Cronulla Sharks- 50 Year Drought Broken!

Apart from my wedding night, and the birth of our children it was the best night of my life. The atmosphere was electric. You could have cut the tension with a knife. The game was down to the final 20 seconds, and Melbourne Storm had the ball. All they needed was another 15 seconds and it would be all over…

With 10 to go the Cronulla Sharks had them on the ropes. They only needed to keep them from the try line long enough to run out the clock. The tackle count went from one to five and Storm still had the ball. The crowd was shouting the final countdown 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0. The full time siren sounded, but the game was still going. Seconds after the buzzer, Sharks made that final, crucial tackle, and the fans went mad. The final score was Sharks 14, Storm 12. After 50 years in the competition, my beloved Sharkies had won their first ever Grand Final!

At least 83,000 NRL fans watched on Oct 2, 2016 as Cronulla Sutherland Sharks made history, winning their first Grand Final and breaking the 50 year drought. Those who couldn’t afford tickets were offered $10 tickets to watch it in a cinema, which was what my husband and I did, and the rest of the Sutherland Shire- and probably all of Sydney- watched the phenominal game from the comfort of their homes.

I was on the edge of my seat the whole time, buzzing with excitement. Cronulla started out well, gaining an 8-0 lead by half time. However Melbourne got the lead in the 64th minute of the game, scoring two tries, and a lot of people thought it was all over then. But I had faith…

By the 70th minute Sharks had got over and converted another try which gave them a two point lead. They held onto that lead, although it looked a few times like they were not going to make it. When the final siren sounded I was up on my feet, jumping up and down screaming then without warning I burst into tears. I wasn’t the only one. Paul Gallen was in the arms of Sharks legend Andrew Ettingshausen and they were both sobbing with happiness.

Then they held up the trophy and the crowd in the stands and in the cinema exploded. All I could sob out was “They did it. They finally did it!”

The next day the celebrations were still in full swing. All Sunday night the car horns were blasting as the Shire celebrated their win. Shark Park- Now called Southern Cross Group Stadium- opened the gates for a fan day. We got to meet the players and have photos with them. I was extremely lucky and got a photo with one of the team as he held the trophy. That photo is now a treasured possession.

I will finish with a question:-

Where were YOU watching the game on October 2?