2008 Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks season

The 2008 Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks season was the 42nd in the club's history. Coached by Ricky Stuart and captained by Paul Gallen and Greg Bird, they competed in the National Rugby League's 2008 Telstra Premiership, finishing the regular season 3rd (out of 16) to qualify for the finals. The Sharks then came within one game of the Grand Final but were knocked out by eventual runners-up Melbourne Storm.

2008 Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks season
NRL Rank3rd
2008 recordWins: 18; Draws: 0; Losses: 8
Points scoredFor: 487 (82 tries, 78 goals, 3 field goals); Against: 422 (74 tries, 62 goals, 2 field goals)
Team information
CoachRicky Stuart
Captain
StadiumToyota Stadium
Avg. Attend.12,965
Top scorers
TriesLuke Covell (15)
GoalsLuke Covell (73)
PointsLuke Covell (206)
< 2007 2009 >

Season summary

The Sharks began the season on a positive note, with a victory over 2007 runners-up Manly Sea Eagles in Round 1 followed by a shock 17-16 victory over 2007 grand final winners Melbourne in Round 2. The match against the Storm was marred by an on-field brawl after an illegal tackle by Cronulla's Ben Ross on Melbourne's Cooper Cronk, resulting in both Ross and Melbourne's Brett White being sent off and later being referred to the NRL Judiciary.[1]

The Sharks' season of promise was however marred by the late season suspension of star player Greg Bird, following its round 24, 20-0 win over top four contenders the Sydney Roosters at home. Bird was accused of glassing his then-girlfriend Katie Milligan and was stood down by the club just a fortnight out from the finals. Furthermore, five-eighth Brett Seymour suffered a knee injury during the finals; robbing the Sharks of any valuable halves experience at the wrong end of the season. Bird was later sacked by the Sharks; since then he has been exonerated over the glassing incident and he now plays for the Gold Coast Titans.

The Sharks ended the season joint minor premiers with Manly and Melbourne (third on points differential) and many believed this was the year Cronulla would finally win its maiden premiership. The Sharks won its first final in style, thrashing the Canberra Raiders 36-10 at home with Misi Taulapapa, a Warriors outcast scoring a hat-trick. Due to the Melbourne Storm losing its first final, the Sharks earned the week off along with Manly. It was during this time that Seymour suffered his knee injury, ending his 2008 season. The Sharks' season ended with a disappointing 28-0 defeat at the hands of the Melbourne Storm whose captain Cameron Smith was suspended a week earlier for a grapple tackle on Brisbane's Sam Thaiday.

Ladder
Team Pld W D L B PF PA PD Pts
1 Melbourne 2417072584282+30238
2 Manly-Warringah 2417072645355+29038
3 Cronulla 2417072451384+6738
4 Sydney Roosters 2415092511446+6534
5 Brisbane 2414192560452+10833
6 Canberra 24130112640527+11330
7 St. George Illawarra 24130112489378+11130
8 New Zealand 24130112502567-6530
9 Newcastle 24120122516486+3028
10 Wests Tigers 24110132528560-3226
11 Parramatta 24110132501547-4626
12 Penrith 24101132504611-10725
13 Gold Coast 24100142476586-11024
14 South Sydney 2480162453666-21320
15 North Queensland 2450192474638-16414
16 Bulldogs 2450192433782-34914

