In the history of Australian sport, few victories will have meant so much to so many.
At about 9.23pm on Sunday night, everything changed for the Cronulla Sharks.
Whether you believe in the concept or not, there was a sense of destiny around the club and their historic victory.
Cronulla, a club that had suffered years of torment and heartache – on and off the field – for most of their history, reached the pinnacle of rugby league in their 50th season. They achieved what so many of their teams had come close to doing but failed.
The Cronulla Sharks were premiers. Champions.
And it can never be taken away.
You can measure the magnitude of the achievement by what it means to the people. Of the 83,625 fans at ANZ Stadium the ground was almost full of Cronulla supporters, bar about two bays of purple at the southern end.
The intensity of the roar at full-time was like a jet plane taking off above your head. There were grown men and women weeping in the stands. Grown men on the field as well.
The Sharks are one of the true community clubs in Australian sport. The evidence was in the numbers that the black, white and blue army turned up in on the night. There couldn’t have been that many people left in the shire. It felt like everyone was there.
What also makes an achievement even more special is where you’ve come from to get there.
In 2014 Cronulla finished last. Wooden spooners. Their coach had been suspended for a year. Their playing staff left utterly shattered after the ASADA affair.
It was the darkest of days. There was talk of relocating the club. Paul Gallen mentioned it post-game that the club had almost gone broke a couple of times.
In just two seasons, coach Shane Flanagan, his staff and those running the club turned the Cronulla Sharks from a joke to the envy of other sporting clubs across the country.
Perhaps the last word should be left to Gallen. The captain, himself a one-club man who has been at Cronulla since 1999, summed it up best on stage at full-time.
“To all you fans, we’ve waited 50 years for this. We can’t thank you enough,” he said.
“To all the former players, blokes like ET, guys who busted their backside for the club and never quite got to enjoy this, I hope you enjoy it.
“And to all you people back in the shire, turn your porch lights off, because we’re coming home with the trophy.”
Flanagan said after the game the club might have to build Gal a statue.
The man who delivered a premiership.
