Nathan Gardner, Joe Rokoqo, Ricky Leutele, Elih Baillie, Daniel Perkins, Matthew Wright, Chad Townsend, Jake Anelzark, Warwick Carter (C), Tyron Viiga, Kyle O’Donnell, Tyson Frizell, Tyrone Peachey, Adam Goode, Liam Wesley, Dane Snelson, Duncan Reilly, Callum Tatauha.

Players making their debut for the Cronulla Sharks include Nathan Gardner and Tyson Frizell.

Kade Snowden.

• Barrett could be halfback for Sharks – Local News – Sport – Rugby League – St George & Sutherland Shire Leader
  This story includes a review of the Cronulla Sharks performance in their trial match against the Wests Tigers.
• Cronulla Sharks coach Ricky Stuart looks to battle-tested youngsters for new dawn | The Daily Telegraph

Northern beaches ladies man Brett Stewart gets hammered by brutal Cronulla Sharks defence.

• Fists fly as Eagles sink Sharks | The Daily Telegraph
  This article mentions that Manly prop forward Jason King had blood coming from his mouth after being punched in the face by Cronulla Sharks prop forward Kade Snowden.
• Zac shows gritty traits of his granddad Tommy – Local News – Sport – Rugby League – St George & Sutherland Shire Leader
  Cronulla Sharks are trialling 18 year old Zac Bishop. This article has a good review of the individual Sharks’ players performance in the trial game against the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles.
• Sharks Stewart Mills Injury Update @ Cronulla Sharks

If you can’t see this video, try this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UKaX9HI6D8

——————————————————————————–

Sharks tries to Luke Douglas, Paul Gallen, Mitch Brown, Kade Snowden.  Luke Covell 4 goals.

This game had the best atmosphere of any NRL game at Shark Park during the 2009 season.  Sharks fans turned out in very healthy numbers to watch their embattled team give their best, and possibly cause a big upset in the final round of the regular 2009 NRL season.

South Sydney had smashed premiership favourites St George-Illawarra by 41-6 in round 25, and they were expected to inflict a loss on the Cronulla Sharks at Shark Park.

But Cronulla Sharks fans were also optimistic about their team’s prospects after the Cronulla Sharks had come very close to causing one of the biggest upsets in the club’s history in round 25.

And up until a few seconds before the full-time siren sounded, it looked like the enthusiastic and vocal crowd would get their wish.

Even though South Sydney were able to snatch victory from the Sharks in the dying seconds of the game, there were many highlights from the game for Sharks fans suffering from the worst season in the club’s history.

Off the field, it was impressive to see the healthy crowd of Cronulla Sharks fans that turned up to watch the game, and the mood of the crowd was fantastic.  This was increased further by the good feelings shown by coach Ricky Stuart in letting departing players farewell Shark Park in the NRL, Atelia Vea in particular.

On the field there were two main highlights.  One was the form displayed by Paul Gallen, who played at five-eighth and was clearly the best player on the field that night.

The other main highlight in the game was the form of all the other Cronulla Sharks players, particularly when Paul Gallen was sin-binned for ten minutes late in the first half.

Not long after Paul Gallen had been sent from the field for ten minutes, the Cronulla Sharks were facing another six tackles in defence on their try-line, after a 50-50 call by the referee went against the Sharks.

The twelve Cronulla Sharks players not only resisted the attack of the thirteen Souths players on their line, but once they regained possession near their line, a fantastic territorial attacking set of six tackles by the Sharks saw them attacking Souths on their line.  David Simmons in particular recorded a very strong run in that attacking set.

With the Sharks on the attack, a great kick by Luke Covell into the Souths in-goal lead to the Cronulla Sharks receiving the ball back from the drop-out, and a few tackles later Mitch Brown was able to stretch out and score the Cronulla Sharks second try of the night, and put Cronulla in front.

Another highlight of the game was Luke Douglas’s try for the Sharks, the first try scored in the game.  Although a crowd favourite like Luke Douglas will always inspire loud cheers from the crowd, there were no louder cheers from the Shark Park crowd in 2009 than when ‘Dougie’ scored that try.

Six Cronulla Sharks players gained more than 100 metres in the game: Paul Gallen (253 m); Luke Douglas (168 m); Ben Pomeroy (145 m); Kade Snowden (112 m); Mitch Brown (110 m); Blake Ferguson (107 m).

Corey Hughes and Paul Gallen made Big League Magazine’s Team of the Week for Round 26.

If you can’t see this video, try this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LS2u-FJXLxM

——————————————————————————–