Cronulla Sharks 2025 season review
- Overview
- Highs
- Lows
- 2025 RLB Player of the Year – Blayke Brailey
- Reasons to be positive in 2026
- My 2025 prediction – 7th
- Final 2025 position – 5th (+2)
Overview
2025 was another impressive year for the Sharks, as they reached the Finals for a fourth-straight year under coach Craig Fitzgibbon.
They entered the Finals as the form team in the NRL, with seven wins in their last eight regular season games, then comfortable wins over the Roosters and the Raiders in the first two weeks of Finals had them just 80 minutes away from Grand Final glory.
Melbourne Storm proved one hurdle too many though, as they beat the Sharks 22-14 at AAMI Park, but Cronulla aren’t far away from another big dance on their current trajectory.
Highs
I had the Sharks down as underdogs in their first Finals game against the Roosters, but they didn’t even hit top gear to claim their 20-10 win.
They were definitely underdogs a week later against Minor Premiers Canberra, but they destroyed them on their own patch, 32-12, to set up a semi-final showdown with Melbourne.
Those two victories signalled that Cronulla are capable of getting a result in the big games, they just need a little bit more to get over the line.
Lows
A run of four defeats in five games between Rounds 12 and 17 threatened to derail Cronulla’s season, and there were 26, 30 and 24-point losses in there against fellow top eight sides, which left a few question marks hanging over them.
And despite an impressive campaign overall, there are still nagging doubts as to whether Nicho Hynes is the man to lead them to a Premiership when it comes to the crunch.
2025 RLB Player of the Year – Blayke Brailey
The Sharks hooker has played a remarkable 130 games in a row, playing every game for four straight seasons. That’s not the only reason he’s my player of the year though. This year saw him get career-best stats for try assists, tackles made and running metres, as he continued to be Cronulla’s iron man. It’s all been topped off with a Kangaroos call-up too.
Reasons to be positive in 2026
Cronulla’s remarkable consistency for one. Since Craig Fitzgibbon took over, they haven’t missed a Finals series, and they look closer than ever to reaching a first Grand Final since 2016.
One or two signings in the right areas could tilt them towards a Grand Final appearance in 2026.
My 2025 prediction – 7th
Final 2025 position – 5th (+2)
I’ll take this one. I was confident the Sharks would make the top eight and they duly delivered. Consitency has been the key for them in recent years, they just need to go that one step further.
