Boldo, Chris Kelly and Steve Franklin are back after a huge week on the ground at the Cronulla Sharks’ 2026 Season Launch.

We take you inside the morning at North Cronulla Beach — the player march, the media access, the interviews with Nicho Hynes, Toby Rudolph and more — and share what really stood out from our chats with Craig Fitzgibbon and the squad as the countdown to Round 1 begins.

There’s plenty of discussion around the newly announced co-captains, the vibe inside the group, and why this Sharks team looks settled, confident and ready to take the next step.

From there we zoom out to the rest of the NRL:

• Key takeaways from the preseason
• Which clubs are rising and which are sliding
• Our full panel Top 8 predictions for 2026

Plus Boldo delivers his off-season rant — the five narratives Sharks fans are absolutely sick of hearing.

If you’re counting down to the new season, this is your full Sharks temperature check.

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📲 Follow us on Instagram for all the player interviews from the launch.

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he Sharkies have sent a message in the final trial, putting 48 points on the Raiders, and the ET Stand crew is here to break it all down straight after full time.

Boldo is joined by 2.0, with Franco eventually fighting his way through the tech issues, as the boys run through the big performances, the spine combinations, and what this result means heading into Round 1. There’s plenty of love for the Hynes–Trindall partnership, a deep dive into the middle-forward rotation, and the ongoing fullback debate, plus which young guns strengthened their case for a jersey.

They also tackle the big season question – can this squad take the next step from back-to-back prelims to a Grand Final – with bold predictions, fan reactions from around the world, and a look ahead to media day with the chance to interview Nico Hynes and Braydon Trindall.

All that, the Discord crew, and the usual one-eyed, biased, passionate Sharks chat.

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Big show this week as we dive head-first into the two major injuries rocking the Sharks and what they mean for 2026.

Boldo and the ever-present Steven “Franko” Franklin are joined by Southside Physiotherapy principal and former Sharks physio Francis Crossle for an in-depth, expert breakdown of Ronaldo Mulitalo’s ACL rehab timeline and Cam McInnes’ complex second reconstruction – how they happen, how long they really take and whether August and May returns are realistic.

Franko rolls out his Top 5 Sharks under pressure for 2026, sparking debate around:

• Blayke Brailey and the captaincy
• The Hynes–Trindall combination
• Will Kennedy’s future
• Jesse Ramien’s contract year
• The Leagues Club project

We also cover:

• 🦈 Sharks captaincy chat – is it Brailey, Hynes or a co-captain model?
• 🏉 Origin eligibility rule explained and what it means for Addin Fonua-Blake & Briton Nikora
• 💰 Siosifa Talakai to the Bears? The $600k question and what the Sharks should do
• 📋 Full Trial #2 team list reaction
• 🔍 Why Teig Wilton wasn’t named
• 🔥 Raiders preview – and how understrength Canberra really are

Plus plenty of Discord chat, listener comments and the usual ET Stand dribble.

https://discord.gg/

This episode’s injury update is proudly brought to you by Southside Physiotherapy – expert care and rehab in the Shire.

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Up Up Cronulla! 🦈

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In this episode of The ET Stand – The Debrief, David Boldo and Franco react live to Cronulla’s 40–6 trial loss to Parramatta at the newly redeveloped Henson Park. Streaming across YouTube, Facebook and Instagram, the boys shake off the off-season rust, laugh about missing graphics and borders, and dive into what actually matters from a trial where most of the Sharks’ top squad sat out.

They break down the context behind the result, explaining the heavy rotation, the inexperience across the backline and what the coaching staff were likely trying to get out of the hit-out. There’s a detailed look at which young players impressed, who missed their chance, and which names Franco is quietly tipping as future first graders.

Regular caller Williams 2.0 joins the show to defend Sam Stonestreet, talk season expectations and plant the flag for a top-four finish, while journalist Stephen Russo calls in from Henson Park to describe the atmosphere, the crowd, the $20 million ground upgrade and how the game looked from the sideline.

The episode also shifts to the All Stars clash, with a strong review of Nicho Hynes and Braydon Trindall’s performances, Briton Nikora’s starting credentials and Mawene Hiroti’s next chapter. From tactical trial strategy and defensive combinations to captain’s challenge tallies, commentary rants and classic Sharks nostalgia, it’s a full pre-season style debrief.

