The Sharks are facing an uphill battle to have their best team on the field ahead of their preliminary final against Penrith with their backline dealt a major blow. Centre Jesse Ramien is doubtful to play and his centre partner Kayal Iro is also struggling to overcome a biceps strain he suffered in the win over the Cowboys. Ramien is all but expected to be ruled out and be replaced by Sifa Talakai at right centre after he was unable to finish the Cowboys match last week due to an ankle problem. Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon has already made a move to cover the potential losses with Daniel Atkinson and Mawene Hiroti withdrawn from feeder club Newtown Jets' grand final preparations for their clash against the North Sydney Bears at CommBank Stadium on Sunday. Hiroti is on standby for Iro,
while Atkinson is expected to sit on the bench for the Panthers clash. Cronulla will need to overcome a poor record against Penrith to qualify for their first decider since 2016. Ivan Cleary's men lead the head-to-head 7-3 in the past ten meetings. But the data is particularly damning in their last two clashes, with the Sharks failing to register a point in either match. Penrith beat the Sharks 42-0, scoring seven tries in round 12 this season at PointsBet Stadium. Cronulla was also pumped 28-0 in a round 22 match last year in Penrith, giving up five tries without posting points of their own. Fitzgibbon's men also went down to Penrith during their round 19 clash in 2022, but the score was a little more respectable, losing 20-10. The Panthers were down 10-0 and piled on 20 unanswered points to grab the win in that game.
