Former Cronulla Sharks premiership-winner Chad Townsend has delivered a blunt assessment of his old club, declaring their 2026 form is falling well short of the standards they've set in recent seasons.

The Sharks sit ninth on the ladder after the opening quarter of the year, placing them among a group of underachieving sides outside the top eight.

Their defensive frailties were laid bare in last Friday's 46-34 loss to the North Queensland Cowboys, where they recorded 36 missed tackles, ten errors and conceded four penalties.

Speaking on 'The Boardroom' podcast alongside fellow NRL veteran Ryan Hoffman, Townsend said the drop-off has been noticeable.

“I don't think their form has been anywhere near the standard they have set themselves over the past couple of years,” Townsend said.

“Obviously, I watch the Sharks closely, and I feel a bit disappointed, to be honest. Defensively, I don't think they are where they need to be or where they should be at the moment.”

Townsend, who played 146 games across two stints with Cronulla and helped steer the club to its historic 2016 premiership, pointed to a lack of intensity and consistency — particularly in high-scoring encounters like the loss in Townsville.

“You sense a little bit of frustration from Craig Fitzgibbon about guys not getting their jobs done. Um, and obviously that game against the Cowboys this past weekend, it was just like, you know, try for try, try for try,” Townsend said.

Defensively, I just think they've been off the mark so far this year. I think some of their performances have lacked, you know, a little bit of intensity.

“That game up in Townsville, where they've got such a good record against the Cowboys, it was off the mark. You've got to call it how it was. It was off the mark regarding their standards. This is a team that's made prelim finals the past two years.

Despite the criticism, Townsend was quick to credit Fitzgibbon for lifting expectations at the club since taking over as coach.

“Craig Fitzgibbon has 100% improved the standards of the Cronulla Sharks,” he said.

However, with 12 players coming off contract at the end of the season, Townsend suggested uncertainty around the roster could be playing a role in the team's inconsistency — though he stopped short of using it as an excuse.

“I don't know if that's, you know, potentially weighing a little bit heavily on this group because, you know, there's been a lot of talk around the last dance for these guys. They're not going to be able to keep everyone, but you're not playing to the standard that they should be at the moment," he said.

Hoffman agreed, explaining how contract pressure can seep into on-field performance.

“That pressure and knowing that you're in the last year of your contract. It does weigh on an individual, and sometimes it can mess with your confidence if you've got negotiations going on in the background between managers and other clubs and everything like that,” Hoffman said.

“You're waiting to hear a phone call from a manager to sort of say, ‘Oh, mate, have you heard from this club or have so and so got back to you about what they think the deal was?' It does play on your mind, and if your form's a bit up and down, it can really, really exacerbate that pressure, and that's how it seems the Sharks are playing, like just that inconsistency.”

With expectations still high after consecutive preliminary final appearances, the Sharks now face mounting pressure to rediscover their defensive steel — and quickly — if they are to reassert themselves as genuine contenders in 2026.