A defiant Craig Fitzgibbon has declared Cronulla aren't "going away" any time soon despite being knocked out of the premiership race by Melbourne.
The Sharks have endured a wretched run in finals for much of the last few years, losing six of their nine matches in a streak that stretches back to 2022.
They bowed out in straight sets at the start of this period, losing to North Queensland and South Sydney before being defeated by the Sydney Roosters in an elimination final two years ago.
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The Storm and Penrith got the better of them last year, although they did manage to enact some revenge on the Cowboys with a victory in the semi-finals.
This year, hopes were raised in the Shire after they dumped the Roosters and Canberra out of the title race.
However, Cronulla eventually came up empty-handed as the Storm clinched a 22-14 win to advance through to the grand final and leave Fitzgibbon trying to pick up the pieces once again.
Sharks defiant despite prelim finals heartbreak against the Storm
"Melbourne Storm understand what it means to be a great side," Fitzgibbon summarised post-match.
"I think we’re a really good side that hasn’t quite converted into being a great side."
The Sharks had to travel the long road this season during the business end of the competition after narrowly missing out on a top-four finish.
This was due to a poor slump during the middle of the year, which saw them defeated in four of their five fixtures between Round 12 and 17.
The strain this put on the side ultimately proved insurmountable as the Sharks missed the jump in their prelim against a refreshed Melbourne outfit.
Cronulla were brave in defeat and managed to repel the home side for large periods of the game when other teams would have perhaps crumbled if placed in a similar situation against the Storm.
And the coach found solace in this fact, while expressing how he believed they would return to challenge for the premiership next year.
"We’re in a better position than we’ve ever been in and we’re not going away," Fitzgibbon stated. "We’re not going to get worse.
"We’re in a better place than last year," the coach added.
"There are more signs of life that I'm comfortable with compared to the last few years. So, we’re not going away - we’ve just got to get better."