And then there were five.
Two teams based 2,000 kilometres apart, but with one of the more storied modern finals rivalries have delivered a less than convincing opening to week two of the 2024 NRL finals series
The Sharks played all their football in the opening 40 minutes of the second semifinal, before digging deep in the face of potential self destruction to end a six-year preliminary final drought. Craig Fitzgibbon's men have successfully navigated the hoodoo with patches of brilliance, while failing to convince anyone they'll go any further. As for the Cowboys, an impressive run into the finals comes unstuck in a listless display, patched over only by undisputed tenacity and a handful of moments from their biggest names.
First, the stakes.
It was a second semi build-up with all the bluster and belligerence of a heavyweight title fight. Shots fired from the North, as Cowboys coach Todd Payten joins the pile-on by expressing doubt over Cronulla's capacity to win finals games. His own troops must have been stressed during the week -- what with surge priced aircraft allegedly difficult to nail down in the buildup to a sudden death semi. Oh, the turmoil, as the Cowboys beseech the NRL and successfully navigate the distraction via a private charter (well played head of football Michael Luck). But gee whiz, the travel still sucks, those darn Sydney teams have it so much easier.
Seven straight losses for the Sharks, and a genuine tilt at a straight sets exit. Huge pressure on two people more than any other; coach Craig Fitzgibbon, and the guy he's backed, the extremely talented but frequently tormented Nico Hynes. A forward pack credited as the clubs strength, cowed on the back of a Melbourne mauling. A fan base, crying out for a post season to finally match the pedigree of a season proper. A playing group searching the depths of its collective souls to try and figure out if confidence is indeed shot, and determine if hoodoos are real.
Once 7:50pm ticks over and the ball swirls into the glow of the Allianz Stadium floodlights, none of the hype, hope or doubt carries any further relevance.
So in a messy night of elite rugby league, what went right for the Sharks, and what went wrong for the Cowboys?
Battle of the fast starts
The Cowboys -- clearly buying into the whole 'Cronulla cant do finals' rhetoric -- bring a direct opening and strong focus on penetration in the middle third. It's mirrored by their rivals. Both sides came to the old footy stadium with the clear intention of stamping themselves early, and early energy is suppressed only by errors. Both sides bring it back from their own line with zest in a frenetic opening 15 minutes, and it's the Cowboys with the upper hand. But Reuben Cotter's overzealous effort on Brayden Trindall is a coach-killing example of a side who has punctuated its season with instances of getting a little over-excited with and without the football. The Sharks might have enjoyed a stroke of good fortune with a penalty try, but it does the trick early. The offloads begin to flow, the attack begins to widen, and the confidence sets in. Six becomes 12 via Cameron 'Stretch Armstrong' McInnes, and Cronulla have completed the assignment of a bigger start, with the added bonus of a boost in belief for its wounded forward pack. All of a sudden they were playing footy, and the Cowboys were playing catch up. No better way to stave off a seven-match run of the yips.
The price of lost momentum
Questions will be asked about the fitness of the Cowboys, who collectively faded after losing the early battle for momentum. Rediscovering a degree of energy later in the match comes down to desire, but shouldn't conceal some of the concerns. Jordan McLean -- one of the best middle defenders in the NRL -- was gassed after a series of early charges, and Jason Taumololo a step behind the game after 10 minutes. It's been a perennial worry of 2024 for the North Queenslanders, and their expansive early tactics very much needed to bear fruit to compensate for the early bench toll. Nine Sharks offloads and an unusual lack of stoppages in the opening 25 minutes forced replacements Sam McIntyre and Griffin Neame to drain reserves from the moment of their introduction.
Desperation breeds doubt
Early confidence proved to be everything for the Sharks, and a greater halftime lead was cruelled only by moments of errant ball control. But it's the kind of errant ball control that comes from a team rediscovering belief; taking chances and rediscovering structures that didn't exist in the Melbourne bloodbath. A stark contrast between their raids and those of the Cowboys, who chanced their arm in far more desperate fashion. They were rattled; unable to find the means to slow things down and engage in an arm wrestle to stifle the energy of their opponents. And there didn't appear to be a plan B after losing the early turf war.
Defensive deficiency and leaky edges
Despite much of the pre-match hype surrounding the Sharks' issues, any keen NRL observer would've recognised that despite a much improved 2024, there were still gaping holes in defensive fundamentals from the Cowboys. Points have poured in via brittle defence on their edges, and a lack of lateral movement and cohesion out wide has proven extremely costly yet again. The slop became more pronounced as the energy drained, and the Sharks munch down particularly hard on the left side. All the while, metres in the middle are far more easily acquired than they should be, with Cotter the only one apparently able to keep up with the pace. They saved some face with desperation on the goal line, but overall it was nowhere near the level of defence that proverbially 'wins premierships'.
