Overview
- Melbourne defeated Cronulla 22-14 in the preliminary final at AAMI Park to reach the grand final.
- Fitzgibbon said the Sharks are "not going away" and acknowledged they remain a very good side that has not yet become a great one.
- He identified a disappointing loss to Brisbane at Suncorp Stadium as the catalyst for a reset that preceded nine wins in ten and a fourth straight finals campaign.
- Cronulla’s finals record since 2022 stands at six losses in nine matches, extending a pattern of September setbacks.
- The coach noted an 18-penalty tally under referee Ashley Klein and accepted the Storm were superior, with a missed top-four finish leaving Cronulla on a longer away route through the playoffs.