THE SHARKS ARE THROUGH TO WEEK TWO.

Cronulla beat the North Queensland Cowboys 26-16 at Allianz Stadium to keep their 2026 premiership campaign alive — and Boldo and Franko are back straight after the game to break it all down.

On this episode:

• SIOSIFA TALAKAI’S enormous impact off the bench and why he dominated the 3-2-1 voting.
• BRAYDON TRINDALL’S return, the extra cohesion he brought to the Sharks attack and the toughness he showed playing through shoulder trouble.
• NICO HYNES stepping up when it mattered and scoring the try that effectively iced the game.
• SIONE KATOA crossing twice in another strong finals performance.
• WILL KENNEDY’S contribution at the back.
• Cronulla dominating possession early and controlling large parts of the contest.
• The controversial offside decision and another discussion about NRL officiating.
• Whether Trindall’s shoulder becomes a target for Cronulla’s Week Two opponent.
• Plenty of listener 3-2-1 votes as the ET Stand Player of the Year race continues.
• And what the Sharks now need to improve as they head into WEEK TWO OF THE FINALS.

It wasn’t perfect — but in September, winning is all that matters.

CRONULLA 26

NORTH QUEENSLAND 16

THE SHARKS ARE STILL ALIVE.

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It’s OPPOSITION FAN PREVIEW time as Boldo is joined by Rob from the On The Ranch Cowboys Fans Podcast ahead of another huge SHARKS v COWBOYS finals clash.

Rob gives us the North Queensland view on where the Cowboys are at, their biggest strength, their biggest weakness and why their defence could decide their season.

We chat Tom Dearden, Jaxon Purdue, Jake Clifford, Reuben Cotter and Jason Taumalolo, plus which Sharks players worry Cowboys fans most — including Braydon Trindall, Will Kennedy, Sione Katoa and Siosifa Talakai.

There’s also plenty on the growing Sharks-Cowboys finals rivalry, some painful memories from previous clashes, the best players to have represented both clubs and Rob’s prediction for Saturday night.

Can the Sharks end the Cowboys’ season — or does North Queensland have another finals upset in them?

UP UP CRONULLA!

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The Sharks have earned a home final — but once again, they won’t actually get to play it at home.

On this episode of The ET Stand Podcast, Boldo and the crew go big on the decision to move Cronulla’s Week 1 final away from Ocean Protect Stadium, why it feels so unfair on the club, the fans and the local community, and why the NRL’s handling of the situation has left Sharks supporters furious.

Then attention turns to the football as we break down the fallout from the Storm loss and look ahead to Cronulla’s massive finals clash with the North Queensland Cowboys. We revisit the Cowboys’ 46–34 win over the Sharks earlier this season, the defensive issues that hurt Cronulla that night, and what needs to change with the season now on the line.

Plus, we take a trip through Sharks history and rank Cronulla’s Top 10 Week 1 finals victories, counting down from some famous September wins all the way to the greatest Week 1 finals victory in club history.

Finals footy is here.

UP UP CRONULLA!

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It’s a late-night ET Stand debrief, and after this one there was plenty to unpack.

Cronulla went down 24-20 to Melbourne at Ocean Protect Stadium, but with a heavily changed Sharks side, two men in the sin bin at one stage and a stack of controversy around the officiating, Boldo and Franko were far from disappointed with the performance.

• The refereeing and bunker decisions that had the ET Stand absolutely filthy

• The missed forward pass and the confusion around grounding the ball on the line

• Michael Gabrael’s sin bin and the debate over what actually constitutes a shoulder charge

• Ronaldo Mulitalo’s brain explosion after running in to protect Riley Pollard

• How the Sharks fought back from 12-0 down despite being two players short

• Sifa Talakai changing the game after coming off the bench

• Why his impact has to raise the question of whether he needs more minutes

• An impressive NRL debut from Riley Pollard

• Strong performances from the Puru brothers and plenty to like from the Sharks’ young players

• The errors that nearly proved costly, including a very unfortunately timed Toby Rudolf drop after Boldo declared Cronulla were going to win

• Fitzgibbon’s frustration with the consistency of the officiating

• What this performance actually means with the Sharks finishing fifth and finals football beginning next week

• Plus Jimmy, 2.0, Rob and plenty of late-night listener comments joining the conversation

Despite the loss, there was a lot to like from a Cronulla side missing several regulars. Was this actually the ideal finals tune-up?

