifth.
The Sharks have a troublesome run house towards the Cowboys, Knights and Raiders — all of that are nonetheless within the hunt for the highest eight.
Playing a Titans who re-signed Tino Fa’asuamaleaui to a document 10-year NRL deal, in addition to David Fifita for a three-year, $1m a 12 months contract, the Sharks had been dominant from the outset.
While the Titans pair secured their futures, it comes on the finish of every week the place talismanic ahead Wade Graham introduced his retirement and his teammates turned up for him.
Graham even strolled over for a attempt within the second half because of Braydon Trindall’s third help of the evening, whereas fellow forwards Cameron McInnes and Toby Rudolf additionally crossed the stripe because the Sharks feasted on the Titans via the center.
Friday’s outcome was a non-negotiable for the Sharks who acquired their season again on monitor with a shock win over Souths in Perth, they usually now management their very own future with three difficult video games to return.
Source: www.foxsports.com.au