Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon is hoping the “hurt” of his side’s awful final ten minutes against the Dolphins proves to be a beneficial moment.
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Cronulla trailed 18-10 at the 70th minute before clocking off and conceding 20 more points in the final ten minutes.
“Obviously we like to think we’re a decent defensive side. We have been for a number of years but at the back end of a game like that to concede cheap ones, yeah that hurts,” Fitzgibbon said.
“Maybe we need to hurt a bit so we do something about it.”
Fatigue seemed to play its part when the Dolphins scored, including a crucial try just before half time when Herbie Farnworth and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow combined to slice through the Sharks’ middle.
Fitzgibbon put it to a “gut-busting” opening period of the game and a lack of good fortune.
Fitzy reacts to Sharks’ late collapse | 04:32
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“I reckon you create your own energy,” he said.
“I feel like when we play well, those calls you were on the wrong end of go your way and the bounce of the ball bounces back to you. There’s just little things that happen.
“I’m not going to sook about the calls. They are 50/50 most of them but when the 50/50’s aren’t going your way, you’re not creating your own energy and I’ve felt that’s been the case two weeks in a row.”
The Sharks mentor was also asked if his side’s sluggish effort at times was potentially due to a hangover from last week’s tough game against Penrith, but Fitzgibbon wasn’t buying that.
“They (Penrith) didn’t have a hangover last night,” he replied, referencing the Panthers’ 40-4 clinic against the Roosters on Friday.
Meanwhile, the Sharks are in for a nervous wait after skipper Blayke Brailey was placed on report for a trip.
Brailey didn’t comment on whether he thought he has a case to answer.
“I haven’t looked at it yet but I want to be playing next week so the club will have a look at it,” Brailey said.
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