Cronulla did all the hard work to get themselves a top two finish in 2022 but stumbled in the finals to bow out in disappointing fashion.
A loss to South Sydney in week two will leave a lingering pain in the squad's heart over the summer but with a formidable squad that for the most part picks itself, there's no reason why the Sharks can't continue to find success in 2023.
The Sharks farewelled two veterans in Aiden Tolman and Andrew Fifita at the end of the year but have enough experience and cattle to ensure they'll be able to move on under coach Craig Fitzgibbon.
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Predicted Round 1 team
- Will Kennedy
- Sione Katoa
- Jesse Ramien
- Siosifa Talakai
- Ronaldo Mulitalo
- Matt Moylan
- Nicho Hynes
- Toby Rudolf
- Blayke Brailey
- Royce Hunt
- Briton Nikora
- Teig Wilton
- Dale Finucane
- Cameron McInnes
- Wade Graham
- Braden Hamlin-Uele
- Oregon Kaufusi
Other: Connor Tracey, Jayden Berrell, Jesse Colquhoun, Kade Dykes (injured), Matt Ikuvalu, Braydon Trindall, Jack Williams, Mawene Hiroti, Siteni Taukamo, Tom Hazelton, Max Bradbury, Daniel Atkinson.
The best NRL tries from the Sharks in 2022
Squad watch
- Squad spots filled: 29/30
There's plenty of strike and depth in the Sharks squad with several household names like Connor Tracey and Braydon Trindall among them who are unlikely to make the final cut in Round 1.
They welcome Oregon Kaufusi from Parramatta, who will be searching for more game time at the club, and with three spots left there could be one or two more additions before the season kicks off.
The departure of Lachlan Miller and unfortunate season-ending injury to Kade Dykes in February opened the door for the club to sign Knights junior Max Bradbury and former Storm utility Daniel Atkinson.
Aitkinson is a handy back-up option to the halves while Bradbury is an emerging prop.
Jesse Colquhoun and Tom Hazelton had a taste of first grade in 2022 and will be looking to replace Andrew Fifita and Aiden Tolman with bench spots in their second campaigns.
Health watch
As mentioned, rising fullback Kade Dykes will miss the 2023 season after rupturing his ACL at training during the pre-season.
Scans confirmed the worst for Dykes, who was expected to play as a back-up to Will Kennedy.
Jack Williams (shoulder) is on track for the season opener with only Matt Ikuvalu set to miss Round 1 due to a nasty knee injury late in the year.
Most contentious position
There's nothing too contentious about the Sharks' starting line-up for 2023 but a couple of decisions for Craig Fitzgibbon to make overall.
Did the Cameron McInnes and Dale Finucane rotation work? McInnes made a successful return from an ACL injury in his first season at the Sharks, getting through 25 games - 12 of which were from the bench.
He got through a mountain of work despite his minutes dropping to an average of 56 per game, a figure that was around 78 on average during his time at the Dragons.
Another talking point centres around captain Wade Graham coming off the bench in 2023.
With Teig Wilton 44 games into his NRL career and a logical choice to replace Graham long-term, it may be one to watch as the Sharks veteran managed 18 games in his own return to the field in 2022.
Biggest strength
Cronulla's back five - particularly their wingers and centre combinations - bring a wealth of power that enable their forwards to get on the front foot in sets.
Ronaldo Mulitalo (third), Siosifa Talakai (sixth) and Jesse Ramien (11th) finished with the most metres for the centre-wing category, with Penrith's combination of Brian To'o, Taylan May and Stephen Crichton the only other trio who combined as well for their club.
The Sharks play at their best through their power game, evident with the side finishing first in tackle busts (948) for the year.
The halves of Nicho Hynes and Matt Moylan play off the back of that with Cronulla's defensive also relatively sound under Fitzgibbon's first season.
Biggest question mark
You wonder how much the Sharks learned from their abrupt departure in the finals and whether their top two finish was a case of a one-off or something they can get back to within 12 months.
Many suggested both the Sharks and Cowboys had gifted 2022 draws which led to their ladder success, and even if so, it won't be the case in 2023.
The side's attack will need to improve in big matches if they're to make a dent in the competition, while they'll have to handle the pressure after it got the better of them during the finals.
There's plenty of upside to the Sharks with the roster they've got, they just need flush their finals exit fast and get back to the gritty side no opposition wants to play.
Pre-season Challenge information
- February 10: Sharks v Knights at Industree Group Stadium, Gosford
- February 19: Bulldogs v Sharks at Belmore Sports Ground