In a season of positives, 17 wins and a draw from 20 games, there was at least one that got away.
The loss to the Eels in round four was a game the NYC Sharks could have won but were beaten by a better team on the day.
Similarly, the draw at Penrith against the Panthers was a match in which the Sharks gave themselves every chance, but in the end had to settle for one competition point.
However, the game they will look back on, and tomorrow night they have an opportunity to atone, was the round one loss to the Broncos.
Taking place before anyone could have imagined what was to come for a Sharks Holden Cup squad now looking for a 14th consecutive win and sitting seven points clear at the top of the table, it was certainly the one that got away.
Leading 38-34 with just seconds to play and attacking the Brisbane line, a Sharks grubber kick rebounded and proceeded to bounce into the hands of a young Bronco. The Brisbane player claimed the ball, had open space in front of him as he streaked away with the siren sounding as he made his 99-metre run, touching down adjacent to the posts.
The subsequent conversion made it 40-38 and the Sharks were left shell-shocked.
Since then it has been smooth sailing for this all-conquering Sharks outfit, while Brisbane have battled for consistency, with John Morris’s squad, somewhere in the back of their minds, sure to be looking for some sort of payback.
As mentioned the Sharks head into the clash on the back of 13 wins in a row, their last loss coming against the Eels in round four.
Brisbane on the other hand are eighth, three wins and a loss over the past four rounds an indicator that they are in reasonable form.
The Sharks have stuck with the team that beat the Raiders 58-22 six days ago, with five eighth Luke Metcalf retaining his position in the team following a starring, three-try effort against Canberra.
Jesse Ramien, also named in the Sharks NRL squad for the game against the Broncos, has been listed in jersey four in what would be his second game in the NYC since returning to the under-20’s after playing much of the season for the Newtown Jets in the Intrust Super Premiership.
The Sharks have trimmed their initial 23-man squad down to 20, with a final 17 to be determined one hour before kick-off.
The Sharks v Brisbane NYC match is scheduled to get underway at 5.10pm at Suncorp Stadium tomorrow night.
NYC Team List – Round 23
Sharks v Broncos
Friday, August 11
Suncorp Stadium
Kick-off – 5.10pm
1 William KENNEDY
2 Sione KATOA
3 Isaac LUMELUME
4 Jesse RAMIEN
5 Josh TUILAGI
6 Luke METCALF
7 Kyle FLANAGAN
8 Ryan KING
9 Blayke BRAILEY
10 Daniel VASQUEZ
11 Briton NIKORA
12 Tony MATAUTIA
13 Billy MAGOULIAS
Interchange
14 Eddie FAALUA
15 Joshua CARR
16 Bessie AUFAGA-TOOMAGA
17 Zachary FAULKNER
18 James Roumanos
22 Fine KULA
23 Clayton Uia
