The long-standing friendship between coaches Craig Fitzgibbon and Josh Hannay will be temporarily set aside as their teams face off in Saturday’s NRL season opener at PointsBet Stadium. The professional rivalry takes center stage despite their close personal relationship developed during Hannay’s tenure on Fitzgibbon’s coaching staff at the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks.
Fitzgibbon confirmed the customary coaching protocol of avoiding contact with opposing coaches during game week, though he anticipates a post-match reunion with his Gold Coast Titans counterpart. “General coaching rule, we don’t talk to the opposing coach on game week,” Fitzgibbon stated. “Had a couple of chats weeks ago and then thought it’d be good to catch up after the game.”
The Sharks coach expressed confidence in Hannay’s capabilities, referencing his interim coaching performance during the challenging COVID-affected 2021 season. “I thought he handled that really well,” Fitzgibbon noted. “That’s a sample size there that showed you he sort of knew how to handle things. He’s very measured, very controlled, he’s clear about what he wants.”
Cronulla enters the season with remarkable roster consistency, retaining most of their squad from last year’s campaign that fell agonizingly short of a grand final appearance. While dealing with significant knee injuries to Cameron McInnes and Ronaldo Mulitalo, the team benefits from winger Sione Katoa’s recovery and strategic resting of forward Teig Wilton.
Fitzgibbon addressed contract uncertainties surrounding several high-profile players, including Siosifa Talakai’s signing with the Bears, viewing the situation as a potential strength rather than distraction. “It’s been discussed internally,” he explained. “All the boys that are off contract or may leave, they’re all Sharks this year. They’re a tight group, they’ve been together for a long time now, and we’d like to think we can use that to our advantage.”