Cameron McInnes, the captain of Cronulla, is optimistic that the Sharks, despite a mid-season slump that reminds him of previous St George Illawarra flameouts, are well-positioned to challenge for the NRL title.
The Sharks started the season strong, winning nine of their first ten games. However, after that, they faltered, dropping to fourth place on the standings after losing six of their last eight games.
When Cronulla hosts the Rabbitohs on Saturday night, they will be looking to right the ship as they are four points ahead of ninth-place Canberra.
The slim run is similar to what McInnes went through with the Dragons in 2017 and 2018, when the Red V led the table early in both seasons before faltering later in the campaign.
Ronaldo Mulitalo’s knee injury has forced Cronulla coach Craig Fitzgibbon to make a few changes for their match at PointsBet Stadium on Saturday. In his stead, rising winger Sam Stonestreet has been selected to participate in his second NRL match.
Moving forward Due to a foot injury, Tom Hazelton is also out, and Royce Hunt, who recently recovered from illness, is back in the starting lineup. In addition, Jack Williams has been chosen to start on the bench following his recovery from a wrist injury, and fullback Will Kennedy has been named to return from a one-week suspension.
Throughout the league, Sam McIntyre and Harrison Edwards have been selected to start in place of injured Cowboys duo Jason Taumalolo and Reuben Cotter. St. George Illawarra fullback Tyrell Sloan has been called up from reserve grade following a head injury sustained by Mat Feagai on Sunday.
For the Warriors, Shaun Johnson has also recovered from an Achilles injury, and for the Roosters, Joseph Manu is expected to make a comeback following a hand fracture.
Due to an Achilles rupture sustained during the Rabbitohs’ loss to the Raiders last week, Alex Johnston will not be playing for the Rabbitohs. Instead, Fletcher Myers will be making his NRL debut against Cronulla.
After suffering a knock to the head in the Origin decider, Cameron Murray, the captain, has returned, as has Richard Kennar.
Although McInnes is aware that Saturday’s matchup with a desperate South Sydney will be difficult, he is optimistic Kennedy will give his team a significant boost.
“[Liam Ison], for a young fella, just absolutely went after it, which was outstanding,” he stated. “Willie is a formidable rival. He’s incredibly underappreciated, but not in our building. It is nice to have him returned.”
Kennedy’s comeback coincides with Nicho Hynes’s ongoing recuperation from an ankle fracture.
The halfback, who would greatly benefit the Sharks, is hoping to make a comeback before the end of the season after being removed from a walking boot.
For Cronulla to be in a good position when Hynes, Hazelton, and Mulitalo do return, it is now imperative that they stay in the top four.
McInnes stated, “You want to find your game, your footy.” “Everyone is putting forth a lot of effort at work. You eventually want to see the outcome of that.
“Obviously, winning and losing are important to us, but what I really mean is putting your best product on the field—something you’ve worked hard for all week. The detail is lacking, but the effort is present.
“Regardless of wins or losses, we want to be playing our best ball on the pitch, and when those guys return, it means we’re doing well.” That’s our main focus. What matters to us is how we win or lose. From a football perspective, we still feel like we’re not where we want to be.”
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