Cronulla’s caretaker captain Wade Graham admits the beleaguered Sharks face some serious soul-searching as the only NRL team yet to record a win in four games in 2014.
The understrength Sharks’ 30-0 drubbing at the hands of the fired-up Knights in Newcastle on Sunday left Cronulla needing something no team in more than 80 years has managed in order to end the club’s infamous title drought.
Newtown in 1933 were the last side to win the the premiership after starting a season zero and four.
Even with a host of stars – including regular skipper Paul Gallen and fellow Test and NSW State of Origin forward Luke Lewis – sidelined with injury, Graham and coach Peter Sharp said Cronulla’s performance against the Knights was unacceptable.
“It wasn’t good enough,” Graham said.
“We have to get back to Sydney, get back to Cronulla and sit down in a group and ask each other some tough questions and take more accountability as players as to how we perform.
“Myself, Toddy (Carney), Andrew Fifita – we all weren’t good enough today.
“And with the troops that we are missing, we have to lead from the front.
“If we’re not doing a good enough job, you can’t expect anyone else to do so.
“We have some tough questions to ask ourselves and be more accountable for our performances.”
Cronulla coach Peter Sharp said missing key personnel was no excuse.
“It’s the NRL, you’ve got to win games no matter who’s out, who’s in or who’s playing,” Sharp said.
“You just have to win football games and we’re not doing that at the moment.
“We’re miles away at the moment.”
The Sharks were on a hiding to nothing heading to Newcastle to face a Knights outfit bent on winning for injured back-rower Alex McKinnon, who remains in intensive care in a Melbourne hospital after breaking his neck against the Storm last week.
Sharp conceded the emotion of the occasion worked against his side.
“I was born up here and I know the town and I coached here. It’s a great town and it’s a great town in adversity,” he said.
“They are in adversity at the moment, and our thoughts go out to Alex and his family. It’s a terrible time.
“The Knights are a tough side at any stage, let alone in the face of adversity.”
But Graham still said sentiment against the Sharks was no excuse for their heavy defeat.
“We’ve probably played in a few games that have been fuelled by emotion and you can feel it before the game – but it lasts for about five minutes once you’re out there and once the game gets going,” Graham said.
“Once fatigue kicks in, the emotion gets taken out of the game.
“So we can’t really put it on that.”