And most importantly… can we please work out what the rules are before next week?

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THE ET STAND PODCAST

Cronulla Sharks chat, analysis, opinion and plenty of carry-on.

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After a disappointing loss to Parramatta, the Sharks head into the final round of the regular season with plenty of questions to answer.

On this episode of The ET Stand, the boys look ahead to Cronulla’s clash with the Melbourne Storm and ask whether recent form really matters once the finals begin.

CK gets the floor for his Eels rant, we run through the latest Bally M standings, break down the Sharks’ remarkable recent home record against Melbourne, and look at teams from the past who managed to turn poor late-season form into successful finals campaigns.

Boldo also unveils his 5½-point plan to get the Sharks back on track — including the importance of Braydon Trindall’s fitness, creating a siege mentality, better bench management, getting more from the supporting cast, Nicho Hynes taking ownership and finding a way to unleash Siosifa Talakai.

Plus:

• Boldo’s latest Player Tiers
• Why the NRL should completely rethink Round 27
• And a bigger question for the club: has constantly celebrating the 2016 premiership actually started holding the Sharks back?

Are the Sharks cooked — or is there still every reason to believe?

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One of the more infuriating Sharks performances of the season.

Boldo and Franko jump on after Cronulla’s 38-18 loss to Parramatta to work through a disastrous opening, another missed opportunity and what it means with the finals now just around the corner.

The Sharks were blown away early, fought their way back into the contest in the second half, but repeatedly failed to turn possession and field position into points.

• How did Cronulla allow the game to get away from them so quickly?
• The Sharks’ attack and a frustrating lack of variety from the halves
• Why Cronulla looked far more dangerous when they shifted the football
• Sione Katoa’s strong performance in a beaten side
• Will Kennedy, Blayke Brailey and the best performers from the loss
• The defensive problems on Cronulla’s edges
• The controversial Addin Fonua-Blake no-try
• Siosifa Talakai’s impact and whether the Sharks should have used him earlier
• Braydon Trindall’s frustration on the sideline
• Tom Hazelton and the potential changes to the forward pack
• The missed opportunity to push for the top four
• Are the Sharks simply waiting for the finals, or is their form now a genuine concern?
• Should Craig Fitzgibbon rest players against Melbourne?
• And are we heading towards yet another Sharks v Cowboys finals showdown?

Plus we get through plenty of your comments and hand out the ET Stand 3-2-1 votes.

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Your support helps us keep producing independent Sharks content every week throughout the season.

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UP UP CRONULLA.

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With the top four still in reach and the finals fast approaching, Boldo, Franko and Francis are back to work through the big issues facing Cronulla.

Francis takes us inside Braydon Trindall’s shoulder dislocation — what actually happens when a shoulder comes out, what “minor structural damage” could mean, how it is rehabilitated and the risks involved in getting Trindall back on the field for September.

Franko then answers five questions coming out of the Titans win, including what we learned from another patchy Sharks performance and which players are putting their hands up heading into the finals.

We also update the Bally M Player of the Year race, where Nicho Hynes has moved ahead of the injured Trindall, before turning our attention to Sharks v Eels at CommBank Stadium.

Is this a danger game? Why have the Sharks struggled on Parramatta’s home deck? And who needs to step up and make sure Cronulla gets the job done with a top-four finish on the line?

Plus, we swing around the rest of the NRL and the developing finals picture.

• Braydon Trindall’s shoulder injury explained
• Can Trindall safely return for the finals?
• Franko answers five questions from Sharks v Titans
• Bally M Player of the Year update
• Nicho Hynes takes the lead
• Sharks v Eels preview
• Cronulla’s poor recent record at Parramatta
• The Eels danger signs
• Who steps up for the Sharks?
• The race for the top four
• Around the NRL

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Up Up Cronulla!

