Latest news with #Fitzgibbon
Extra.ie
14-07-2025
- Extra.ie
Three killed on roads in weekend of carnage
Three men were killed and two others seriously injured in collisions on the country's roads over the past three days. On Saturday, father-of-one and award-winning photojournalist Michael 'Mick' O'Neill, died when the motorcycle he was driving was involved in a collision with a tractor/trailer at 10.50am along the Old Airport Road, known as Collistown Lane, in Co. Dublin. The 62-year-old was rushed to the Mater Hospital where he was pronounced dead. No one else was injured in the collision Mr O'Neill is survived by his wife Lorraine, son Karl and grandchildren Mya and Kai, as well as a wide circle of family members and friends. The Mater Hospital. Pic: KarlM Photography/Shutterstock Neil Leslie, editor of the Irish Daily Star and Irish Daily Mirror, said all of Mr O'Neill's colleagues at the two papers he worked as a photographer for, and also the wider group of Reach Ireland, are devastated at his untimely loss. Mr Leslie said: 'On behalf of Reach, I would like to extend our deepest sympathies and offer our support to his family and all his many friends and colleagues. 'Mick was a truly outstanding journalist and photographer. Pic: Damien Storan/Shutterstock Moreover, he was a great friend and a wise mentor to the other journalists who worked alongside him over many years.' Mr O'Neill had worked for the Irish Daily Star for 25 years. Also, on Friday, a pedestrian in his 30s died after he was struck by a truck on Ballyboden Way, Dublin 16, at around 8.30am. He was pronounced deceased at the scene. No one else was injured in the incident. On the same day, father-of-four Michael O'Sullivan, 55, from Cullencastle, Tramore, Co. Waterford, died at University Hospital Waterford as a result of injuries he sustained when the motorbike he was travelling on collided with a jeep last Wednesday. Road closed by Gardai. Pic: Shutterstock The collision occurred at 7.35pm in the Cullencastle area of Tramore. Mr O'Sullivan is survived by his wife Lillian, son Nicholas and daughters Fiona, Heather and Rebecca. A 67-year-old man has been remanded on bail charged with alleged dangerous driving causing death in relation to last Wednesday's crash. John Fitzgibbon, with an address in New York City, appeared before a special sitting of Waterford District Court on Friday night. Judge John Cheatle set bail at €10,000 cash to be presented to the court tomorrow. Bail was granted on the guarantee that Mr Fitzgibbon's Irish and American passports be handed into the court. Mr Fitzgibbon was also ordered to reside in Co. Waterford until the conclusion of court proceedings. Tallaght University Hospital. Sasko Lazarov / Elsewhere, a man in his 20s was seriously injured in a collision involving the electric motorbike he was driving and a car in Tallaght, Dublin. The collision took place at Brookfield Road at around 8.15pm last Friday. He was taken to Tallaght University Hospital and subsequently transferred to Beaumont Hospital, where his condition is described as critical. Meanwhile, in Co. Armagh, a man is in a critical condition following an incident involving a vehicle on Saturday. Inspector Cherith Adair said of incident on the Coolmillish Road, Markethil: 'A male passenger sustained serious injuries following an incident involving a vehicle shortly after 4.30pm.' Inspector Adair said one man had been cautioned. news@daily
The Advertiser
11-07-2025
- Sport
- The Advertiser
Hynes delivers statement in vital Sharks win
Cronulla coach Craig Fitzgibbon has hit out at overzealous critics of NRL halves, after Nicho Hynes quelled his doubters in the Sharks' crucial 24-12 win over the Dolphins. After weeks of questions around his role in the halves, Hynes scored twice and engineered Cronulla's two other tries at Shark Park on Friday night. The win came at a crucial time for Cronulla, snapping a run of four losses in five games and putting them back in the NRL's top eight in place of the Dolphins. It didn't come easy, after the Sharks led 14-0 with 15 minutes to play before the Dolphins crossed twice in four minutes to get it back to 14-12. Toby Rudolf then produced a try-saving play to deny Jeremy Marshall-King on a kick chase, before Hynes sliced through the Dolphins defence to seal the match. Another long ball for Sione Katoa gave the Sharks' for-and-against a boost on the siren, capping a big night for the Sharks halfback. Hynes wasn't the only star of Cronulla's win. Cameron McInnes played despite going to hospital with an infection on his chest on Friday morning, while Briton Nikora's partner gave birth earlier in the day. Addin