When Cameron McInnes went down with an ACL injury against the Gold Coast Titans a fortnight ago, it seemed any chance of the Sharks making a run in the finals went up in smoke.
That certainly is the narrative being peddled by anyone not involved with the Sharks.
And on the surface, it's probably just about fair enough.
Defence wins premiership, and there are few better defenders anywhere in the NRL than McInnes.
For years, he has been at the forefront of locking down the middle third of whichever club he plays for.
Originally a hooker, McInnes has become a big-minute lock forward who just churns through his work with a minimal amount of fuss week in and week out.
While the Sharks aren't your out-and-out premiership favourite, they could still create havoc in the finals if they get to their best at full strength.
That's the nature of a team who have plenty of finals experience on the board, the in-form Blayke Brailey leading the way, and x-factor in the halves with former Dally M Medallist Nicho Hynes and Braydon Trindall, while the middle is led by Addin Fonua-Blake.
Again, they aren't on the level of the Melbourne Storm or Penrith Panthers, but September is a different season, and all it takes is a four-week charge.
McInnes' injury certainly has the potential to upset any of that momentum, though.
The Sharks have at the very least gone with the smartest possible decision in replacing their lock forward, though - 23-year-old Jesse Colquhoun.
He slots straight into the number 13 jumper after playing all of his 13 games this year off the bench.
In those games, he has had extremely limited minutes - he has only played more than half the game once.
The step-up into the starting team and potentially needing to play an hour or more will be enormous for the middle forward, but that's not saying he isn't ready.
His impact in his limited minutes to date has been enormous, running 71 metres per game and tackling at almost 96 per cent.
He has played just 376 minutes in total, but has made 266 tackles, which indicates he has one of the better work rates in the competition. Additionally, his ball-running ability means he is averaging almost three metres per minute played.
For comparison, McInnes is sitting on almost the exact same number of tackles per minute with only a marginally better efficiency, while his ball running is approximately half of Colquhoun's when it comes to metres per minute.
That's not to say Colquhoun is a 'better' player than McInnes.
It simply means that, if he can handle the step up in minutes without losing his impact, he will provide the Sharks with a different flair through the middle third of the park while potentially losing none of what the veteran provided in defence.
Of course, the step up in minutes for Colquhoun is going to be the biggest challenge in keeping his numbers, efficiency, and production at what would be considered his usual levels.
Starting games is also a different kettle of fish than coming off the bench, where a lot of the sting is taken out of the contest before he is able to get into it.
However, this is also an opportunity for Colquhoun to prove his worth moving forward.
If he is going to develop into the player we believe he is capable of being, then the next two weeks, extending through to the finals, will define him.
In truth, he should be a lot further advanced in his career than he is, but injuries, including an ACL last year, have held him back from recognising his potential.
He is without doubt among the best young forwards in the game, and he now has the chance to prove it.
If his form does turn out to be good enough, it could get to the point where Cronulla don't even contend for McInnes' signature beyond the expiry of his contract at the end of 2026.
Colquhoun certainly has that sort of potential.
Now it's time to realise it, and just maybe, unlock something in the Sharks that has been missing for much of the year.