Results
15 March 2008 Round 1Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles10 – 16Cronulla-Sutherland SharksBrookvale Oval
19:30 Tries:
Anthony Watmough
Michael Bani
Goals:
Matt Orford 1/2		 Tries:
Bryson Goodwin
Brett Kearney
Goals:
Luke Covell 4/5		 Attendance: 15,424
Referee: Jarred Maxwell
23 March 2008 Round 2Melbourne Storm16 – 17Cronulla-Sutherland SharksOlympic Park
15:00 Tries:
Russell Aitken
Brett White
Israel Folau
Goals:
Cameron Smith 2/3		 Tries:
David Simmons
Brett Kearney
Paul Gallen
Goals:
Luke Covell 2/5
Field Goals:
Brett Kimmorley (1)		 Attendance: 10,720
Referee: Tony Archer
29 March 2008 Round 3Gold Coast Titans18 – 4Cronulla-Sutherland SharksSkilled Park
20:30 Attendance: 19,050
Referee: Jason Robinson
5 April 2008 Round 4St. George Illawarra Dragons16 – 18Cronulla-Sutherland SharksOKI Jubilee Stadium
17:30 Tries:
Josh Morris
Lagi Setu
Ben Hornby
Goals:
Mark Gasnier 0/2
Jamie Soward 2/2		 Tries:
Greg Bird
Brett Kearney
Bryson Goodwin
Goals:
Luke Covell 3/4		 Attendance: 15,318
Referee: Sean Hampstead
14 April 2008 Round 5South Sydney Rabbitohs10 – 12Cronulla-Sutherland SharksANZ Stadium
19:00 Tries:
John Sutton
Beau Champion
Goals:
Nathan Merritt 1/2		 Tries:
Greg Bird
Luke Covell
Goals:
Luke Covell 2/3		 Attendance: 12,988
Referee: Jason Robinson
19 April 2008 Round 6Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks20 – 21Penrith PanthersToyota Stadium
19:30 Tries:
Greg Bird (2)
Lance Thompson
Fraser Anderson
Goals:
Luke Covell 2/4		 Tries:
Nathan Smith
Michael Jennings
Michael Gordon
Luke Rooney
Goals:
Jarrod Sammut 2/4
Field Goals:
Jarrod Sammut (1)		 Attendance: 13,852
Referee: Sean Hampstead
27 April 2008 Round 7Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks16 – 20Wests TigersToyota Stadium
15:00 Tries:
Brett Kearney
Brett Seymour
Goals:
Luke Covell 4/5		 Tries:
Chris Lawrence (2)
Chris Heighington
Brett Hodgson
Goals:
Brett Hodgson 2/4		 Attendance: 17,241
Referee: Shayne Hayne
10 May 2008 Round 9North Queensland Cowboys18 – 24Cronulla-Sutherland SharksDairy Farmers Stadium
19:30 Tries:
Mark Henry
Carl Webb
Luke O'Donnell
Goals:
Johnathan Thurston 3/3		 Tries:
Brett Kearney
Fraser Anderson
Luke Douglas
Paul Gallen
Goals:
Luke Covell 4/5		 Attendance: 17,065
Referee: Tony Archer
17 May 2008 Round 10Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks13 – 6Brisbane BroncosToyota Stadium
17:30 Tries:
Misi Taulapapa
Brett Kearney
Goals:
Luke Covell 2/3
Field Goals:
Brett Kimmorley (1)		 Tries:
Tonie Carroll
Goals:
Michael Ennis 1/1		 Attendance: 13,431
Referee: Jarred Maxwell
26 May 2008 Round 11Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs30 – 22Cronulla-Sutherland SharksANZ Stadium
19:00 Attendance: 9,289
Referee: Tony Archer
1 June 2008 Round 12Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks32 – 14Gold Coast TitansToyota Stadium
15:00 Attendance: 8,214
Referee: Ben Cummins
8 June 2008 Round 13Penrith Panthers22 – 24Cronulla-Sutherland SharksPenrith Stadium
14:00 Attendance: 10,543
Referee: Jarred Maxwell
14 June 2008 Round 14Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks24 – 8New Zealand WarriorsToyota Stadium
19:30 Attendance: 9,023
Referee: Ben Cummins
22 June 2008 Round 15Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks16 – 14Parramatta EelsToyota Stadium
15:00 Attendance: 17,547
Referee: Shayne Hayne
30 June 2008 Round 16Canberra Raiders24 – 36Cronulla-Sutherland SharksCanberra Stadium
19:00 Attendance: 9,136
Referee: Sean Hampstead
12 July 2008 Round 18Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks6 – 34Manly-Warringah Sea EaglesToyota Stadium
19:30 Attendance: 18,217
Referee: Jason Robinson
19 July 2008 Round 19Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks16 – 13Newcastle KnightsToyota Stadium
19:30 Attendance: 10,112
Referee: Tony Archer
25 July 2008 Round 20Brisbane Broncos18 – 12Cronulla-Sutherland SharksSuncorp Stadium
19:30 Attendance: 27,905
Referee: Shayne Hayne
2 August 2008 Round 21Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks13 – 12St. George Illawarra DragonsToyota Stadium
17:30 Attendance: 18,256
Referee: Jarred Maxwell
9 August 2008 Round 22Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks28 – 14South Sydney RabbitohsToyota Stadium
19:30 Attendance: 12,618
Referee: Ben Cummins
16 August 2008 Round 23New Zealand Warriors18 – 4Cronulla-Sutherland SharksMount Smart Stadium
19:30 Attendance: 10,417
Referee: Tony Archer
22 August 2008 Round 24Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks20 – 0Sydney RoostersToyota Stadium
19:30 Attendance: 10,013
Referee: Jason Robinson
29 August 2008 Round 25Wests Tigers6 – 32Cronulla-Sutherland SharksLeichhardt Oval
19:30 Attendance: 10,766
Referee: Sean Hampstead
6 September 2008 Round 26Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks28 – 22North Queensland CowboysToyota Stadium
19:30 Attendance: 7,057
Referee: Ben Cummins
13 September 2008 Qualifying FinalCronulla-Sutherland Sharks36 – 10Canberra RaidersToyota Stadium
18:30 Tries:
Misi Taulapapa (3)
Brett Seymour
Luke Covell
Ben Pomeroy
Brett Kearney
Goals:
Luke Covell 3/7
Brett Kimmorley 1/1		 Tries:
Marshall Chalk
Colin Best
Goals:
Terry Campese 1/2		 Attendance: 18,252
Referee: Jarred Maxwell
26 September 2008 Preliminary FinalCronulla-Sutherland Sharks0 – 28Melbourne StormSydney Football Stadium
19:45 Tries:
Steve Turner (2)
Israel Folau
Adam Blair
Matt Geyer
Goals:
Steve Turner 4/5		 Attendance: 27,570
Referee: Tony Archer
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References
  1. Five charged by NRL judiciary - leaguehq.com.au
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