6s and 7s
So much talk about Nico Hynes and his questionable game management skills. People seem to forget that, not unlike an Ezra Mam or a Jarome Luai, the guy looks for big moments, prefers lateral probes, and plays what's in front of him. It stands out for many reasons, chief among them the number No. 7 on his back. All the while, Craig Fitzgibbon has had at his disposal a No. 7 masquerading as a No. 6. Braydon Trindall delivered a poised, controlled and at times exhilarating performance in the first half -- his efforts to set up the Sharks' big lead ultimately proved incredibly crucial in the face of a Cowboys fightback. Two tries and more than 400 kicking metres in the first half had Trindall essentially switching jerseys with Nico, and the focus on Hynes was suddenly less suffocating. His involvement isn't spectacular, nor is it wayward to a team destabilising degree. Instead it steadily escalates with touches of increasing quality as the game continued and Nico realised it wasn't all on him. Trindall is direct and frequently a play ahead of his opponents, his work complemented beautifully by the inclusion of Jesse Ramien and a typically blockbusting display from Ronaldo Mulitalo. It's a certainty the Cowboys lacked -- to a season ending degree.
A spine out of alignment
The attacking desperation from the visitors was encouraged not only by discipline, but a worrying lack of structure and patience. The Cowboys were just as listless at six-nil as they were at 24-nil, and it was a case of the big names losing their heads. Tom Dearden's breakout 2024 came to a grinding halt in a mire of indecision that improved only marginally in the second half, Scott Drinkwater's impact was curtailed for the most part by a telling lack of focus on what was happening around him, Reece Robson was bereft of ideas behind a wilting forward pack. Jake Clifford appeared unsure of the best way to enter the game amid all the backpedalling. Heilum Luki and Jeremiah Nanai ran some promising lines but were left wanting by an absence of service. Basically -- the Cowboys had their chances but were unable to execute for a vast majority of the evening. An incomplete display, far closer to the Cowboys of 2023, and perhaps a fitting full stop on an at times unconvincing 2024.
Passing a test of resilience (just)
A try two minutes into the second half had northerners daring to dream. The Cowboys are comeback specialists after all, and the Sharks apparent lack of finals belief might have just come back to haunt them. Positive signs come from an aggressive response; thwarted only by two quickfire disallowed tries. Resolve is further tested by a Drinkwater kick, lucky bounce and Reuben Cotter pounce that sees the margin back to 12. Suddenly the Cowboys had dried up the errors, found some defensive desperation, and attained a small degree of cohesion with the ball. Inside the final quarter -- fatigue clearly setting in -- the pressure is on for the much maligned Sharks. Val Holmes grabbed a second for the night and the margin was eight points inside the last 10 minutes. Despite clinging on, the Sharks deserve harsh judgement for 'doing a Brisbane' and allowing their opponents back into it. They found a way to heap the pressure back on every time, and were only spared the most severe of finals record blushes by the fact the Cowboys turned in an inferior, and at times putrid display.
And yet, a resolve that didn't seem to exist a week ago blinked into existence for the Sharks with everything on the line -- and everyone played a role. They continued to shift the ball, defend errors and test edges, they rushed up in the middle and forced the hands of their opponents. As much as this match won't be viewed as a grind, they gritted their teeth, found a way through the stress and didn't completely wilt. And that's a massive improvement on the last few years of postseason performances.
Performances without polish
Amid the excitement of a first half blitz and a half decent second half fightback was a collective 23 errors and 94 missed tackles. There is no chance the level of footy delivered by either side will trouble the Storm, Panthers or Roosters -- barring calamity on the part of the competition juggernauts. Even Manly would breathe a little easier ahead of a grand final showdown with the Sharks based on this effort -- despite the positives delivered by the likes of Trindall, Mulitalo and the late inclusion Jesse Ramien.
As for the Cowboys, a lack of calm failed to be offset by a refusal to surrender. The waywardness of the evening was the continuation of a trend of defensive frailty, fitness questions and fade outs. They'll be better for it, no doubt, and the experience of a two week finals run will bear fruit for emerging names like Neame, Luki, Clifford and Finefeuiaki.
Up, up Cronulla
Hoodoos were broken and some perceptions potentially shifted in a quirky 80 minutes of finals footy. Despite this; forty minutes of dominance comes with a big asterisk, while a second forty of potentially avoidable scrap will give Fitzgibbon another sleepless week ahead of the ultimate 'are you sure you want it' reward next Saturday: a date with the Panthers. Most judges would conclude that the Sharks have played their grand final for 2024, and while it may not yield a Provan-Summons trophy -- it'll repair some of the psychological ghosts of finals efforts past, and might just be the tonic for 2025.