The Cronulla Sharks enter the 2026 NRL season seeking a premiership; it’s a make-or-break year for them after finishing fifth in 2025.
Season Preview
The Cronulla Sharks enter 2026 having grown into a cohesive team, confident in their abilities with high objectives in their push towards the finals.
Last season, despite being one of the most consistent teams in the NRL, they suffered minor setbacks, with key players Cameron McInnes and Ronaldo Mulitalo absent due to injury, but their motivation and determination to win did not falter, overcoming challenges and adapting to the situations. They made the finals only to be defeated by their 2016 Grand Final opponents (Melbourne Storm) in the preliminary final.
The Sharks will be without one of their top players (Daniel Atkinson) this year, as he departs along with Kade Dykes. McInnes will be out until at least May with a knee injury, while Mulitalo is set to return in the second half of the year after tearing an ACL.
Fourteen players will be off-contract at the end of next season, with a possibility the Sharks may not be able to retain all of them. Knowing that this could be their last year together as the existing team, the players are more determined than ever to win a premiership together.
With no new signings this season, coach Craig Fitzgibbon is confident in the talents of his current players, believing that consistency is the key to getting the job done and winning.
The addition of young players like emerging forward Jesse Colquhoun, filling the void left by the injured McInnes, provides the depth needed in the forward pack, and when combined with the more experienced players. With the addition of Addin Fonua-Blake and Blayke Brailey, as well as Nicho Hynes and Braydon Trindall in the back line, the Sharks could well be heading to the finals.
Key Player
Nicho Hynes
If halfback Nicho Hynes makes an impact, the squad should be in contention for a finals spot. He is under contract with the Sharks until 2029. In the 2025 season, he had an average kicking distance of 220.14, 21 try assists, and 628 tackles made.
He is entering his fifth season with the Sharks, having guided them to a semi-final, elimination final, and back-to-back preliminary finals, and he is confident in the coaching staff’s abilities to help guide the team through to the grand final.
Hynes received copious amounts of criticism last season for the Sharks’ losses, but he enters this season certain that he can be the playmaker and execute the winning game plan.
Combining with Trindall has already been successful for the Sharks. Hynes is ready to lead them to a long-awaited grand final with the support of Trindall.
Trindall’s stats also speak highly of a winning combination, with 374.85 average kicking metres, 19 try assists and 320 tackles made just in the 2025 season.
Hynes believes the team’s confidence has risen since the end of last year, and the team’s mentality heading into pre-season is the best it has ever been. He credits the existing team’s continuity as the key to their success.
Player to Watch
Jesse Colquhoun
Jesse Colquhoun made his debut against the Cowboys in round 18 of 2022, after emerging as a quality middle forward through the lower grades, racking up 29 NRL games since his debut. Despite a string of injuries, he became a Cronulla mainstay throughout 2025. Colquhoun re-affirmed his commitment by signing a four-year agreement that will keep him at the club until 2030. With 492 post-contact metres in his 2025 season, he has set out to prove himself and that he is worth his weight in gold.
Draw Analysis
The early rounds offer a soft start for the Sharks, with three of their first five matches at home. They had a successful record of wins at home, recording a nine-game winning streak last season.
The only challenge early in the season could come against the New Zealand Warriors in round 5. The previous time these two teams met, the Warriors outperformed the Sharks in front of their home fans, defeating them 40-10.
The State of Origin period might have a huge influence, with the club being only lightly affected and key fixtures surrounding that block, allowing them to take advantage of other teams’ glaring weaknesses due to key players being on Origin duties.
Blayke Brailey is a top contender for this year’s Origin, but the Sharks have proven in previous years that the absence of players due to Origin has caused minimal disruption, proving their ability to come together as a strong and solid team to get the job done.
The run home features finals-shaping contests for the Sharks: especially in round 27, when they meet the Melbourne Storm in a rematch of the 2025 preliminary final, but this time they could have luck on their side with a home ground advantage.
Big Questions
- Will Atkinson’s departure and Mulitalo’s injury absence impact the team?
- Could this be the year of the Sharks?
- Will the team’s consistency prove effective enough to reach the grand final?
Predicted Finish
Finals Contender
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Related Items
- 🔁 2025 Season Review: https://rugbyleaguezone.com/cronulla-sharks-2025-season-review-and-statistical-breakdown/
- 📅 2026 Draw & Fixtures: https://rugbyleaguezone.com/cronulla-sharks-2026-nrl-fixtures-squad-list-and-player-signings/
