SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - MAY 17: on May 27, 2016 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Brook Mitchell /Getty Images)

It’s not often that an entire top 10 list will be dedicated to one side, however it’s not often that a side ends a 49 year title drought in the fashion that the Sharks did.

There is so much to be written about the Sharks season, below are just the ten best, off the top of my head, moments of their almost perfect season.

10. Beating Manly

Sharks fans had reason to believe it would be a special season when they beat the old enemy, the Sea Eagles, for the first time in a long time. The Sharks 20-12 win in front of a big home crowd saw the Sharks record just their second win over Manly in 12 games, and saw them reach the top of the table for the first time since round two in 2000. Ben Barba was magical that night and Manly, despite playing well, could not contain him.

9. They can do it all again, maybe

The Sharks enter 2017 with only Michael Ennis and Ben Barba missing from their Grand Final winning team. Although Barba had a blinder of a 2016, there’s a line of thinking that Holmes could become something even more special now that he will move into the fullback role. Although the loss of Ennis is massive, the Sharks have given themselves a real opportunity to defend their title. History says they can’t, but history also said they wouldn’t lift the 2016 trophy either.

8. They sent Ennis out a winner

Michael Ennis will be remembered as a legend of our game. Unfortunately he will more likely first be remembered for being an on-field pest due to his competitive nature. Well, that was prior to the Sharks title win, as now Ennis will be remembered as the man who ran across the sideline to hug the ball boys in celebration, before leading Sharks fans in rapturous applause in his final lap of honour.

7. Try Scoring Freaks

Valentine Holmes scored 18 tries, Sosai Feki scored 13, Ben Barba bagged 15. Overall they scored 22 more tries across the 26 NRL competition rounds than they did in 2015, where only Holmes (16) and Lewis (11) recorded double digit try tallies. They say defence wins premierships, but it’s hard to win many games if you can’t find the try line. In 2016, the Sharks had no such problem.

6. Chad Townsend’s Comeback

After being hooked following a shocker in the Sharks semi-final against the Raiders, Townsend came back and played arguably the two best games of his career in the two biggest games of his career. The sight of him crying tears of relief and joy at fulltime in the win over the Cowboys was the most iconic sight of the year … up until a week later when a beaming Chad hugged childhood hero Andrew Ettingshausen en route to collecting his Grand Final winners ring.

5. Paul Gallen’s Grand Final Speech

“You can turn off your porch lights now cause we’re coming home with the trophy”. No Shark fan will ever forget that line as their side ended 49 years of jokes, ridicule and premiership drought. Those words will be immortalised in Shark history.

4. Membership, Crowd Attendance and Merchandise Records

Record membership numbers were achieved before a ball was yet kicked off. I guess the fans had a feeling of what was about to eventuate. As a result of their success, crowd numbers were massive, and merchandise sales were insane. The Sharks had to open up pop up merchandise stands, and vans, to cope with the demand. They sold millions of dollars of merchandise in the lead up the Grand Final. The Shire turned black, white and blue for weeks.

3. Club Record Winning Streak

Following a dismal display against Manly in round three, Sharks fans began to wonder if their side could fight for a top eight spot, let alone lift the trophy for the first time. That loss was a horror show. Fortunately for fans of the Sharks, they would not experience a loss until round 22. A 16 game unbeaten run, including a club record smashing 15 straight wins, saw the Sharks become genuine title contenders. They played some amazing football, overcame some horror starts, and set all sorts of records in the process. The streak obviously set up what was to come.

2. Sharks maul defending premiers

The Sharks put together 70-or-so minutes of perfect finals football, and completely blew away the defending premiers in the process. James Maloney was like a perfectly programmed robot, while halves partners Chad Townsend had the ball on a string. Holmes, Bird, Luetele and Feki ran riot. Michael Ennis played almost the perfect game. Fifita and Prior dominated the best prop combination in club rugby league. Lewis, Graham and Gallen bashed their opposite numbers. I challenge anyone to watch the Maloney intercept and subsequent crowd and player reaction and not get goosebumps.

1. Grand Final Triumph

The scenes on and around ANZ Stadium at the fulltime whistle on October 2nd, 2016 were like nothing I have ever seen before in 30 years of watching rugby league. The outpour of emotion both on the field and in the stands will likely not be replicated any time soon. It was the perfect scenario; a sold out crowd consisting of 95%+ Sharks fans, following a record breaking season, against the best side in modern rugby league, to end the longest premiership drought in the game. I have seen three Grand Finals in my lifetime; the absolute 40-0 fizzer, the Cowboys golden point heroics, and the Sharks first ever Grand Final success. As spine tingling as the Cowboys victory was, it equalled about a third of the emotion on show in 2016.

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