Canberra and Cronulla produced a top-quality semi-final at GIO Stadium last year, but based on their early form both teams will struggle to do so again this season.
This year’s competition is only four weeks old, but most people expected to see so much more from the Raiders and Sharks.
This probably explained why respective coaches Craig Fitzgibbon and Ricky Stuart were fairly subdued after the Sharks’ 34-22 win at GIO Stadium on Sunday.
Fitzgibbon, who signed a two-year extension during the week that will keep him in charge of Cronulla until the end of 2029, was just relieved his team could return home with their second win of the season.
“I was just happy to come down and put in a performance that was much improved,” said Fitzgibbon, when asked if the win capped a great week for him personally.
“We haven’t been up the last couple of weeks.
“The most important thing was the team reconnected. We were a bit patchy, and there’s some stuff to work on, but it was against a good side – they’re a handful, that’s for sure – but I’m very pleased.”
Cronulla were given a reality check when thumped by Penrith in round two, then lost at home to the Dolphins. They had not lost three straight games since midway through 2023.
Braydon Trindall had a hand in three tries, prop Addin Fonua-Blake’s stints in both halves were top shelf, while Teig Wilton got through a mountain of work in his second game back from a shoulder injury.
Stuart said his side, who were last year’s minor premiers but have managed only one win in 2026, would not win another game until they stopped shooting themselves in the foot.
They were always chasing points on a dry deck they had not played on all year, but Canberra were almost too keen, which led to errors.
“They [Cronulla] are a good footy team, I’ve got a good football team, but our biggest issue is the self-destruction,” Stuart said.
“It’s happened in three out of our last four games, and we’re not giving ourselves an even chance to test ourselves against the opposition.
“We’ve been dealing with it, we spoke about it again after the game, and until we do [address it], we won’t win a game of footy.”
There is too much talent in both rosters to put the red pen through either team. But the respective fans will be hoping to see improved performances in the weeks ahead.
Cronulla host the Warriors next Sunday, while Canberra head to Newcastle, which would have looked easy on paper a few weeks ago, but not now after their shock win over Canterbury.
Cronulla enjoyed the perfect start as they raced to an early 12-0 lead while Corey Horsburgh was in the sin bin for a professional foul. Stuart had no issues with the decision, and said Horsburgh had put his teammates under pressure.
Teig Wilton strolled over, then KL Iro did likewise. It was all too easy.
Canberra had barely seen the ball, but one of the first times they did get the chance to go on the attack, they came up with points via Kaeo Weekes, who, as always, was pushing up in support on the inside of Xavier Savage after he stormed downfield.
Sharks winger Sione Katoa thought he had given the visitors a commanding lead just before half-time when he planted the ball down in the right corner.
But replays showed Katoa put a right foot into touch. There would have been millimetres in it.
Katoa then bobbed up at the other end of the field to pounce on a Savelio Tamale grubber and snuff out any chance of the Raiders’ pinching an equaliser.
The game was all but over when Nicho Hynes grubbered, then regathered the ball after Noah Martin knocked on, and put Jesse Colquhoun over. He missed the conversion, which gave the home side a sniff, but they simply were not good enough to challenge.
