With the โ€˜hit and giggle' trail matches and the arduous pre-season training regimes now behind each team, fans, coaches, and players alike have set their sights on the real deal โ€“ Round 1.

For some clubs, the pre-season period could not have panned out better, whilst the unlucky remainder will be counting the cost of their campaigns.

Although there were a myriad of positives to be taken from the summer months, all teams will be striving to improve on their trail match form and learn from the lessons dealt out across them.

With the first spin of the Steeden within touching distance, we raise the big question that face each of the NRL's 16 clubs.

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Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks

Are their gills filling?

A primary school understanding of biology will have you aware that if Sharks cease moving, even for an instant, it is likely to prove fatal.

Although relying upon lungs rather than gills, the land-based Sharks from the Shire face a similar threat.

Despite ambiguity and distractions currently reigning at Shark Park, it is their stagnancy due to dead weight that could kill their season before it begins. With a large portion of their salary cap being granted to out of form, and soon to be out of contract, stars, there is extraordinarily little wiggle room afforded to their front office.

Cynics may suggest that the signings of Aaron Woods, Matt Moylan, Josh Dugan and Shaun Johnson were fraught with danger from the outset, but as the quartet will be forced to play for their livelihoods this season, even a slight reprisal of their former peaks could be enough to see the Sharks break free of the proverbial net.

Despite this slim possibility, Cronulla is still likely to slip out of the eight this season.

With their inability to beat a top eight team last season and a tougher draw in 2021, expect the boys in the black, white and blue to remain snagged and stagnant before an inevitable face lift, both on and off the field, prior to 2022.

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