EXCLUSIVE: Phil Gould highlights ‘perplexing’ problem impacting Sharks as struggles continue

League legend Phil Gould is of the opinion that the challenges facing Cronulla aren’t as dire as they appear, suggesting that the Sharks players have “gotten in their own heads”.

As the club grapples with ongoing difficulties, discussions began last week regarding a potential shift with coach Craig Fitzgibbon moving Nicho Hynes to fullback and Braydon Trindall into the halfback position.

Following the Sharks’ 30-6 defeat to the Storm on Sunday – their fourth loss in five matches – Fitzgibbon dismissed any notion of shifting his high-earning halfback.

Despite this, calls for a shake-up have persisted and reports surfaced this week that the club held crisis discussions.

Gould has urged caution against making hasty changes.

“I felt their performance against the Storm was commendable. It was a significant improvement from what I had observed in prior weeks,” he noted on Wide World of Sports’ Six Tackles with Gus.

“The Storm found a way … they scored an early try and after that, the match was quite close. I thought, ‘Gee whiz, Cronulla is fighting their way back in’,” he continued.

“I believe the 30-6 scoreline does not truly reflect Cronulla’s position.”

However, Gould indicated that the response from the Sharks players was more revealing of their mental state.

“What I observed were signs of Cronulla thinking, ‘Here we go again’. They seemed to be saying, ‘We’ve put in the effort, yet look at the scoreboard’,” he explained.

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“I think the scoreboard began to play on their minds, while Melbourne was simply too relentless – and they have the ability to score points from seemingly nothing.”

Nonetheless, Gould acknowledged that the club’s performance during the Origin period, when they have not had absentees like their competitors, was perplexing.

They faced a Roosters team depleted of Angus Crichton, Connor Watson, and Spencer Leniu, suffering a 42-16 defeat ahead of Origin I.

After their bye in round 13, they lost 40-10 to the Warriors at home and managed a win against the Dragons. However, they fell to the Broncos 34-28 at Suncorp following Origin II, and then succumbed to the Storm last week.

“What’s puzzling is that they haven’t been affected by Origin, yet they have lost to teams that have,” Gould said.

“Consider the Roosters, who fielded a depleted squad and comfortably defeated them a couple of weeks ago. This raises questions: ‘What’s happening? Why isn’t the team performing as expected?’

“Upon examining their body language and communication on the field – what we refer to as connectivity, particularly in pivotal moments – it appears there’s a lack of confidence at play. … You don’t lose your talent; you lose clarity of thought, and at the moment, I don’t believe they’re managing their mental processes effectively.”

“(The Sharks) are an immensely talented squad. On their best day, I still believe they can triumph over any team. They’re still sitting on eight wins … it’s not like they’ve completely fallen apart.”

The Sharks are currently in 10th place on the ladder with eight victories. Their attacking game ranks fifth in the league with 366 points, but they’ve conceded 370 points, placing their defence at 12th. No other club above them on the ladder has allowed more points.

Gould labelled that statistic as “very uncharacteristic of Cronulla”.

“They’ve been exposed in multiple ways over recent weeks, which is something I’ve not seen with them before,” he remarked.

“Identifying the cause isn’t straightforward; it’s not simply one factor. However, there’s a prevailing sense that they’ve become a bit down on themselves.

“They’re searching for something to catalyse a turnaround, but there’s no hero coming to save them. They must do this themselves.

“They just need to dig deep for that one game and get it over the line. I thought they showed signs of that last week against the Storm; unfortunately, they just played the wrong team at the wrong time.”

Gould emphasised that what the Sharks’ playing group and coaching staff need most right now is to rely on one another and shut out external distractions.

“Persistence is key. I think the coach is maintaining his composure. He needs to have faith in them,” he elaborated.

“Everything can turn around with just one solid performance. I sensed they had the right attitude this past weekend, but faced an exceptionally tough opponent … they would have likely triumphed over most others, considering what I witnessed.”

“The pressure is mounting, and critiques are beginning to surface. The question is whether individuals will heed the coach or the external voices trying to influence them.

“We refer to this as a circle of trust. They must come together, trust themselves, believe in their capabilities, and rely on their teammates to unify and secure a victory.

“That’s precisely what they need to achieve. I thought they put in a solid effort last weekend; they simply faced the wrong opponent.”

The Sharks have a bye this week, followed by a home match against the Dolphins next Friday.