Fitzgibbon Defends His Team Against Misconceptions

Craig Fitzgibbon has addressed what he deems a misleading narrative regarding his Cronulla team after their significant loss to the Penrith Panthers last weekend.

The persistent theme that the Sharks struggle against the league's elite has overshadowed the club, particularly after a 26-6 defeat in Bathurst that did little to silence dissenters.

Since taking the helm, Fitzgibbon has never missed the finals and led the team to deep playoff runs in two of the last three years, reaching the preliminary finals in both 2023 and 2025.

Yet, doubts remain about Cronulla's ability to overcome a dominant force when it matters most.

Penrith remains an unbeaten opponent for Fitzgibbon.

However, he remained resolute during a press conference on Friday when the topic arose.

"Well, there's a long way to go (this season)… in the last few years, Penrith's the only team we haven't beaten, so to say that we can't beat other teams, well that's incorrect," Fitzgibbon stated to reporters.

"So I don't know how that's a narrative, but it's understandable based on Penrith doing that to most teams."

"And if you want to play like that against Penrith, you get exactly what you deserve."