WHAT hasn't gone wrong for Cronulla this year?
The club can only look ahead.
Injuries, the ASADA investigation, players suspended as a result of it, coaching shuffles, injury decimation, Beau Ryan and John Morris forced to retire through injury, Todd Carney sacked.
The list of problems the club has faced seems endless.
The Sharks were without 16 NRL squad players in Sunday's 22-12 loss to Canberra at Remondis Stadium.
The players tried hard and the Sharks led 6-0 at half-time.
But weight of possession in the Raiders' favour in the second half, saw them score 22 points.
The toll has become too much for the players.
Coach James Shepherd said the young players drafted into the team were upbeat, tried hard and were enthusiastic.
"There's a lot of character in the club," Shepherd said.
The Sharks are now facing the third wooden spoon in the club's history. In 1967 and 1969 they finished last.
The loss to Canberra means the Raiders move ahead to second-last on 16 points and the Sharks anchored on the bottom of the table on 14 points.
Veteran Sharks halfback Jeff Robson said it's been a long season.
"It's the worst injury toll I have been involved with in my time playing in the NRL," Robson said.
Robson has played in the NRL for 10 years at three clubs: Manly, Parramatta and the Sharks.
"We haven't been able to get our full team together on the field," he said.
Sharks fullback Michael Gordon was lively in attack and never stopped trying. Forward Chris Heighington gave it everything, inspiring a young team.
Canberra 22 d Cronulla 12 (Tim Robinson, Sosaia Feki tries, Michael Gordon two goals). Crowd: 13,496.
TWO GAMES LEFT
The Sharks may be running out of troops with a long list of injuries and player suspensions with the ASADA investigation, but there is plenty of spirit in the place. The players have fought hard in games all season and many new faces have been given chances.
The Sharks take on North Queensland at 7.30pm on Monday at Townsville. In their final game of the year, the Sharks meet Wests Tigers at 3pm on Saturday, September 6, at Leichhardt Oval.
The Sharks earned the dreaded wooden spoon in 1967 and 1969 and it seems after the loss to Canberra on Sunday they will collect it for a third time.
DISRUPTIONS
Cronulla’s horror season has stretched the mental limits of the players and officials. But there is some ray of light with the emergence of many new faces. The Sharks have used 35 players this season. The new faces have learned in tough times in the NRL, a pressure-cooker competition. Scott Sorensen and Sione Masima made their debut against the Raiders.
BROWN INJURY
Promising five-eighth Fa’amanu Brown injured his knee against the Raiders and will have scans to determine the injury. Hewas helped from the field on Sunday.
What do you think the future will hold for the Sharks?
