Chloe Schibeci reviews the 2023 Season of the Cronulla Sharks where they were knocked out in the first week of the NRL Finals series.
Club Stats
Wins: 14
Losses: 10
Most Tries: 21, Ronaldo Mulitalo
Most Points: 187, Nicho Hynes
Porter Gallen Medal Player of the Year: Blayke Brailey
A Perfectly Average Season for the Cronulla Sharks Who Just Made the Top Eight.
The Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks had a less than amazing season after hopes were at an all-time high following their success in the 2022 season, where they placed second and had a fair shot in the finals series. Considering the team they have, they were certainly expected to make a top eight finish, but fans were anticipating better.
The Sharks won five of their first nine games, making them look like solid competition early on in the season and a club to look out for. With a few exceptions, they had a pretty consistent win-loss-win pattern through the year, which kept them in the top eight, but far lower than hoped/anticipated.
In classic Cronulla fashion, their errors really let them down all year. For whatever reason, this is something they can’t seem to shake, which hurts them in the long run, despite being above average in all other aspects of their game. Across the year, they racked up 288 errors, the fourth most of any team in 2023.
After finishing the regular season on a high against the Canberra Raiders, the Cronulla Sharks were knocked out of the 2023 finals series in a week one elimination final against the Sydney Roosters, losing by just one point.
While he wasn’t quite on the same level as his Dally M awarded 2022 season, Nicho Hynes was a key player for the Sharks this season. He was a consistent and solid leader, stepping up when necessary.
However, for the Sharks, it was Blayke Brailey who was awarded the club’s Porter Gallen Medallist for his constant and consistent presence on the field. He was in the top three players for the most tackles made this year (1,057) being only just short of Harry Grant (1,065).
As far as next season goes, we already know there is going to be some shuffling to accommodate the loss of newly retired Wade Graham. This will likely take some time to gel before the Sharks become a solid 2024 contender – though hopefully not too long if Cronulla would like to go further than this 2023 season.
Key Player Stats
Most Try Assists: 28, Nicho Hynes
Most Line-breaks: 33, Ronaldo Mulitalo (NRL leader)
Most Run Metres: 3,642, Siosifa Talakai
Most Post Contact Metres: 1,338 Siosifa Talakai
Most Tackles: 1,057, Blayke Brailey
Most Errors: 33, Ronaldo Mulitalo
