Fitzgibbon confronts contract chaos ahead of Round One

Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon has backed his squad to turn uncertainty into motivation as the club prepares for its season-opening clash against the Gold Coast Titans, now coached by his former assistant Josh Hannay.

The Sharks enter Round 1 facing the reality of a potential roster reshuffle at the end of the year, with eight of the 19 players named for the Titans match coming off contract at the end of 2026, with a total of 16 players across the broader squad in the position.

Despite the looming decisions, Fitzgibbon believes the situation can become a competitive advantage rather than a distraction.

“It's part of the deal, it happens to some clubs at times,” Fitzgibbon shared in the press conference.

Among the players whose futures remain uncertain are Cameron McInnes, Will Kennedy, Jesse Ramien, Sione Katoa, Siosifa Talakai, Toby Rudolf and Braden Hamlin-Uele.

Talakai's situation has already highlighted the reality of the NRL market, with Fitzgibbon acknowledging the club's role in developing players who eventually secure major deals elsewhere.

“We're proud of ourselves for developing (Talakai) as a player, for him to go and have a contract like that and look after his family. He wanted to stay, so it hurts,” Fitzgibbon said.

While the number of players off contract could signal significant turnover, the coach said the squad had confronted the issue head-on during the pre-season.

“It's been discussed internally, but we wanted to bring it up, address it, so we can put it to bed and get back to business,” he said.

“All the boys that are off contract or may leave, they're all Sharks this year.”

Fitzgibbon pointed to the group's stability as a reason the club could thrive despite the uncertainty.

“It can be a real strength,” he said.

“They're a tight group, they've been together for a long time now. We'd like to think we can use that to our advantage.

The possibility of change has also been acknowledged at the executive level. Speaking at the club's season launch this week, Sharks CEO Dino Mezzatesta conceded the club will not be able to retain every player whose contract expires.

“It's going to be inevitable, we won't be able to keep everyone,” Mezzatesta said.

“It just won't work. And I think as a message for the younger boys coming through, they need to know that they're going to have their chance as well.”

For now, the focus remains firmly on the field as Cronulla prepares to begin its campaign against a Titans side led by Hannay, a coach who knows the Sharks' system well after previously serving under Fitzgibbon.

With so many players facing pivotal contract years, Cronulla will be hoping the situation fuels a season of performances that could mirror other teams that have thrived under similar pressure.