Cronulla coach Craig Fitzgibbon didn’t hesitate when asked what the turning point was for his side’s finals charge, with an “unacceptable” performance against the Broncos proving to be the catalyst for their turnaround.

The Sharks looked like the real deal following a road win over the Sea Eagles and then a tense win over the Storm in rounds 10 and 11, only for them to lose four of their next five, including an ugly defeat in Brisbane.

Fitzgibbon’s side had raced out to a 28-12 lead but conceded the final 22 points that afternoon as their edge defence fell apart.

While that was ugly, the coach was surprisingly upbeat the following week when they conceded three late tries to lose 30-6 in Melbourne, with Fitzgibbon regularly referencing that game as a positive in their season.

A bye in round 18 came at the perfect time, with the Sharks winning nine of their next 10 matches and emerging as one of the best defensive units on their way to the preliminary final.

“It was after we played the Broncos up there,” Fitzgibbon replied when asked what the turning point was this season.

“I thought our performance was unacceptable for what we believe we’re either capable of or value as a team and as a club.

“It was poles apart, so we had to come down here and play the Storm the week after, and we had to reset. We were really competitive that game, but the game got away from us in the last 10 or 15 minutes.

“It was the start of what we needed to address and work on. From that point on, it’s been relatively consistent.”

The Sharks now look like a genuine premiership threat heading into Friday’s grand final qualifier against the Storm who beat them in the first week of the 2024 finals series.

“You get hardened by your heartache, and we’ve had a bit in the semis over the previous years,” Fitzgibbon said, conceding his side was flat during the Origin period after a stack of travel to start the season.

“It was really nice to have two really strong opponents in the Roosters and Canberra to take them on and give the boys even more belief.

“We’re also under no illusions with the Storm. They’ve had the week off – they earned that – and we’re on a six-day turnaround with an interstate trip, so we’ve got a challenge which the boys are excited about.

“But we do believe that we are in a better position than we have been in semis past.”

The Storm is the only thing standing in their way of the grand final, but it’s a daunting task with the hosts set to welcome back superstar playmaker Jahrome Hughes from a fractured forearm.

Fitzgibbon didn’t say his left edge would go after the halfback who hurt his arm in his first game back from a dislocated shoulder.

“Defensively we’ll need to be on our game because he’s a really good controlling half and a great ball runner,” he said.

“He was out with a shoulder injury for a long period of time, so I’d imagine his shoulder has healed really well.

“The new injury with his wrist has clearly healed well enough to play, so you’ve got to take it for what it is.

“He’s a wonderful player and one of the best players in our premiership, so we’ll have our hands full making sure we can control him, and there are a number of players we’ll have to do a good job on as well.”

Originally published as ‘Our performance was unacceptable’: The Broncos defeat that helped turn Cronulla’s season around