Fonua-Blake also turned out after attending his grandfather's funeral earlier on Friday, while Blayke Brailey was again great out of dummy-half. But it has been Hynes under the heaviest spotlight, with Fitzgibbon rejecting calls to move his marquee man to fullback in the past month. On Friday night, Hynes did his talking on the field. He scored the Sharks' first by running it on the last and splitting two defenders. Their next after the break also involved Hynes, when he put Nikora over the advantage line in the lead up to a Jesse Ramien four-pointer. Fitzgibbon afterwards pointed to the commentary around Nathan Cleary out of State of Origin III as evidence critics were too harsh on halves, wanting to judge on every win or loss. "If you don't win a game you get criticised, but the magnitude of that is amazing to me for the stars of our game. It's actually disappointing," Fitzgibbon said. "Nicho has been through plenty of that, but it has been a lesson for him. "I thought he was strong tonight. Didn't overdo everything, just kept it simple. "It was nice for him to have a few moments. It will probably keep them quiet for a week, hopefully." Fitzgibbon was happier with Cronulla's defence. The Dolphins have been the attacking juggernaut of the NRL in recent months, averaging 45.6 points over their past five games and reaching 50 thrice. At the same time the Sharks have been guilty of leaking points, letting in 164 points in the past fives games alone. But on Friday night, the script was flipped as the Dolphins long list of outs caught up with them. With regular five-eighth Kodi Nikorima out and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow rested, Cronulla's forwards rushed young halfback Isaiya Katoa. Katoa's only success came with 13 minutes to go, when he put Sean O'Sullivan through a hole and the five-eighth kicked for Max Feagai to score. The Sharks' defence was breached again four minutes later when Farnworth broke into space from within his own half to make it 14-12. "As a spine we're good enough to react on the go," Katoa said. "I just thought we weren't good enough and I take ownership of that. Just to relieve a bit of pressure for my outside guys. "I got caught a couple of times on last tackle just stuck with the ball. "We just took a while to connect as a spine and finally get some shape on in the last 20 minutes." Cronulla coach Craig Fitzgibbon has hit out at overzealous critics of NRL halves, after Nicho Hynes quelled his doubters in the Sharks' crucial 24-12 win over the Dolphins. After weeks of questions around his role in the halves, Hynes scored twice and engineered Cronulla's two other tries at Shark Park on Friday night. The win came at a crucial time for Cronulla, snapping a run of four losses in five games and putting them back in the NRL's top eight in place of the Dolphins. It didn't come easy, after the Sharks led 14-0 with 15 minutes to play before the Dolphins crossed twice in four minutes to get it back to 14-12. Toby Rudolf then produced a try-saving play to deny Jeremy Marshall-King on a kick chase, before Hynes sliced through the Dolphins defence to seal the match. Another long ball for Sione Katoa gave the Sharks' for-and-against a boost on the siren, capping a big night for the Sharks halfback. Hynes wasn't the only star of Cronulla's win. Cameron McInnes played despite going to hospital with an infection on his chest on Friday morning, while Briton Nikora's partner gave birth earlier in the day. Addin Fonua-Blake also turned out after attending his grandfather's funeral earlier on Friday, while Blayke Brailey was again great out of dummy-half. But it has been Hynes under the heaviest spotlight, with Fitzgibbon rejecting calls to move his marquee man to fullback in the past month. On Friday night, Hynes did his talking on the field. He scored the Sharks' first by running it on the last and splitting two defenders. Their next after the break also involved Hynes, when he put Nikora over the advantage line in the lead up to a Jesse Ramien four-pointer. Fitzgibbon afterwards pointed to the commentary around Nathan Cleary out of State of Origin III as evidence critics were too harsh on halves, wanting to judge on every win or loss. "If you don't win a game you get criticised, but the magnitude of that is amazing to me for the stars of our game. It's actually disappointing," Fitzgibbon said. "Nicho has been through plenty of that, but it has been a lesson for him. "I thought he was strong tonight. Didn't overdo everything, just kept it simple. "It was nice for him to have a few moments. It will probably keep them quiet for a week, hopefully." Fitzgibbon was happier with