Official 2025 Sharks Discussion

[SF]

Upcoming dates:

• Saturday 18-Jan: Members Launch Day 11am @ Shark Park
• 2025 NRL Pre-Season Challenge
  • Friday 7-Feb: Sharks v Warriors at Sharks Stadium 7:30pm
  • Thursday 13-Feb: Sharks v Raiders at GIO Stadium 7:50pm
• Tuesday 18-Feb: Hall of Fame and Immortals Presentation Night 6:00pm (tickets)
• Sunday 2-March: NRL Round 1, Sharks vs Panthers in Las Vegas (Sunday 3:30pm Sydney time)

 

[egg]

SPORTING NEWS

NRL 2025: Cronulla Sharks predicted team list, latest squad news for Round 1​

Mark Molyneux
17 hours ago•2:24 pm AEST

Cronulla finished inside the top-four for the second time in three years and progressed through to be within one game of the grand final.
However, pressure will ramp up on Craig Fitzgibbon to keep pushing his talented outfit forward as they seek to claim the club's first premiership since 2016
Nicho Hynes experienced a rollercoaster campaign which saw him picked and then dropped from State of Origin for the second consecutive year, suffer a serious injury and then have his role in the side questioned.
Can Fitzgibbon get his star man back to his best and guide the Sharks to the decider as they prepare to welcome a massive new signing into their already impressive forward pack?

Cronulla Sharks 2025 season preview​

Addin Fonua-Blake will arrive in the Shire after being granted an early release from his New Zealand Warriors contract.
The Tongan powerhouse could elevate an already imposing pack to being arguably the best in the game.

Coupled with an all-star backline which includes try-scoring machines Ronaldo Mulitalo and Sione Katoa, and the Sharks have a roster which should compete for the premiership.
However, getting improved performances out of Will Kennedy at fullback and ironing out the creases between Nicho Hynes and Braydon Trindall loom as the key tasks in the off-season.

Cronulla predicted team list for Round 1​

1. Will Kennedy
2. Sione Katoa
3. Jesse Ramien
4. Kayal Iro
5. Ronaldo Mulitalo
6. Braydon Trindall
7. Nicho Hynes
8. Addin Fonua-Blake
9. Blayke Brailey
10. Oregon Kaufusi
11. Briton Nikora
12. Teig Wilton
13. Cameron McInnes
14. Daniel Atkinson
15. Sifa Talakai
16. Braden Hamlin-Uele
17. Tom Hazelton

Sharks latest team news ahead of Round 1​

Will Kennedy will start the campaign at fullback but will face a fight on his hands to keep hold of the jersey with Kade Dykes and Liam Ison set to challenge him.
The rest of the back five for Craig Fitzgibbon will be unchanged with Sione Katoa, Jesse Ramien, Kayal Iro and Ronaldo Mulitalo all locked in.
A big question remains around whether Nicho Hynes will remain at halfback or switch to five-eighth alongside Braydon Trindall.
Addin Fonua-Blake will start up front with the Sharks' major summer acquisition joined by the re-signed Oregon Kaufusi.
Briton Nikora, Teig Wilton and Cameron McInnes will form a strong backrow trio, with support off the bench provided by Sifa Talakai.
Daniel Atkinson has likely managed to force his way into being a regular part of the 17 before he departs to the Dragons in 2026.

Toby Rudolf will miss the opening weeks of the new campaign after suffering an injury in the off-season.
Tom Hazelton and Braden Hamlin-Uele will provide the punch off the pine following Royce Hunt's exit and Dale Finucane's retirement.

 

[G.H Shark]

SPORTING NEWS

NRL 2025: Cronulla Sharks predicted team list, latest squad news for Round 1​

Mark Molyneux
17 hours ago•2:24 pm AEST

Cronulla finished inside the top-four for the second time in three years and progressed through to be within one game of the grand final.
However, pressure will ramp up on Craig Fitzgibbon to keep pushing his talented outfit forward as they seek to claim the club's first premiership since 2016
Nicho Hynes experienced a rollercoaster campaign which saw him picked and then dropped from State of Origin for the second consecutive year, suffer a serious injury and then have his role in the side questioned.
Can Fitzgibbon get his star man back to his best and guide the Sharks to the decider as they prepare to welcome a massive new signing into their already impressive forward pack?