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It wasn’t always pretty, but the Sharks leave the Gold Coast with the two competition points after a 30–22 win over the Titans.

Boldo jumps on immediately after full-time for the latest ET Stand post-match debrief, with Tomo joining the show and plenty of Sharks fans getting involved through the live comments.

After trailing 16–8, Cronulla flipped the game in the second half, getting back to their systems, winning the physical battle and eventually running in six tries.

We break down:

• A very ordinary first half — and the Sharks’ big second-half response
• Whether Cronulla should be happy with the win or concerned by the performance
• Sione Katoa’s incredible acrobatic finish
• Ronaldo Mulitalo’s two-try performance
• Addin Fonua-Blake leading the Sharks through the middle
• Cameron McInnes’ impact from the bench
• Why Siosifa Talakai changed the game when he came on — and whether 24 minutes is enough
• A much more dangerous performance from Blayke Brailey
• Nicho Hynes’ second-half involvement
• The Hiroti discussion
• Two successful captain’s challenges... yes, really
• The Sharks’ 3–2–1 votes
• What the result means for Cronulla heading towards the finals
• And plenty of reaction from the ET Stand community

The result keeps Cronulla’s push towards September moving, with the Sharks now turning their attention to the Eels.

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The Sharks’ top-four hopes are suddenly under real pressure — and now they have to navigate the run home without Braydon Trindall.

In this episode, we break down the latest on Trindall’s shoulder injury and whether he can make it back for the finals, then revisit the Raiders loss and ask the big questions around Cronulla’s attack, game management, captain’s challenge and football IQ.

We also update the Bally M, look at the top-four equation, preview Sunday’s clash with the Titans on the Gold Coast, and assess how the Sharks line up with Niwhai Puru in the halves and Addin Fonua-Blake back in the pack.

Plus, we go back through some famous Sharks late-season wobbles — from 2016 through to 2017, 2005, 2021 and 2024 — and ask whether this is just a temporary dip or a genuine warning sign heading into September.

• Braydon Trindall injury update
• Raiders debrief
• Have the Sharks blown the top four?
• Bally M update
• Titans preview
• Sharks team changes
• Late-season collapses and recoveries

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The Sharks have suffered a damaging 24–20 loss to the Canberra Raiders at Shark Park, making it back-to-back defeats and putting their top-four hopes in serious jeopardy.

With Boldo otherwise occupied at his niece’s 21st dressed as Super Mario, Franko takes the reins solo — with plenty of help from the ET Stand community in the comments.

There’s no shortage of talking points after a frustrating afternoon.

The biggest is the injury to Braydon Trindall, who left the game in just the sixth minute with a dislocated shoulder. Franko looks at what Trindall’s possible absence means for the run into the finals, the options Cronulla has in the halves, and the increased pressure that now falls on Nicho Hynes to take control of the team.

The attack also comes under the microscope after Cronulla repeatedly found themselves in good field position but struggled to turn that dominance into points. Was the loss of Trindall enough to explain how disjointed the Sharks looked, or are there bigger structural issues appearing at the worst possible time?

Franko and the listeners also get into:

• The controversial calls and the Ronaldo Mulitalo try/no-try
• Cronulla’s failure to capitalise on opportunities close to Canberra’s line
• Some questionable decisions around taking the two
• The use of Cam McInnes in the attacking shape
• Whether the interchange rotation was thrown out by Trindall’s early injury
• Calls for Siosifa Talakai to have been brought back into the game earlier
• The performance of Hohepa Puru and where he fits moving forward
• Whether Billy Burns should be starting
• The pressure now coming onto Nicho Hynes
• Craig Fitzgibbon, the criticism of the coach and why Franko still believes he is the right man for the job
• What the Sharks need to do over the final three games to give themselves any chance of recovering a top-four position

Despite the disappointment, Franko isn't ready to write the season off just yet.

The equation has become much harder. Cronulla need to rediscover their best football quickly as the business end of the season arrives.

Can the Sharks turn things around before September?

Up Up Cronulla.

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