Cronulla's defence. The Dolphins have been the attacking juggernaut of the NRL in recent months, averaging 45.6 points over their past five games and reaching 50 thrice. At the same time the Sharks have been guilty of leaking points, letting in 164 points in the past fives games alone. But on Friday night, the script was flipped as the Dolphins long list of outs caught up with them. With regular five-eighth Kodi Nikorima out and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow rested, Cronulla's forwards rushed young halfback Isaiya Katoa. Katoa's only success came with 13 minutes to go, when he put Sean O'Sullivan through a hole and the five-eighth kicked for Max Feagai to score. The Sharks' defence was breached again four minutes later when Farnworth broke into space from within his own half to make it 14-12. "As a spine we're good enough to react on the go," Katoa said. "I just thought we weren't good enough and I take ownership of that. Just to relieve a bit of pressure for my outside guys. "I got caught a couple of times on last tackle just stuck with the ball. "We just took a while to connect as a spine and finally get some shape on in the last 20 minutes." Cronulla coach Craig Fitzgibbon has hit out at overzealous critics of NRL halves, after Nicho Hynes quelled his doubters in the Sharks' crucial 24-12 win over the Dolphins. After weeks of questions around his role in the halves, Hynes scored twice and engineered Cronulla's two other tries at Shark Park on Friday night. The win came at a crucial time for Cronulla, snapping a run of four losses in five games and putting them back in the NRL's top eight in place of the Dolphins. It didn't come easy, after the Sharks led 14-0 with 15 minutes to play before the Dolphins crossed twice in four minutes to get it back to 14-12. Toby Rudolf then produced a try-saving play to deny Jeremy Marshall-King on a kick chase, before Hynes sliced through the Dolphins defence to seal the match. Another long ball for Sione Katoa gave the Sharks' for-and-against a boost on the siren, capping a big night for the Sharks halfback. Hynes wasn't the only star of Cronulla's win. Cameron McInnes played despite going to hospital with an infection on his chest on Friday morning, while Briton Nikora's partner gave birth earlier in the day. Addin Fonua-Blake also turned out after attending his grandfather's funeral earlier on Friday, while Blayke Brailey was again great out of dummy-half. But it has been Hynes under the heaviest spotlight, with Fitzgibbon rejecting calls to move his marquee man to fullback in the past month. On Friday night, Hynes did his talking on the field. He scored the Sharks' first by running it on the last and splitting two defenders. Their next after the break also involved Hynes, when he put Nikora over the advantage line in the lead up to a Jesse Ramien four-pointer. Fitzgibbon afterwards pointed to the commentary around Nathan Cleary out of State of Origin III as evidence critics were too harsh on halves, wanting to judge on every win or loss. "If you don't win a game you get criticised, but the magnitude of that is amazing to me for the stars of our game. It's actually disappointing," Fitzgibbon said. "Nicho has been through plenty of that, but it has been a lesson for him. "I thought he was strong tonight. Didn't overdo everything, just kept it simple. "It was nice for him to have a few moments. It will probably keep them quiet for a week, hopefully." Fitzgibbon was happier with Cronulla's defence. The Dolphins have been the attacking juggernaut of the NRL in recent months, averaging 45.6 points over their past five games and reaching 50 thrice. At the same time the Sharks have been guilty of leaking points, letting in 164 points in the past fives games alone. But on Friday night, the script was flipped as the Dolphins long list of outs caught up with them. With regular five-eighth Kodi Nikorima out and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow rested, Cronulla's forwards rushed young halfback Isaiya Katoa. Katoa's only success came with 13 minutes to go, when he put Sean O'Sullivan through a hole and the five-eighth kicked for Max Feagai to score. The Sharks' defence was breached again four minutes later when Farnworth broke into space from within his own half to make it 14-12. "As a spine we're good enough to react on the go," Katoa said. "I just thought we weren't good enough and I take ownership of that. Just to relieve a bit of pressure for my outside guys. "I got caught a couple of times on last tackle just stuck with the ball. "We just took a while to connect as a spine and finally get some shape on in the last 20 minutes."
