After finishing the season with a win over the Newcastle Knights, the Sharks cemented second position on the NRL ladder while locking in a home semi-final.
To some the Sharks have flown ‘under the radar’ so to speak, but to coach Craig Fitzgibbon and his Sharks team, they’ve earned the right to host the Cowboys in a game where a win would propel them to within one game of a Grand Final appearance.
“This is where you want to be. People want to be a part of it, we’re a part of it, we’ve just got to do something about it now,” Fitzgibbon said. “If you’re not here, you’re sitting at home bitterly disappointed about not being a part of Finals. You get an opportunity, and you don’t want to waste it.
“We earnt the right to play a home semi-final, but we haven’t achieved anything yet. We’ve put ourselves in a strong position and we’ve got to capitalise on that,” the coach added.
After 18 wins on the season, the Sharks now face an opponent equally impressive throughout 2022 in the Cowboys, a team which finished third on the ladder while unearthing a number of impressive newcomers.
Alongside the likes of Chad Townsend and Valentine Holmes, who ironically take Finals experience from their time playing for the Sharks into this semi-final match up, the North Queensland outfit have won over plenty of admirers with their efforts this season.
Fitzgibbon and his team will do the homework on the Cowboys in preparation for tomorrow night’s clash but getting their own game right is even more crucial.
“It’s pretty obvious where their strengths lie. They’ve got some key individuals you’ve got to do a good job on, we’ll work hard on our defensive plan, work hard on those individuals, but we’ll work hard on ourselves as well and make sure we offer something they’ve got to stop,” Fitzgibbon said.
Helping the Sharks cause will be the return of a couple of players, but who have made a major contribution to the success of the season to date, with Will Kennedy, Toby Rudolf, Dale Finucane and Connor Tracey back in the line-up after missing the last few matches with a range of injury issues.
When added to the fact Siosifa Talakai has overcome the ankle problem which also threatened his involvement in the Finals series and Fitzgibbon has close to a full complement to choose from.
“They’re flying,” Fitzgibbon said what asked about Talakai, Kennedy and Rudolf, the three most under an injury cloud. “All trained strongly yesterday, all pulled up fine, they’ll all take the field and are better than expected.”
While all mentioned are key to the Sharks prospects, Fitzgibbon reserved special mention for Rudolf, who has overcome a knee injury suffered four weeks ago in the round 22 match against the Wests Tigers.
“I feel like Toby is really underrated, he’s out there and outspoken, a little bit different and (because of that) people underestimate his footy.
“Prior to his injury, some his performances against strong opposition were remarkable. He gives us a different energy when he plays, his effort is relentless in nature and he gives a confidence boost to those inside and outside him,” Fitzgibbon said.
With the return of a handful of their regulars, the reshuffle for the game on Saturday evening includes Braden Hamlin-Uele and Cam McInnes reverting to the interchange bench, while experienced campaigners Aiden Tolman and Matt Ikuvalu have missed out on places in the 17-man squad. So too Lochie Miller, who Fitzgibbon praised for his efforts in recent weeks while deputising for the injured Kennedy.
For the Cowboys, former Sharks Townsend and Holmes will be comfortable in what are familiar surrounds for them at PointsBet Stadium, with attacking threats such as Scott Drinkwater at fullback, young hooker Reece Robson and impressive teenager Jeremiah Nanai also requiring plenty of attention.
And that’s without mentioning the leader of their forward pack in Jason Taumalolo and new recruit Luciano Leilua.
For all the statistics relevant to the game tomorrow night – CLICK HERE – to see ‘The Stats that matter’, with this to be the fifth Finals match between the two clubs, with the ledger currently sitting at two wins apiece.
A sell-out since Tuesday, the Sharks v Cowboys game is scheduled for a 7.50pm kick off at PointsBet Stadium, with the two 19-man teams listed below.
Match: Sharks v Cowboys
Finals Week 1 -
home Team
Sharks
away Team
Cowboys
Team Lists
Backs
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Fullback for Sharks is number 1 William KennedyFullback for Cowboys is number 1 Scott Drinkwater
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Winger for Sharks is number 2 Connor TraceyWinger for Cowboys is number 2 Kyle Feldt
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Centre for Sharks is number 3 Jesse RamienCentre for Cowboys is number 3 Valentine Holmes
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Centre for Sharks is number 4 Siosifa TalakaiCentre for Cowboys is number 4 Peta Hiku
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Winger for Sharks is number 5 Ronaldo MulitaloWinger for Cowboys is number 5 Murray Taulagi
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Five-Eighth for Sharks is number 6 Matt MoylanFive-Eighth for Cowboys is number 6 Tom Dearden
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Halfback for Sharks is number 7 Nicholas HynesHalfback for Cowboys is number 7 Chad Townsend
Forwards
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Prop for Sharks is number 8 Toby RudolfProp for Cowboys is number 8 Jordan McLean
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Hooker for Sharks is number 9 Blayke BraileyHooker for Cowboys is number 9 Reece Robson
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Prop for Sharks is number 10 Royce HuntProp for Cowboys is number 10 Reuben Cotter
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2nd Row for Sharks is number 11 Briton Nikora2nd Row for Cowboys is number 12 Jeremiah Nanai
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2nd Row for Sharks is number 12 Wade Graham2nd Row for Cowboys is number 15 Tom Gilbert
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Lock for Sharks is number 13 Dale FinucaneLock for Cowboys is number 13 Jason Taumalolo
Interchange
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Interchange for Sharks is number 14 Teig WiltonInterchange for Cowboys is number 11 Luciano Leilua
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Interchange for Sharks is number 15 Cameron McInnesInterchange for Cowboys is number 14 Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow
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Interchange for Sharks is number 16 Braden Hamlin-UeleInterchange for Cowboys is number 16 Coen Hess
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Interchange for Sharks is number 17 Andrew FifitaInterchange for Cowboys is number 17 Griffin Neame
Reserves
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Replacement for Sharks is number 18 Lachlan MillerReplacement for Cowboys is number 18 Jamayne Taunoa-Brown
Match Officials
- Referee: Adam Gee
- Touch Judge: Chris Sutton
- Touch Judge: Jon Stone
- Senior Review Official: Gerard Sutton
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