It’s raw, interactive and proudly one-eyed, as the ET Stand builds back into match-ready form ahead of the season proper.

Go the Sharks.

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The ET Stand Podcast is back for its first show of 2026, kicking off a new season of Cronulla Sharks chat with opinion, passion, and plenty of laughs.

Boldo is joined by Franco and Chris Kelly as the boys ease back into it, welcome listeners from around the world, and dive into a packed Sharks news update. The episode covers off-season player signings and retention, new coaching appointments including Matt Shirvington and Freddie Michalak, and a detailed TLDR of CEO Dino Mezzatesta’s preseason update, including the Woolooware Bay Leagues Club rebuild, membership targets, and commercial growth.

The team previews the Sharks’ first pre-season trial against the Eels, breaks down the All Stars selections, reacts to Don Rogers appearing on Australian Survivor, and unpacks Toby Rudolf’s contract comments and what they mean for the club’s premiership window.

There’s also plenty of classic ET Stand banter, fan interaction, a Sharks membership unboxing, Chris Kelly’s annual NRL team of NFL players, and a thoughtful closing tribute to founding sponsor and close friend of the show, Chris Bloxham.

Footy is back. The ET Stand is back. Let’s go, Sharkies.

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The NRL 2026 draw has dropped — and Boldo is breaking it down solo from Brooklyn, New York. In this off-season episode, we run through the full Cronulla Sharks schedule, the strength of draw, who we play once and twice, the key danger periods, the dream stretches, and how many wins the Sharkies realistically need to lock in a Top 4 finish.

You’ll hear:

• Why 2026 shapes as a favourable draw

• Early-season expectations

• Rivalry games, rest periods & the tricky patches

• Whether we’re a shot at the minor premiership

• Thoughts on the NRL’s new AI-optimised draw

• The omen from last year’s “easiest draw” team

We also tease our new members program, a tipping comp, and a bigger season of weekly shows + immediate post-game debriefs.

How confident should Sharks fans feel about 2026? Pretty confident, as it turns out.

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The Sharks’ season has come to a close, and we went live for our final regular Tuesday night show of 2025 to unpack it all.

Boldo, Franco, Lats, and Chris take you through:

• The heartbreaking prelim loss to the Storm and what went wrong
• Refereeing controversies and bunker blunders
• Off-contract player watch (Kennedy, Ramien, more)
• DCE rumours and what they really mean for the Sharks
• Full season review across NRL, NRLW, Jets and Harvey Norman Premiership
• Boldo’s final Player Tiers of the year – including a new “Final Boss”
• Fan comments, live banter, and the prize draw wrap-up

Despite the pain of another prelim defeat, there’s plenty of laughs, fiery debate, and a good dose of off-season optimism.

Links & Partners

Join the discussion in our Discord: https://discord.gg/nXEC9QNfmK

Our Partners:

• solveaccounting.com.au
• mirandahotel.com.au
• morgans.com.au/branch/Cronulla
• southsidephysio.com.au
• displaywear.com.au

Grand Final Viewing Event @ Miranda Hotel

Booking Link: https://bit.ly/3K1nFju

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Another prelim heartbreak for the Sharkies. Boldo dialled in live from his Melbourne hotel fresh from AAMI Park, voice spent but passion undimmed, to share the raw emotion of another finals exit. Franko brought the instant analysis, while fans piled in with their comments on the refereeing, Will Kennedy’s role, the halves, and what comes next for Cronulla.

We cover it all — the atmosphere in Melbourne, the frustration of key errors, the debate over loyalty to certain players, and the glimpse of hope that this side still has the defensive grit to be a contender.

Join us for this therapy session, as Sharkies fans mourn together, vent together, and start looking ahead to what 2026 might hold.

Join the discussion in our Discord: https://discord.gg/nXEC9QNfmK

Our partners:

• https://solveaccounting.com.au
• https://mirandahotel.com.au
• https://morgans.com.au/branch/Cronulla
• https://southsidephysio.com.au
• https://displaywear.com.au

Grand Final Viewing Event @ Miranda Hotel

Booking link: https://bit.ly/3K1nFju

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.