Phil Gould believes the Sharks are a “genuine premiership chance” as the arrival of star forward Addin Fonua-Blake bolsters their roster.
For the past few years, Cronulla have floated in and around the top four, but have failed to take the next step and compete with the likes of Penrith and Melbourne.
However, there’s reason to believe that won’t be the case in 2025 and it could be Fonua-Blake who catapults the side towards their second NRL title.
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”They are a genuine premiership chance and they’ve been knocking on the door for a couple of years,” Gould said on Wide World of Sports’ Six Tackles With Gus.
“Fonua-Blake can be phenomenal for them. It’s that little bit of leadership that they have been looking for and off them back of him, it should see [Nicho] Hynes, [Will] Kennedy and [Braydon] Trindall create a lot of opportunities.
“They are a premiership chance, no risk in the world … it’s just about how they match up against the good sides on the big days, that’s what they have got to do.
“They have been top-four now for a couple of years, knocking around there. There hasn’t been a great deal of change, so there’s a lot of familiarity in their roster.
“Craig Fitzgibbon has been there for a couple of years and the culture is well-ingrained.”
Cronulla have perhaps the most well-balanced squad in the competition, possessing the type of depth that is hard to come by in the modern game.
The sign of a strong roster is often proven by those who miss out on selection and this year there’s a chance that players such as Toby Rudolf, Sione Katoa and Daniel Atkinson miss out on a first grade spot when Fitzgibbon has everyone available.
Their feeder side, the famous Newtown Jets, also took out the NSW Cup competition last year and many of those players will still be in the fold should injuries strike.
Gould also pointed to the growth in oft-maligned playmaker Nicho Hynes as a reason for Cronulla’s potential success, admitting the signs are there that the 2022 Dally M Medal winner is poised for a big year after struggling at times in 2024.
“I think Nicho has got really good at ignoring the noise from the outside,” he said.
“It might have worried him early on, but he seems very settled in himself at the moment.”
Cronulla will begin their NRL campaign against reigning premiers Penrith on March 2 in Las Vegas.