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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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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CAN THE SHARKS BOUNCE BACK?

After a humiliating loss to the Dragons, the ET Stand is back to work out exactly what we should make of it. Was it just one terrible afternoon, or did Cronulla expose some genuine concerns heading towards the finals?

Boldo is joined by Franco and Sharks historian Ash Taylor for a massive show.

THE DRAGONS LOSS

A few days removed from the result, we take another look at what went wrong against St George Illawarra, how concerning the performance really was and what the Sharks need to show us next.

We also ask: what is the most deflating regular-season Sharks loss you can remember?

SHARKS v RAIDERS PREVIEW

Next up is Canberra at Shark Park.

We preview the Raiders clash, the key match-ups and what Cronulla need to change to produce the response we’re all looking for.

A win and the Dragons game starts looking like a blip. Another poor showing and the questions become much louder.

TOP 5 INDIGENOUS SHARKS

Ash Taylor takes us through his five most notable Indigenous Sharks and some of the incredible Indigenous players who have represented Cronulla throughout the club’s history.

Expect plenty of debate, some huge names and some even bigger omissions.

BEST SHARKS BENCH EVER — ASH’S VERDICT

Last week we had an absolute ball trying to determine the greatest Sharks bench of all time.

Now we put some of our finalists in front of Ash and force the Sharks historian to make the call.

Did we get it right?

BALLY M UPDATE

We update the ET Stand Sharks Player of the Year standings following the Dragons loss — including the unusual sight of some NEGATIVE Bally M votes after a performance most Sharks fans would rather forget.

PLUS

We talk Sharks jerseys and memorabilia, Ash’s collection of more than 300 Sharks jerseys, the ongoing obsession with 2016, Sharks Leagues Club and plenty more from the live comments.

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SHARKS LEAGUES CLUB OPENING COMPETITION

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Sharks lost

That was horrible

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