Only get respect with a premiership: Mulitalo says one way to silence Sharks doubters

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The Sharks are through to their second straight preliminary final and have finally earned the respect they have craved from the outside world.

But Cronulla winger Ronaldo Mulitalo said the doubts about Cronulla’s title credentials will remain until they win a premiership, which is now only 160 minutes away from becoming a reality.

Mulitalo was one of the many standouts for the Sharks as they trounced Canberra 32-12 in their own backyard to set up a preliminary-final showdown with Melbourne on Friday night.

The Sharks have played finals footy for the last four seasons but with only one wins from five games prior to this season, never made it past the preliminary final; a 26-6 loss to Penrith last year. It led to star Nicho Hynes saying last week the Sharks don’t “get any respect - ever”.

But this season the Sharks have downed the Roosters and minor premier Raiders in consecutive weeks, and head into a clash with bitter rivals Melbourne at AAMI Park on Friday in form.

The Sharks are still rated $3.10 outsiders by bookies to beat the Storm, however; and not fancied to win the premiership. That doesn’t surprise Mulitalo.

“We had a good win against the Dogs, everyone [externally] was worried about us playing the Roosters at the start of the finals, but we managed to get it done. They said we couldn’t get it done against the Raiders,” Mulitalo said.

Ronnie Mulitalo scores the Sharks’ first try against the Raiders on Saturday night.

“We’re backing ourselves. Nobody is giving us a chance, there might be more excuses [after Saturday night], but that’s alright with us, we’ll keep our head down, and keep going to work.

“We haven’t done anything. We don’t get the right to speak about respect when you haven’t earned anything; how can you demand respect when you don’t have a premiership? You earn respect by beating the best of the best.”

Mulitalo acknowledged the clock is ticking on the Sharks to succeed or changes will be made.

“We’ve been together for four years, and I think we all know if we don’t get something done or get moving, we’ll pay the price,” Mulitalo said.

“That’s how you lose players, and someone comes in to do a job.

Ronaldo Mulitalo was worried he’d be binned for sledging Canberra players.

“That’s what we get paid to do, and if you don’t get results, we know [what happens].

Mulitalo was genuinely worried he might be sin-binned for sledging Canberra players on Saturday night after Hudson Young was marched for doing just that a week earlier.

But he was a little quieter when it came to the lip service, especially after concerns sledging was no longer tolerated following Young being sent to the bin for getting in the face of Brisbane’s Reece Walsh.

Mulitalo is one of the best nigglers in the game, and there was a lot of commentary in the lead-up to the Raiders’ clash about how he was a huge chance of being sanctioned for shooting his mouth off.

He certainly did not agree with the decision to bin Young for sledging Brisbane’s Reece Walsh – and after avoiding trouble against the Raiders, said verbal lashings were an under-rated tactic in rugby league.

“Everyone was bringing me up the whole week saying, ‘I’ll stuff it up for my team’,” Mulitalo said.

“I was telling Craig, ‘I promise I won’t say anything stupid’, and he was like, ‘don’t f—ing do that’.

“[I was thinking] I’d be gone for a whole year if I ever got caught with what I say sometimes.

“It’s high stakes. Nobody takes it personally. And if you can’t handle words when you go out there, that’s on you.

“It’s advantage to whoever is able to get under your skin.

“You can say whatever you want to me. I’ve been called plenty of things, but am I going to sit around and say, ‘he hurt my feelings?’

“Play the game how it is. It’s tough. Obviously, there’s a limit, and you don’t bring in partners or kids – you never cross that line.

“With Hudson Young, he can say whatever he wants. I gave him a bit of lip, and he was giving it back. Not once did I say, ‘he hurt my feelings’.”

Pressed on whether he loved it when players reacted to his sledging, which he is sure to do against the Storm, Mulitalo said: “One hundred per cent. That’s ‘1-0’ me. If you play a video game and laugh at your brother, then he turns around and flogs you, you’re the real winner.”