The Advertiser
30-06-2025
- Sport
- The Advertiser
Sharks say no chance Hynes will revert to fullback
Craig Fitzgibbon has ruled out any prospect of Nicho Hynes moving to fullback, adamant positional changes are not the solution to stopping Cronulla's NRL freefall. Sunday's 30-6 loss to Melbourne marked the Sharks' fourth defeat in five games, going from level pegging with the top four a month ago down to 10th. In a period where they have lost no players to State of Origin, Cronulla have been heavily beaten by an undermanned Sydney Roosters and lost two others games at home. Questions have also emerged over the make up of their spine, after Daniel Atkinson and Braydon Trindall won four of six games together in the halves last year. That has prompted suggestions Hynes could move to fullback to replace the off-contract Will Kennedy, allowing him, Atkinson and Trindall to all start in the spine. Kennedy, who began the season hot to at one stage lead the Dally M count, was twice beaten in kick contests by Storm second-rower Eliesa Katoa in the lead up to tries on Sunday. Hynes played fullback in his final season at Melbourne in 2021, when Ryan Papenhuyzen was out injured. Hynes then won the Dally M Medal on his move to Cronulla's No.7 jersey the following year, before claiming his first finals win at the Sharks in taking them to a grand-final qualifier last year. Any move back would likely be a serious physical challenge, given the different skill sets, athletic requirements and fitness asked of halves compared to No.1s. Regardless, Fitzgibbon quickly shut down any suggestion of that happening when Cronulla face the red-hot Dolphins after this week's desperately-needed bye. "No, he's not playing fullback," Fitzgibbon said. "That is four or five years ago now. We have to get the best out of our best players and work hard at that. "The execution of some things definitely was off ... but you can't get everything in a week. "From where we were at, we had to improve the stuff we value most and we did that." Fitzgibbon was adamant the Sharks' loss to Melbourne was a vast improvement on their 34-28 defeat Brisbane a week earlier, where they gave up a 28-12 lead. "The scoreboard got away in the end ... but it was far better than what we dished up last week," Fitzgibbon said. "We conceded tries from execution or attention to detail things, not from not turning up. "The scoreline still hurts but it's a big difference." Craig Fitzgibbon has ruled out any prospect of Nicho Hynes moving to fullback, adamant positional changes are not the solution to stopping Cronulla's NRL freefall. Sunday's 30-6 loss to Melbourne marked the Sharks' fourth defeat in five games, going from level pegging with the top four a month ago down to 10th. In a period where they have lost no players to State of Origin, Cronulla have been heavily beaten by an undermanned Sydney Roosters and lost two others games at home. Questions have also emerged over the make up of their spine, after Daniel Atkinson and Braydon Trindall won four of six games together in the halves last year. That has prompted suggestions Hynes could move to fullback to replace the off-contract Will Kennedy, allowing him, Atkinson and Trindall to all start in the spine. Kennedy, who began the season hot to at one stage lead the Dally M count, was twice beaten in kick contests by Storm second-rower Eliesa Katoa in the lead up to tries on Sunday. Hynes played fullback in his final season at Melbourne in 2021, when Ryan Papenhuyzen was out injured. Hynes then won the Dally M Medal on his move to Cronulla's No.7 jersey the following year, before claiming his first finals win at the Sharks in taking them to a grand-final qualifier last year. Any move back would likely be a serious physical challenge, given the different skill sets, athletic requirements and fitness asked of halves compared to No.1s. Regardless, Fitzgibbon quickly shut down any suggestion of that happening when Cronulla face the red-hot Dolphins after this week's desperately-needed bye. "No, he's not playing fullback," Fitzgibbon said. "That is four or five years ago now. We have to get the best out of our best players and work hard at that. "The execution of some things definitely was off ... but you can't get everything in a week. "From where we were at, we had to improve the stuff we value most and we did that." Fitzgibbon was adamant the Sharks' loss to Melbourne was a vast improvement on their 34-28 defeat Brisbane a week earlier, where they gave up a 28-12 lead. "The scoreboard got away in the end ... but it was far better than what we dished up last week," Fitzgibbon said. "We conceded tries from execution or attention to detail things, not from not turning up. "The scoreline still hurts but it's a big difference." Craig Fitzgibbon has ruled out any prospect of Nicho Hynes moving to fullback, adamant positional changes are not the solution to stopping Cronulla's NRL freefall. Sunday's 30-6 loss to Melbourne marked the Sharks' fourth defeat in five games, going from level pegging with the top four a month ago down to 10th. In a period where they have lost no players to State of Origin, Cronulla have been heavily beaten by an undermanned Sydney Roosters and lost two others games at home. Questions have also emerged over the make up of their spine, after Daniel Atkinson and Braydon Trindall won four of six games together in the halves last year. That has prompted suggestions Hynes could move to fullback to replace the off-contract Will Kennedy, allowing him, Atkinson and Trindall to all start in the spine. Kennedy, who began the season hot to at one stage lead the Dally M count, was twice beaten in kick contests by Storm second-rower Eliesa Katoa in the lead up to tries on Sunday. Hynes played fullback in his final season at Melbourne in 2021, when Ryan Papenhuyzen was out injured. Hynes then won the Dally M Medal on his move to Cronulla's No.7 jersey the following year, before claiming his first finals win at the Sharks in taking them to a grand-final qualifier last year. Any move back would likely be a serious physical challenge, given the different skill sets, athletic requirements and fitness asked of halves compared to No.1s. Regardless, Fitzgibbon quickly shut down any suggestion of that happening when Cronulla face the red-hot Dolphins after this week's desperately-needed bye. "No, he's not playing fullback," Fitzgibbon said. "That is four or five years ago now. We have to get the best out of our best players and work hard at that. "The execution of some things definitely was off ... but you can't get everything in a week. "From where we were at, we had to improve the stuff we value most and we did that." Fitzgibbon was adamant the Sharks' loss to Melbourne was a vast improvement on their 34-28 defeat Brisbane a week earlier, where they gave up a 28-12 lead. "The scoreboard got away in the end ... but it was far better than what we dished up last week," Fitzgibbon said. "We conceded tries from execution or attention to detail things, not from not turning up. "The scoreline still hurts but it's a big difference."
