The riff from Wolfmother’s Joker and the Thief was still reverberating around Accor Stadium when the local fans were really rocked.
The game was only five minutes old when Bronson Xerri was knocked out of this game and the next. Xerri, a revelation since returning to the NRL, copped a category-one concussion while attempting to tackle Sione Katoa.
And then their backline was left in further disarray when, with three minutes remaining, Marcelo Montoya needed to be assisted off with an ankle injury.
They were heavy blows for a team looking to take something from a game that meant nothing. Canterbury lost their strike centre, the match 24-6 to a slick Cronulla outfit, and what little momentum they picked up beating a second-string Panthers outfit the previous week.
Star winger Jacob Kiraz can’t come back quick enough.
“He’s progressing well, but next week could be a stretch,” said Canterbury coach Cameron Ciraldo.
Xerri’s concussion will result in him missing the Bulldogs’ opening finals clash against Melbourne. It could have been worse still after Viliame Kikau came off for a head-injury assessment after the big back-rower got his head in the wrong spot attempting to stop Toby Rudolf. Thankfully, he passed it and finished off the game without further incident.
Aside from Wolfmother’s four-song set - the Bulldogs literally ran out to their customary run-on song - there was little for a crowd of 30,368 predominantly Canterbury fans to shout about. They had to wait until the second half to score their first try, a coast-to-coast effort from Enari Tuala.
And even then, it was against the run of play.
“I’m glad that’s over and we can get onto the next phase of the competition,” Ciraldo said.
“Today would have been hard for the boys, it would have been hard for Cronulla too. Obviously, it wasn’t anywhere near our best and that’s what happens when the mindset is just slightly off.”
The Sharks produced the type of rushing defence that has been Canterbury’s hallmark. They turned their dominance in possession and field position into a strong win. End-of-season games are won in the engine room, and this was another department the Sharks dominated.
Props Addin Fonua-Blake and Toby Rudolf were dominant, producing a combined 162 metres from 23 hit-ups in their opening stints. The only good news for the Dragons all day came in the form of incoming utility Daniel Atkinson. Filling in for Braydon Trindall, he and Nicho Hynes outplayed their Canterbury counterparts.
But the real stars were the Cronulla back five. With Jesse Ramien returning, this was the first time the club’s first-choice outside backs - Will Kennedy, Sione Katoa, Ramien, KL Iro and Ronaldo Mulitalo - were on the field at the same time in 2025. Whether starting or finishing sets, they were the difference.
They had little to cheer about, but the size of the crowd was a positive for the blue and whites. The club will finish the year with an average attendance of 30,696, the biggest in Canterbury’s history. Their team will need to produce something special against Melbourne in Melbourne if they are to play in front of them in a preliminary final.
“It’s a totally different game once you get into the finals,” Ciraldo said.