Sharks boss issues message to players ahead of key Titans clash

Cronulla’s top-four NRL push will continue on Saturday in Coffs Harbour when they battle a Gold Coast unit whose season is quickly slipping away.

The Sharks simply must start stringing form together if they’re to make an impact in the finals, not having won two straight games since rounds four and five and having alternated wins and losses since.

By that theory, it’s their week to lose having smashed New Zealand 38-16 last weekend, but coach Craig Fitzgibbon called on his troops to hit the ground running and break their inconsistent streak.

“You have to get your start right, we missed the kick with our discipline last week,” he told reporters.

“We’re really excited about some improvements we have made and now it’s time to take another step and put it all together with a complete performance

“We know (the Titans) have some very strong players and for whatever reason haven’t quite gelled, but that’s not to say it’s not a performance away.

“Our main aim is to keep improving on the parts of our game that we’ve been working very hard on and we’re searching for that consistency level to make us a difficult opponent for them.”

It’s an unchanged lineup for the Sharks with captain Dale Finucane lurking in the reserves, still yet to return from a knee injury.

The Titans get AJ Brimson back to play fullback after he missed their 30-16 defeat against South Sydney last round, meaning Jamayne Isaako shifts to a wing and Esan Marsters drops out of the lineup.

Gold Coast have lost nine of their past 10 games to slump to the bottom of the ladder.

“For us (it’s about) getting better ourselves and making sure that we get our game in order to get a win,” coach Justin Holbrook told reporters.

“They’re such a dangerous side … they throw the ball around better than anybody in the comp so you know they’re going to be really dangerous.

“You got to be really good defensively, they ask a lot of questions and go from side to side and they’ve got dangerous players everywhere.

“We’ve gotta be really good for 80 minutes, that’s key for us against them.”