Culture Shift: Sharks on field success due to off field efforts

Very few things in rugby league are certain.

Those include - fans overreacting to every little thing, media outlets putting pressure on referees whether it is warranted or not, and the Sharks will do something stupid.

Without trying to rub it in for fans in the Shire we've literally seen it all from the boys in blue, on and off the field.

Peptides, shadow boxing, jerseys cut up, bubbler photos going viral, e-mails being found years after the fact. Yikes!

Then there was 2021; the year that very quickly became about John Morris and his departure from the club.

The media has a field day. "Players would walk away" they screamed from rooftops. Fairweather fans and outsiders couldn't believe the way the Sharks board supposedly treated a club hero.

Fast forward to Round 5 of the 2022 NRL competition and it's fair to say, at least at is stands, the decisions made look to be positive ones.

For the record, I am a rusted on, life-long Sharks fan. I have the grey hairs as proof. This club has put me through things no one else in my life ever could.

Also for the record, and you can check my socials for confirmation, I was on board the Craig Fitzgibbon bandwagon from the very second his signing was announced.

The need for a culture shift within the club was oh so overdue.

With the greatest of respect to John Morris, the only reason he was placed into the top job following Shane Flanagan's sacking was that he was there and he was affordable.

Huge shout out to Morris. He did his absolute best. In 2020 I'd argue he lead the Sharks to a finals finish that could be considered an overachievement.

That said though, it was obvious he was a caretaker or a bridge coach. The club bided their time and in Fitzgibbon, they got their man.

Even before his arrival at the club the feeling completely shifted within the fanbase.

Fitzgibbon delivered a 12 to 15-minute press conference, still dressed in Roosters gear such is the respect of the man, that put every Sharks mind at ease.

He delivered his message with such grace, professionalism and excitement that you'd have to be made of stone not to feel chills.

Since that moment the shift began. Player signings became for need and based on character rather than just signing players to trend on social media.

Fitzgibbon said, numerous times in interviews and press releases, that he wanted "good men" as well as good players. This says a lot about a rookie coach already showing experience well beyond his years.

Nicho Hynes, arguably the game's most popular player, was signed to fill a role. Social media experts were quick to jump on this saying he was a fullback in the Storm system and nothing more.

Two man of the match performances and a brilliant run to date show perhaps Fitzgibbon does know what he's talking about.

For mine though, the biggest player signing for the Sharks heading into 2022 was Dale Finucane.

I spoke with Sharks prop and cult hero Toby Rudolf in the pre-season who had the following to say about the former Storm legend.

"This is a guy (Finucane) I watched on TV for the past ten years watching First Grade. I look to my right and he's playing next to me. He's also been unreal around the club," Rudolf said.

"He's brought a lot of professionalism. You see him two hours before training doing all his extras, doing his rehab. I'd always heard that he was a true professional and he's definitely living up to the hype."

His leadership on and off the field since arriving at Cronulla cannot be put into words.

Presented with the captaincy following an injury to club captain Wade Graham, Finucane has led from the front. From the second he bursts out of the sheds and sprints onto the field to the moment he delivers his final high five to the crowd before returning to the locker room, he radiates class.

The inclusions of Finucane, Hynes and McInnes have helped shift the Sharks culture in a very positive manner. Throw in the supremely popular Wade Graham, Ken Stephens medal winner Ronaldo Mulitalo and the emerging youngsters and the perception of this team is a complete 180 of what it once was.

That is all down to the arrival of Craig Fitzgibbon and the culture he has built.

The vibe at the Sharks is at an all-time high.

Don't take my word for it though. I went to Sharks social media manager and man on the ground Gary Dover who replied: "Everyone's feeling really good about how it's going. Everyone's been working very hard and the vibe around the club is very good at the moment."

During my pre-season discussion with the aforementioned Toby Rudolf, he was nothing but positive about his new coach, stating: "There definitely has been a different feel this pre-season with Fitz as the head coach. Last year was a lot more sort of straight line running fitness, a lot of real flogging sessions."

"This season it is a lot more footy specific. A lot of 13 on 13 stuff, scrimmage. Just as tiring and apparently we've covered more meteres and ran faster and worked harder. Just doesn't feel that way. Definitely makes pre-season more enjoyable because it's not a very enjoyable time. Fitz has been unreal so far."

Judging by the fact Toby has literally jumped into the fans to celebrate on more than one occasion I believe it's fair to suggest he's still enjoying his footy under Fitzgibbon.

I've been to a literal hundred games at Shark Park (known now as Pointsbet Stadium) but, other than 2016 of course, I haven't been witness to such a party atmosphere.

The team is winning, the players are happy and engaged and the fans are having an absolute ball.

Again, that is down a heap of work being undertaken away from the field and that, again, is lead by one Craig Fitzgibbon!