Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon believes that his team's surprising defeat to the last-placed Dragons might be the "kick in the ass" necessary for a turnaround just weeks before the finals.
Entering Sunday's game, Cronulla was seen as the top team in the NRL, but the Dragons, playing without pressure, managed to outplay and outlast them.
This unexpected loss puts a significant dent in the Sharks' aspirations for the minor premiership while also affecting their chances of finishing in the top four.
Fitzgibbon openly credited the Dragons for their performance but pointed out the complacency within his own squad.
"Footy's a simple game sometimes and it's the kick in the ass we needed to be honest," Fitzgibbon remarked.
He added, "If it's more important to you, you do hard things. It's a simple game, just work hard enough and things work out but we didn't work hard enough and they ran harder and tackled harder and got the scoreboard in their favour."