NRL Round 26 review: Cronulla’s season just got complicated. After a 38–18 loss to Parramatta, Craig Fitzgibbon called his side flat and unenthused — and admitted they’re uptight. Chris Danks and Blake Austin go long on the only question that matters for the Sharks this week: do you rest everyone against Melbourne and trust the finals switch, or do you play yourself back into form with one week left?
Plus: whether Cronulla have earned a home final, and where the ARLC’s venue discretion leaves them.
Blake also breaks down Cody Walker from a five-eighth’s perspective — what he does that other halves in the competition don’t. And we make the case that losing Sam Walker to a high-grade syndesmosis injury might not be the disaster it looks like for the Roosters.
00:00 A message to the footy gods
00:25 Does anyone actually care about the minor premiership?
01:49 Team List Tuesday: who rests and who doesn’t
02:44 Cronulla’s call — rest everyone, or play for form?
05:34 The Nicho Hynes theory: back through the tape
07:16 “Soft” — do players actually hear the criticism?
08:39 The three Sharks who can’t be rested
10:33 Shark Park and the home final Cronulla earned
12:00 Cody Walker decoded: why he only throws barrels
16:42 The flick pass and the dumbest rule in footy
18:04 Why losing Sam Walker might help the Roosters
21:35 “Penrith’s comp to lose” — and why we’re unfair to them
25:14 The Warriors’ one unanswered question
26:44 Saifiti, the Knights, and a kick-off Blake still regrets
31:33 Round 27: playing for nothing, and the Broncos review
35:43 Brad Fittler Medal: Hudson Young and Canberra’s call
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