Cronulla Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon has vowed that the club will remain competitive in 2027 despite the departure of several key players following their semi-final loss to the Sydney Roosters. The Sharks were defeated 46-10 on Sunday, after a promising start was derailed early by injuries and the Roosters’ second-half dominance.

The match took a tough turn within the first two minutes when star halfback Nicho Hynes sustained a head injury attempting a tackle on Roosters forward Salesi Foketi, forcing him off the field. Hynes’s early exit deprived the Sharks of their key playmaker at a critical stage. Centre Mawene Hiroti also left the field after 20 minutes with a knee injury, leaving the Sharks with just two fit players on the bench for the majority of the game.

Fitzgibbon acknowledged the difficulty of the situation but praised the Roosters’ performance. “When it’s your night, it’s your night, and when it’s not, it’s not,” he said. “It wasn’t our night. But I’m also really grateful. We’ve been up for five years with the same group of guys and a portion of those are leaving, and I’m forever grateful for their service.”

The coach defended Hynes’s commitment despite the costly injury, noting that the player was fully committed to the cause and deeply disappointed by the outcome. Hynes’s halves partner, Braydon Trindall, returned from a shoulder injury but had an inconsistent performance in only his second game back.

Fitzgibbon also expressed frustration over a second-half incident involving Roosters veteran Daly Cherry-Evans, who he believed should have been sin-binned for tripping Sharks forward Teig Wilton during a try attempt.

Looking ahead, Fitzgibbon’s focus is on rebuilding the squad for next season. Several experienced players, including Cam McInnes, Siosifa Talakai, Sione Katoa, and Jesse Ramien, are set to leave the club. Despite these departures, Fitzgibbon emphasized that the Sharks will not undergo a full rebuild but will continue to compete strongly with new talent coming through.

“It won’t be hard,” Fitzgibbon said. “Everyone thinks we’ll need a reset, rebuild; we’ll just keep going. We’ve got some guys ready to go. We won’t be going anywhere.”

McInnes, who has been a central figure at the Sharks for five years, echoed confidence in the club’s future prospects as he prepares to continue his career in the Super League. “Just the culture that’s been built over the last few years gives me that confidence,” he said. “Every time this year that someone comes in, they do the job and do it well. There are guys lining up for an opportunity. For guys like me that unfortunately have to leave this great club, that’s sad, but the club’s in great hands.”