The Advertiser
11-06-2025
- Sport
- The Advertiser
'I won't flinch' - Sharks coach seeks derby turnaround
Preparing for a fierce local derby off the back of two heavy losses isn't ideal for any NRL coach. But Cronulla coach Craig Fitzgibbon is confident his fifth-placed team can return to the consistent footy they showed earlier in the season when they play St George Illawarra on Thursday. Defensive lapses have cruelled the Sharks in heavy losses to the Roosters and Warriors in the last two rounds and the coach wants to see improvement when the Dragons come to Shark Park. Now in his fourth year as Cronulla coach, Fitzgibbon believes similar experience in dealing with form slumps has helped set him up to lead the Sharks out of their hole. "I won't flinch, I believe in what I believe in," Fitzgibbon said on Wednesday. "The game leaves clues and you are constantly learning, constantly trying to stay consistent in what you believe in so the team can stay consistent. "Over the course of the last three seasons there's always been a period where we've had this and managed to take the outcome out of it." The back line in particular has been a merry-go-round for Fitzgibbon this season and now centre KL Iro (pec) is set for another lengthy sideline stint just as winger Ronaldo Mulitalo returns from suspension. Fitzgibbon has not once been able to call upon his five first-choice backs in 2025 but says utility Mawene Hiroti is the man to fill the gap once again. "Mawene, when he played he's had a number of weeks with (Mulitalo) when KL was out earlier in the year so they've got a decent combination there," Fitzgibbon said. "Having some familiarity when you lose a player to be able to bring in someone that's got a good relationship with that guy keeps your cohesion together." The Sharks are one of the few NRL clubs not to lose any players to State of Origin duty but it hasn't stopped their worst two performances coming in the Origin period. Fitzgibbon says capitalising on the Origin period isn't a focus for his team, he just wants them to return to the form that beat top four teams Canberra and Melbourne earlier in the year. "Prior to the last two weeks, we've been in every game we've played," Fitzgibbon said. "There's not been a single performance prior to that where we weren't competitive and playing the way I wanted to play. "Consistency is the thing, not the period, we want to be a consistent team and the last two weeks haven't been." Preparing for a fierce local derby off the back of two heavy losses isn't ideal for any NRL coach. But Cronulla coach Craig Fitzgibbon is confident his fifth-placed team can return to the consistent footy they showed earlier in the season when they play St George Illawarra on Thursday. Defensive lapses have cruelled the Sharks in heavy losses to the Roosters and Warriors in the last two rounds and the coach wants to see improvement when the Dragons come to Shark Park. Now in his fourth year as Cronulla coach, Fitzgibbon believes similar experience in dealing with form slumps has helped set him up to lead the Sharks out of their hole. "I won't flinch, I believe in what I believe in," Fitzgibbon said on Wednesday. "The game leaves clues and you are constantly learning, constantly trying to stay consistent in what you believe in so the team can stay consistent. "Over the course of the last three seasons there's always been a period where we've had this and managed to take the outcome out of it." The back line in particular has been a merry-go-round for Fitzgibbon this season and now centre KL Iro (pec) is set for another lengthy sideline stint just as winger Ronaldo Mulitalo returns from suspension. Fitzgibbon has not once been able to call upon his five first-choice backs in 2025 but says utility Mawene Hiroti is the man to fill the gap once again. "Mawene, when he played he's had a number of weeks with (Mulitalo) when KL was out earlier in the year so they've got a decent combination there," Fitzgibbon said. "Having some familiarity when you lose a player to be able to bring in someone that's got a good relationship with that guy keeps your cohesion together." The Sharks are one of the few NRL clubs not to lose any players to State of Origin duty but it hasn't stopped their worst two performances coming in the Origin period. Fitzgibbon says capitalising on the Origin period isn't a focus for his team, he just wants them to return to the form that beat top four teams Canberra and Melbourne earlier in the year. "Prior to the last two weeks, we've been in every game we've played," Fitzgibbon said. "There's not been a single performance prior to that where we weren't competitive and playing the way I wanted to play. "Consistency is the thing, not the period, we want to be a consistent team and the last two weeks haven't