Cronulla are promising no let-up after extending their league-best winning streak to five matches, sparking talk that an elusive second NRL premiership is in the offing for the surging Sharks.
Rarely has understated coach Craig Fitzgibbon been more bullish about his belief in his team than after Sunday's dazzling 32-16 dispatch of South Sydney.
"I've never felt any different about the group in the last five years, to be honest, but maybe I believe in them more than they believe in themselves," he said.
With Nicho Hynes back to the vintage form that earned him the Dally M Medal and the Sharks a top-two finish in 2022 and his halves partner Braydon Trindall in career-best touch, the Sharks are flying with nine wins from their past 10 outings.
Michael Ennis, the club's 2016 grand final-winning hooker turned analyst, believes the Sharks will go all the way again, a decade on from breaking the longest and most infamous title drought in premiership history.
"We're working hard towards something and we've been building that for a little bit," Fitzgibbon said.
"And then sometimes you get things go your way, sometimes they don't. But at the moment, it's going our way.
"There's still plenty more. We'll have a hiccup here and there and there'll be turbulence, but you won't challenge me on how much I believe in them."
Sitting fourth and certain not to face any more top-eight opposition until the finals, the Sharks are well placed to snatch an all-important top-two spot.
But skipper Blayke Brailey says the Sharks won't be taking their foot off the pedal, with the side's immediate focus on next Sunday's derby with St George Illawarra.
The Dragons may be wooden spoon bound but the Sharks won't be taking their arch rivals lightly, especially with points differential between the top teams looking increasingly important.
"A derby clash, no matter where you're sitting on the table, it's a tough contest," Brailey said.
"Those derby games are tough, no matter the form you're in."
Cronulla are also set to receive a huge boost as forward Siosifa Talakai confirmed that the upper bicep injury he sustained against South Sydney is not as bad as first feared.
Ahead of his move to the Perth Bears next season, Talakai is desperate to go out with a bang and is confident he will return soon.
"It (bicep) is all good. The man upstairs is a man of miracles, and somehow I came out of it feeling a bit better," Talakai told AAP on Monday.
"I had something similar a couple of years ago. I've pretty much played the year with it, and it feels generally the same.
"I still need to get scans done, but I definitely feel a lot better today than I did yesterday."