Cronulla Sharks 2025 season preview​

Addin Fonua-Blake will arrive in the Shire after being granted an early release from his New Zealand Warriors contract.
The Tongan powerhouse could elevate an already imposing pack to being arguably the best in the game.

Coupled with an all-star backline which includes try-scoring machines Ronaldo Mulitalo and Sione Katoa, and the Sharks have a roster which should compete for the premiership.
However, getting improved performances out of Will Kennedy at fullback and ironing out the creases between Nicho Hynes and Braydon Trindall loom as the key tasks in the off-season.

Cronulla predicted team list for Round 1​

1. Will Kennedy
2. Sione Katoa
3. Jesse Ramien
4. Kayal Iro
5. Ronaldo Mulitalo
6. Braydon Trindall
7. Nicho Hynes
8. Addin Fonua-Blake
9. Blayke Brailey
10. Oregon Kaufusi
11. Briton Nikora
12. Teig Wilton
13. Cameron McInnes
14. Daniel Atkinson
15. Sifa Talakai
16. Braden Hamlin-Uele
17. Tom Hazelton

Sharks latest team news ahead of Round 1​

Will Kennedy will start the campaign at fullback but will face a fight on his hands to keep hold of the jersey with Kade Dykes and Liam Ison set to challenge him.
The rest of the back five for Craig Fitzgibbon will be unchanged with Sione Katoa, Jesse Ramien, Kayal Iro and Ronaldo Mulitalo all locked in.
A big question remains around whether Nicho Hynes will remain at halfback or switch to five-eighth alongside Braydon Trindall.
Addin Fonua-Blake will start up front with the Sharks' major summer acquisition joined by the re-signed Oregon Kaufusi.
Briton Nikora, Teig Wilton and Cameron McInnes will form a strong backrow trio, with support off the bench provided by Sifa Talakai.
Daniel Atkinson has likely managed to force his way into being a regular part of the 17 before he departs to the Dragons in 2026.

Toby Rudolf will miss the opening weeks of the new campaign after suffering an injury in the off-season.
Tom Hazelton and Braden Hamlin-Uele will provide the punch off the pine following Royce Hunt's exit and Dale Finucane's retirement.

Not a fan of Atkinson on the bench, not cause he's leaving, but I would prefer a forward. Tapuha would be my choice.

 

[egg]

Dan's Under Pressure List

The top TEN NRL players under pressure in 2025

Who is under the most pressure in 2025?

www.zerotackle.com

 

[G.H Shark]

Dan's Under Pressure List

The top TEN NRL players under pressure in 2025

Who is under the most pressure in 2025?

www.zerotackle.com

Hynes definitely needs to forget about last year and get ready to rip in.

He will 100% be under scrutiny, whether or not he can handle that is what worries me.

 

[andrew's_sharks]

Hynes definitely needs to forget about last year and get ready to rip in.

He will 100% be under scrutiny, whether or not he can handle that is what worries me.

I am seriously over the BS around him being under pressure. He is no more under pressure than any other half in the comp.

 

[HaroldBishop]

He is no more under pressure than any other half in the comp.

He definitely is.

 

[Tiger Shark]

He definitely is.

Why ?

 

[HaroldBishop]

Why ?

High salary means more pressure

 

[bort]

I am seriously over the BS around him being under pressure. He is no more under pressure than any other half in the comp.

Is it ironic people are already calling Hynes out for not letting go of last season? Criticising him for the exact thing they are doing and he hasn’t shown any evidence of…

Why ?

Because it’s a fun tall poppy narrative everyone can get behind!

And people have it in their heads he should play a specific way (but not too much) and have specific highlights and anything else is a failure because what they have decided his contract value determines.

 

[andrew's_sharks]

Is it ironic people are already calling Hynes out for not letting go of last season? Criticising him for the exact thing they are doing and he hasn’t shown any evidence of…


Because it’s a fun tall poppy narrative everyone can get behind!

And people have it in their heads he should play a specific way (but not too much) and have specific highlights and anything else is a failure because what they have decided his contract value determines.

A ball hasn't even been kicked in the season yet....but he is under pressure? It is dumb! Sure he has a high salary, but lets see how Ben Hunt and Adam Reynolds play together at the broncos. Or Maybe Clearly or Moses will have a poor season....or Maybe Ponga should be under pressure. We finished 3rd not 10th. It is dumb.