been." Preparing for a fierce local derby off the back of two heavy losses isn't ideal for any NRL coach. But Cronulla coach Craig Fitzgibbon is confident his fifth-placed team can return to the consistent footy they showed earlier in the season when they play St George Illawarra on Thursday. Defensive lapses have cruelled the Sharks in heavy losses to the Roosters and Warriors in the last two rounds and the coach wants to see improvement when the Dragons come to Shark Park. Now in his fourth year as Cronulla coach, Fitzgibbon believes similar experience in dealing with form slumps has helped set him up to lead the Sharks out of their hole. "I won't flinch, I believe in what I believe in," Fitzgibbon said on Wednesday. "The game leaves clues and you are constantly learning, constantly trying to stay consistent in what you believe in so the team can stay consistent. "Over the course of the last three seasons there's always been a period where we've had this and managed to take the outcome out of it." The back line in particular has been a merry-go-round for Fitzgibbon this season and now centre KL Iro (pec) is set for another lengthy sideline stint just as winger Ronaldo Mulitalo returns from suspension. Fitzgibbon has not once been able to call upon his five first-choice backs in 2025 but says utility Mawene Hiroti is the man to fill the gap once again. "Mawene, when he played he's had a number of weeks with (Mulitalo) when KL was out earlier in the year so they've got a decent combination there," Fitzgibbon said. "Having some familiarity when you lose a player to be able to bring in someone that's got a good relationship with that guy keeps your cohesion together." The Sharks are one of the few NRL clubs not to lose any players to State of Origin duty but it hasn't stopped their worst two performances coming in the Origin period. Fitzgibbon says capitalising on the Origin period isn't a focus for his team, he just wants them to return to the form that beat top four teams Canberra and Melbourne earlier in the year. "Prior to the last two weeks, we've been in every game we've played," Fitzgibbon said. "There's not been a single performance prior to that where we weren't competitive and playing the way I wanted to play. "Consistency is the thing, not the period, we want to be a consistent team and the last two weeks haven't been."
West Australian
11-06-2025
- Sport
- West Australian
'I won't flinch' - Sharks coach seeks derby turnaround
Preparing for a fierce local derby off the back of two heavy losses isn't ideal for any NRL coach. But Cronulla coach Craig Fitzgibbon is confident his fifth-placed team can return to the consistent footy they showed earlier in the season when they play St George Illawarra on Thursday. Defensive lapses have cruelled the Sharks in heavy losses to the Roosters and Warriors in the last two rounds and the coach wants to see improvement when the Dragons come to Shark Park. Now in his fourth year as Cronulla coach, Fitzgibbon believes similar experience in dealing with form slumps has helped set him up to lead the Sharks out of their hole. "I won't flinch, I believe in what I believe in," Fitzgibbon said on Wednesday. "The game leaves clues and you are constantly learning, constantly trying to stay consistent in what you believe in so the team can stay consistent. "Over the course of the last three seasons there's always been a period where we've had this and managed to take the outcome out of it." The back line in particular has been a merry-go-round for Fitzgibbon this season and now centre KL Iro (pec) is set for another lengthy sideline stint just as winger Ronaldo Mulitalo returns from suspension. Fitzgibbon has not once been able to call upon his five first-choice backs in 2025 but says utility Mawene Hiroti is the man to fill the gap once again. "Mawene, when he played he's had a number of weeks with (Mulitalo) when KL was out earlier in the year so they've got a decent combination there," Fitzgibbon said. "Having some familiarity when you lose a player to be able to bring in someone that's got a good relationship with that guy keeps your cohesion together." The Sharks are one of the few NRL clubs not to lose any players to State of Origin duty but it hasn't stopped their worst two performances coming in the Origin period. Fitzgibbon says capitalising on the Origin period isn't a focus for his team, he just wants them to return to the form that beat top four teams Canberra and Melbourne earlier in the year. "Prior to the last two weeks, we've been in every game we've played," Fitzgibbon said. "There's not been a single performance prior to that where we weren't competitive and playing the way I wanted to play. "Consistency is the thing, not the period, we want to be a consistent team and the last two weeks haven't been."
