Sharks skipper Cameron McInnes has admitted the Sharks’ premiership window could be closing with 17 players coming off-contract in 2026, including himself.
Cronulla have made the last two preliminary finals, but have been unable to get over the hump in losses to the Panthers and the Storm.
And with 17 players coming off-contract in 2026, including McInnes, Jesse Colquhoun, Jesse Ramien, Sione Katoa, Siosifa Talakai, Toby Rudolf and William Kennedy, next season could be the last dance for the current team in their title bid.
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Speaking on SEN radio, McInnes, who has been linked with a move to the Perth Bears, concedes the Sharks are running out of time to win a premiership with the current squad.
“We’ve been together for a while now, so a sense of urgency might be a strong way to put it, but we definitely know that there’s only so many shots you get as a group,” McInnes told SEN 1170 Breakfast.
“Guys have to move on and things like that so we’re probably getting to that point.
“In saying that, when I got there, a lot of these guys were young and talented but didn’t really know what it took to win consistently and Fitzy (Craig Fitzgibbon) sort of taught the group that.
“I reckon last year, it probably took us too long to find our groove. We sort of mucked around a bit throughout the year, and (were) inconsistent, and probably thought it would happen like the year before.
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“Thankfully at the end, the boys were able to switch it on a bit, but I reckon we probably need to be a bit more consistent throughout the year to sort of make some noise at the end.”
The knock on the Sharks is that they can match it with the best in the competition at times in the regular season, but they haven’t been able to deliver in the pressure-cooker of finals footy.
McInnes conceded his team need to win more consistently in the regular season to instil the belief that they can step up in the big end of season games.
“There’s always noise about not being able to win big games,” McInnes said.
“We have from time to time, but you want to be in those big games throughout the year, and you don’t get too many opportunities in a regular season.
“I reckon there’s been times over the last couple of years that we’ve probably let ourselves down in those moments throughout the year, and then when you get to those semi-final games, whether it’s subconscious or not, there’s these little scars.
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“I think our best footy is good enough, but the best teams are able to access it when they need it, and the pressure is on. Sometimes you have to lose them to win the next one.”
However, with a potential player drain this season as the Perth Bears target a number of their players, including Colquhoun and Ramien, McInnes admits 2026 could be the last hurrah for this Sharks squad.
“We’re not naive to that fact (this could be the last time together),” McInnes said.
“Guys like me that are getting older and other guys are performing really well, and that’s what happens, isn’t it?
“You perform well for a club, and then other clubs that need some help come and throw money, and that’s a decision everyone has to make, and you can’t keep everyone.
“I reckon that’s probably where the club’s coming to right now and so for me, it’s just that sense of urgency.
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“When we started coming up five years ago now, you always want to build something and achieve something and we’ve done really well, but if you come second, you’re the same as the person that comes 17th. So close enough’s not really good enough in our game, is it?”
McInnes is coming off an ACL injury that cut short his 2025 campaign and admits he has to get back to his best to earn an extension at the club or an opportunity at a rival team.
“(It’s) a bit too cliche, but I’m just trying to see where I’m at right now,” McInnes said.
“I’ve got to get back on the field. The way I’m sort of looking at it is the knee doesn’t help things.
“When you’re younger, you sort of need to prove that you belong, and then once you get over 30, probably more in the forwards… you probably need to prove that you can still do it. I’m still hungry to prove that I’ve still got time left in me.”
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However, while McInnes understands the club’s position in not taking a risk on him until he proves he can get back to his best, at 31 he believes he has a lot more to offer in first grade.
“From a club standpoint, you can understand (with an) older player coming off an ACL (injury), you want to see what’s going on before you commit,” McInnes said.
“When you’re a bit younger, you always put an age on it, don’t you? And then you’re like, ‘if I get to that age, I’ll be content.
“But then, for myself anyway, it got to 31… (and) I’m not content.
“I don’t ever want to be holding on. I want to be contributing.”
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