The Sharks tackle the Rabbitohs in a sudden-death semi-final at Allianz Stadium on Saturday night, with one team in the Sharks is coming off a narrow loss to the Cowboys, while Souths survived a spirited encounter against their traditional rivals the Roosters to book their place in this week two Finals clash.
The two teams have met just once before in Finals matches, back in 2015, sandwiched in between Souths winning the premiership in 2014 and the Sharks claiming the title in 2016.
The Sharks won that match 28-12 in week one of the 2015 Finals series, at the Sydney Football Stadium, the same venue as where the teams will face off this time around.
Wade Graham and Andrew Fifita are the only two remaining members of the Sharks team, while for Souths they have just Alex Johnston after Tom Burgess was handed a two-match suspension following the game against the Roosters last weekend.
The Cowboys in 2015 and Penrith last year are the only two teams since 2012, to play in Week 2 and win the Grand Final since the current finals format was adopted in 2012, with only five of the 20 games in Week 2 have been won by the lower ranked team coming off a win in Week 1.
Only once has it happened in both games – in 2020 when both Roosters (4th) and Eels (3rd) lost to Canberra (5th) and South Sydney (6th) respectively.
Those are some of the statistics relating to tomorrow night’s big game, see following a few more as the Sharks and Souths battle it out for the right to challenge Penrith for a place in the 2022 Grand Final.
SHARKS FINALS RECORD
Matches played – 50
Wins – 19
Losses – 30
Draws – 1
This will be the Sharks fourth Week 2 finals game since 2012. They have lost two of their previous three, however winning their most recent in 2018 against Penrith
· Sharks have won just one of their past seven finals matches, including four straight losses
· Sharks finished in the top two for the first time since their Minor Premiership season of 1999
· Each previous season the Sharks have finished second, they have made the Grand Final (1973, 1978, 1997)
· 18 wins was equal to their most regular season victories in club history
· Sharks are now two wins away from their most wins in a season overall, 20 in 2016
· 24 points per game is their third most since the club record of 26 was set in 2002
· 16 points conceded per game is their fewest since 1999
· Cronulla has won eight of its past nine games away from PointsBet Stadium, the only loss in in round 19 against the Panthers
· Sharks have won seven of 19 finals games at Sydney Football Stadium, their most recent a one point win in Week 2, 2018, against Penrith
RABBITOHS FINALS RECORD
Matches played – 99
Won – 57
Lost – 41
Drawn – 1
Souths have the best Week 2 Finals win percentage of any team since 1999, with four wins from four matches. They have won five of their past seven finals games with their losses coming against Penrith, ending their seasons in Week 3 2020 and in the 2021 Grand Final
· Souths have won eight of their past 11 games, their three losses coming against the Roosters, Panthers and Sharks
· Souths have scored 634 points this season, their third most all-time, behind the 839 scored last year and 687 in their Premiership winning season of 2014
· Have won all 14 games when scoring 24 points or more
· Have lost 10 of 11 when scoring less than 24
· At the Sydney Football Stadium, Souths lost four of five finals games with their only win in 2014 on their way to the Premiership
Overall Head-to-Head
Matched played – 91
Sharks – 47 wins
Souths – 41 wins
Draws – 3
The most recent meeting between the teams came in Round 20, the Sharks winning in Golden Point, courtesy of a Nicho Hynes field goal
· The round 20 win was the Sharks first against Souths since 2019
PLAYERS
Alex Johnston needs one try to claim outright fifth on the all-time try scorers list. He is currently level with Sharks great Andrew Ettingshausen on 166
· Johnston has just three tries against the Sharks, his fewest against any opponent
· Johnston will also break into the top 10 on Souths games played list with his 191st game
· Wade Graham is two tries away from 50 NRL tries, six of those tries coming against Souths.
· Andrew Fifita will play his 16th Finals game for Cronull. David Peachey (17) played in more
· Fifita will play his 212th game for Sharks, equal seventh most with Danny Lee
· Ronaldo Mulitalo has scored a career high 16 tries this season and he will be looking to become just the second Shark to score 20 tries in a season. Valentine Holmes scored 22 in 2018
· Blayke Brailey has made 1088 tackles this season, the most of any player in the NRL
