The sight of Craig Fitzgibbon punching a monitor screen in a moment of fury proved one thing to Cronulla players - their coach is as frustrated as anyone that the Sharks may be letting a golden chance slip from their grasp.
Finalists in every year of the ex-Australian Test forward’s coaching tenure, the Sharks enter Saturday’s elimination final against North Queensland ready to farewell Cameron McInnes, Sisosifa Talakai, Jesse Ramien and Sione Katoa, who have been mainstays under Fitzgibbon.
Cronulla looked destined to lock in a top-four spot a month ago but defeats to wooden spooners St George Illawarra, Canberra, Melbourne and Parramatta led to Fitzgibbon’s men falling to fifth and being plunged into a sudden-death final.
The loss to the Eels a fortnight ago led to the coach’s anger coming to the boil, with TV cameras capturing the usually mild-mannered Fitzgibbon punching a monitor in his box in anger at the Sharks’ ill discipline.
“That TV got in the way,” joked prop Addin Fonua-Blake.
“He's obviously had a moment there in the coaches' box but it’s a highly emotional game.
“You're only human, man. You're going to let it slip a few times. It just came when he was sitting in the coaches' box with about 50,000 cameras facing him and he let it out at the wrong time.
“It's good that he shows that because sometimes you think he's a robot, he doesn't let out too much emotion.
“I guess he's just frustrated because he knows the type of footy that we can play. Prior to the last five weeks, we were playing such good footy.
“We lost our way a bit, but we're back into it this weekend.”
McInnes echoed Fonua-Blake’s point of view and said Fitzgibbon had been making jokes at his own expense about his angry reaction.
The Cowboys clash, which will be played at Allianz Stadium, could be McInnes’ last for the Sharks as he is set to join Super League club York next year.
“If we lose, it's over but then you also look like we have nothing to lose too,” McInnes said.
“If you go out there, and do a good showing of yourself, you might get another opportunity. I think that's definitely the way we want to look at it.”
