Eight is enough for Sharks to have a special grand final bond

2 weeks ago 4

Cronulla prop Toby Rudolf likes to call the group ‘The Great Eight’.

‘“The Great Eight?’ I prefer ‘The Sensational Seven, plus Toby’,” Cronulla captain Blayke Brailey says.

Rugby league players staying together at the one club for any number of years has become almost unheard of in the salary cap era.

But eight of the Sharks players who feature for the Shire club in Saturday night’s semi-final against Canberra were all teammates six years ago when the mighty Newtown Jets won the NSW Cup grand final, followed by the State Championship on NRL grand final day.

Brailey, Rudolf, Will Kennedy, Sione Katoa, Ronnie Mulitalo, Braydon Trindall, Teig Wilton and Sifa Talakai were on the field when Billy Magoulias put through a chip kick in golden point against Wentworthville, with winger Tyrone Phillips flying through, then passing to Kennedy to score.

A week later, Magoulias put through another chip kick in the final minute against the Burleigh Bears, with Jackson Ferris pouncing on the ball and sprinting 40m to seal another memorable victory.

The unbreakable bond and big-game experience are just another two reasons the belief continues to grow in the Shire.

“All these lads, regardless of where we go, we’re friends for life,” Rudolf said. “And to be playing out there with your best mates, that you’ve known for that long, it only breeds positive things.

“The Great Eight, we’re great mates. Other than Penrith, I don’t know how many teams would have eight blokes still at the club after all playing reserve grade together back in 2019.

Braydon Trindall, Sione Katoa, Will Kennedy Blayke Brailey, Sifa Talakai, Toby Rudolf, Teig Wilton and Ronnie Mulitalo

“Half of us weren’t even signed to [Cronulla] at the time. I’m doing this for Cronulla, I’m doing it for the fans – I’m doing this for ‘The Great Eight’.”

Brailey said of the mateship: “We still enjoy each other’s company. The only one we’re sick of is Toby.

“We had a great time with Newtown, now we’re all here together in the NRL. We’ve all seen the highs and lows of our [respective] careers. Hopefully that [bond] helps us in the big games.”

Rudolf doesn’t have fond memories of Canberra, having lost all four NRL games he has played in the capital. Even his second game in reserve grade at GIO Stadium back in 2016 he was hooked after 20 minutes, and dumped to the under-20s for the remainder of the season.

While there are questions about the Raiders and how they physically and mentally lift after the 94-minute epic against the Broncos six days earlier, Rudolf was more concerned about Cronulla reproducing a defensive masterclass.

“The extra 14 minutes the Raiders played is not even a quarter of a training session, so that hasn’t got me licking my lips,” Rudolf said.

“What’s got me licking my lips is the last two performances we’ve put together, which included holding the Dogs to six points and the Roosters to 10 points.

“It’s not about what’s happened to Canberra, it’s about what’s happening with us.

“‘Fitzy’ [coach Craig Fitzgibbon] has been trying to instil this defensive mindset since he’s been here. He calls us slow learners. I call him a shit teacher.

“But we’re getting there. Defence wins premierships, the last two weeks we’ve defended well, and we just have to keep doing that this weekend.”

Cronulla star Nicho Hynes this week spoke about how he had given up trying to win over the respect of opposition fans and critics who were still convinced the Sharks could not go all the way.

“Nobody gives us a chance – ever; Nobody speaks about us,” said Hynes, whose side have won eight of their last nine matches, the best record of any NRL club after Origin III.