Cronulla insist their nightmare record against Penrith is ancient history, despite not scoring a point against the Panthers since the 2022 season.
But the Sharks are facing the possibility of contending without both first-choice centres Jesse Ramien and Kayal Iro, each under an injury cloud ahead of Saturday’s grand final qualifier.
Sporting a moon boot this week, Ramien has had scans on a persistent ankle injury, while a biceps issue has plunged Iro’s selection chances into doubt.
One week after slaying their finals hoodoo and landing their first post-season win under Craig Fitzgibbon, the Sharks face another mental mountain at Stadium Australia.
Cronulla are hardly alone in having a horror run against the Panthers, with no team having a winning record against them since 2020.
But the Sharks’ is particularly concerning.
Their only win against the three-time defending premiers this decade came during an Origin-impacted round in 2021.
They have also been held scoreless in their past two matches against Penrith, with their last points coming on July 28, 2022, some 798 days ago come Saturday.
Of the current Cronulla side, Ronaldo Mulitalo is the last player to cross for a try against the Panthers in the past four seasons.
And as a team they have not scored a point in the past 219 minutes of football against Penrith.
But regardless, Nicho Hynes and other Sharks are adamant there is no mental block.
“If I didn’t have the confidence and belief we could break them down, I don’t think we would be here right now,” Hynes said.
“They are human. Everyone is beatable.
“It’s going to be very hard, it’s not as easy as just saying they are beatable. They’re three-time champs for a reason, could be going into their fifth grand final.
“You have to applaud and take your hat off what they’ve done, because it’s hard to do.
“But we wouldn’t be here right now if we didn’t have a belief to do it.”
Part of the Sharks’ horror run includes a 42-0 hiding from Penrith at home in May, where Hynes went off the field after a head knock and did not return due to calf tightness.
Cronulla had entered that game with seven straight wins, with Hynes one of the form players of the competition and equal-leader of the Dally M Medal race.
That loss began a run of three wins in eight games for the Sharks, while Hynes became the most scrutinised player in the league.
“That is long gone,” Hynes said.
“It was round 12. We are a much better team than we were then. We’re playing better footy, we’re much more connected now.
“The way we’re playing footy at the moment (gives us the confidence).
“The (round-27) Manly game in particular, this game from the weekend (against North Queensland). Our game style is starting to suit the way our players play.”
Cronulla players have insisted this week that the round-12 loss did not derail their season, with injuries playing a bigger role.
And in their eyes, regular-season matches have little impact on finals.
“We’re not going to be naive. We know the results are there. But for us it’s not looking back, it’s looking forward,” Mulitalo said.
“It’s a new competition. You have another crack at it.”
AAP
