Sharks' spine primed to give Emma the last laugh

On a strong and stable spine, many a premiership has been built.

As the Cronulla Sharks prepare for a maiden grand final appearance in just their second NRLW season, it’s a testament to their willingness to adapt that they have made it to the big dance.

Starting the season with young gun Jada Taylor at fullback, Emma Tonegato at five-eighth, Tayla Preston in the No.7 and Quincy Dodd the No.9. Tony Herman’s side had a classy quartet to call the shots.

Wins over the Cowboys and Eels got the season off to a flyer but the gloss quickly came off the 2-0 start when scans revealed Taylor had suffered a season-ending ACL injury in Round 2.

With Tonegato nursing a calf injury, the Sharks’ spine in Round 3 took on a vastly different look with Cassie Staples at fullback and rugby sevens convert Georgia Hannaway at five-eighth.

The juggling continued in Round 4 with Tonegato back on deck but Hannaway nursing an ankle injury which would sideline her for three matches.

The Staples-Tonegato-Preston-Dodd combination got the job done in Round 5 and 6 as the Sharks took their record to 6-0 with thumping wins over the Dragons and Titans.

By the time Hannaway was ready to return in Round 8, Herman had a tough call to make. His team was sitting pretty on top of the ladder at 6-1, but his spine needed readjusting for the run home.

“Because we trained in different positions during the off-season we were ready for whatever happened,” Herman told media on Friday.

“Georgia has a great running game and when you have an Origin fullback [Tonegato] in your squad you need to be well aware of that.

“To her credit, Emma is an amazing human being and she worked really hard. I think she’s an incredible No.6 but when that opportunity came to move her to No.1 she couldn’t have been better about that decision.

“Moving Emma to fullback and having Georgia at No.6 and keeping Tayla there at halfback and Quincy at nine, we believe that’s our best spine.”

For her part, Olympic gold medalist Tonegato tapped into the ‘team first’ ethos that has characterised her glittering sporting career, happily making the move back to fullback when Hannaway returned.

“We had Jada go down early on which forced us to change our hand a little bit but Georgia is having an amazing season,” she said.

“She’s really got the confidence there, she’s an amazing ball-runner and has handled the No.6 jersey really well.

“For me I’m happy to be where ever I’m needed, whether that’s one or six.

"A premiership ring has been on my to-do list for a while and I'm so honoured to be in the big dance this weekend with the Sharks girls.

"The connection we have is really something special and we'll be fighting for it, for sure."

Through the upheaval of the injuries to Taylor, Tonegato and Hannaway, halfback Preston and hooker Dodd played every game and were key figures in getting the Sharks into the decider.

That stability gave Herman peace of mind when he was forced to shuffle the decks in the backline, with the Sharks' No.7 and No.9 among only three halfback-hooker combinations across the NRLW to play every game together.

Broncos pair Ali Brigginshaw and Jada Ferguson and North Queensland's Kirra Dibb and Emma Manzelmann also played every game but only Dodd and Preston get the chance to fight for a title at Accor Stadium on Sunday, joining forces with Tonegato and Hannaway to try and put the finishing touches on a memorable season.