 

[apezza]

And, just as important than anything mentioned above....

Headlines on Hynes is great clickbait material. Positive - good, negative - even better.

Which headline will people click more on: Kennedy under pressure or Hynes under pressure.

 

[bort]

High salary means more pressure

This is true but he is not the only one being paid anything. He’s not even the highest paid player per minute he will play within our own team.

We are positioned to see and care about pressure on him a lot more though of course. We don’t really care how Luai goes on even more money per season, and if anyone thinks it’s fine if he doesn’t go that well because tigers suck then why does the $ value of Hynes contract matter so much

 

[bort]

As far as spine players go there are quite a few who would be under some pressure if they made for as a good a story as Hynes (/if we in here cared about them as much)

Gutho has gone to the dragons on basically the same wage we have Hynes on, bumping out their incumbent fullback and also as the big money recruit where their expensive halfback has now left.
But people think he’s enough of a knob they don’t care if he fails and nobody really cares about the dragons if they might go up or down a few spots.

There is a lot of concern about the million mark, like we didn’t have SJ on around the same percentage of the cap. But there are plenty of other players on not too much less I’d much rather have Hynes than.

I doubt anyone would rather save the 300k to have Luke Brooks, Lewis Dodd or Jackson Hastings, right? Jaiden Sullivan?
If these are the 700k guys why shouldn’t Hynes be on a million?
He’s certainly more valuable off the field too.

Would we rather pay an extra 200k for Moses?
Maybe if he played exactly last years form but not any other years we called him overpaid, yeah?

 

[egg]

If he stinks up the first 6 games the pressure will really rise.
No reason if he's NOW 100% fit not to perform to his salary , especially at 5/8

 

[stormshark]

Atko the steadying Robbo hand, with hair. A safety blanket for Marcia.

 

[bort]

If he stinks up the first 6 games the pressure will really rise.
No reason if he's NOW 100% fit not to perform to his salary , especially at 5/8

If he stinks and the rest of the team are playing well then of course it will and yes it should.

If three times his wage in middles can't do their job and win the middle why is it the second fiddle halves fault? In most teams the 5/8 will do most of their work in the attacking 20.
Interestingly if we can get there but not execute with him at 5/8 is that also his salaries fault? Because we could with him at 7 and Trindall at 5/8 and Hynes was paid the same then.

 

[Art Vandelay]

i think he's under pressure
we are expected to be good, he's the highest profile player

 

[egg]

Pass , run or kick , with space at 2nd receiver ( some times ) , he should be able to make the right choices .

 

[bort]

i think he's under pressure
we are expected to be good, he's the highest profile player

Of course, he's certainly not under zero pressure.

Nobody in the NRL is, unless you talk from purely a club perspective, in which case someone like Nathan Cleary is under zero pressure from the club. If he played poorly this season media and fans would quickly start to throw **** but with his exemplary record, coming back from injury, new halves partner, dad is coach, he's not getting dropped no matter how bad he plays.

The question is how much of the Hynes pressure is normal for a teams marquee spine player and how much of it is fabricated (external and thus irrelevant) by the media/fans who enjoy talking about him failing because he plays 'wrong', regardless of if he gets his hands on the ball a lot or not as much.

It wasn't the club having a crack at Hynes saying he can't win finals, he can't win big games, it wasn't Fitz saying maybe drop him for Atkinson Trindall pairing. Hynes wasn't (openly) actually under pressure to lose his spot, people with no say and no bearing were just **** talking him (rightly or wrongly), and then some (the media) with little bearing were too, because the other people agreeing with them makes them money.

With Atkinson leaving and Fitz seemingly generally happy with how Hynes is playing the role he wants from him (regardless of what anyone on a forum or facebook comment section believes) is Hynes under genuine pressure to lose a spot in our team? As of right now, I doubt it.

It's just like when anyone says crap like 'this bloke can't be in the team again next week or I'm done with this club' and then the bloke is picked and the commenter goes nowhere - how unhappy you, I, or the media are with a player does not equal the actual pressure on them, just the noise around them.
I hope the system we have in place can block out the noise and make better informed decisions.

Pass , run or kick , with space at 2nd receiver ( some times ) , he should be able to make the right choices .

And catching the ball he passes too based on how every dropped ball is his fault.