When will the pain end in the Shire?

Glancing up at the scoreboard in the North-Eastern corner of 1300SMILES Stadium, Cronulla captain Paul Gallen wipes the sweat from his brow and trudges back to the huddle behind the goal posts of Sharks players who resemble a fallen army.

39-nil. A crushing defeat against the eventual premiers North Queensland Cowboys in a semi final match that had all the smells of an upset, but the Sharks were never in it. A thoroughly disappointing effort by the Shire-based club.

As the North Queensland Cowboys team song belts out in the background, the wounded Sharks move back to the dressing rooms - hoping to slip out of Townsville without a trace.

With that another promising season for the Cronulla Sharks comes crashing down. 2015 was a watershed year for the Sharks who had put the disastrous 2014 campaign behind them, and had eliminated the ASADA incidents of the season prior with consummate ease. The 2015 Sharks finished with 14 wins and a 6th place finished had moodless coach Shane Flanagan talked about as a possible coach of the year nominee. It didn't eventuate - but the talk was positive. Sadly the positivity that surrounded the whole Sharks club for much of 2015 dissipated quicker than the memories of their 1979 AMCO Cup victory, as they were crushed in a hugely disappointing semi final.

Joking about "leaving the porch light on for Harold Holt is like waiting for the Sharks to win the premiership" has certainly rung true since Jack Gibson uttered those famous words in the 1980's. The question lies with what is going wrong within the club that has caused them to go close, but never be able to get that elusive premiership. Let's take a look at some of the close calls the Shire boys have had:

-1973 Grand Final defeat to Manly
-1978 Grand Final defeat to Manly
-1988 took out the Minor Premiership, but tumbled out in straight sets
-1997 Super League Grand Final defeat to Brisbane
-1999 Minor Premiers, lost in Preliminary Final to St George Illawarra
-2001 Preliminary Final Defeat
-2002 Preliminary Final defeat
-2008 Preliminary Final defeat
-2012 Semi Final defeat
-2013 Semi final defeat
-2015 Semi Final defeat

It doesn't make for pretty reading for the poor old Sharkies. The long list of close matches is like a dagger to the heart, considering the talent that have been involved with these squads.

The more pressing question is why does this continue to happen? Sharks fans constantly joke that they want an end to this misery and every year they are left disappointed. Change of coach is not the focal point, as the Sharks have gone through many coaches since their first painful Grand Final defeat in 1973. Jack Gibson (yes, Coach of the Century), John Lang, Chris Anderson and now Shane Flanagan have all had cracks, and despite making the semi finals and a couple of deciders, have been unable to get over the hump.

The issue lies within the culture of the club. The Sharks are perennial losers (no, not in that sense!). They have had the culture of losing embedded into their fabric and it is something that is incredibly hard to get out of. Despite playoff appearances, the club has shown an inability to win the "big games". Looking at the above list we see every big time match that Cronulla are involved in, they are unable to come out on top. Now this is a problem. I'm no expert but there needs to be a culture shift of some sort. Whether that is importing a new crop of young and fresh players that are not scarred by the previous frustrating seasons or signing players from other clubs that can bring a more professional and systematic approach to success coming to Shark Park.

It all seems doom and gloom from the above section, however the Sharks are moving in the right direction. Looking back to last year, we saw the Sharks take out both the Matthews Cup and SG Ball as well as the National Final in the Under 18's. This is great news for junior development, and with some long-term planning, these players could make an impact in the NRL.

Cronulla have always struggled to attract big name starts to the club and the most success they have had has been on the back of their junior talent. Back in 1999 when the Sharks completely dominated the competition and weren't far away from a Grand Final appearance, this was on the back of their junior talent pool (Nick Graham, Dean Triester, David Peachey, Mat Rogers, Andrew Ettinghausen, Chris McKenna etc). If the Sharks want to get back to challenge for Grand Final glory, then doing so on the back of their juniors is the way to go. This is obviously easier said then done but with the aforementioned juniors taking out the Premierships in the Junior representatives leading the way then the outlook is certainly positive.

The off-season signings of James Maloney and local junior Chad Townsend finally give the Sharks two quality halves to steer the ship in 2016. This is a luxury they haven't really had since the days of Adam Dykes and Brett Kimmorley. This again gives the fans high hopes for a solid campaign next season.

It is a painful ride being a Sharks fan, and there is no guarantee that it will improve in the future. But on the back of last season's playoff appearance there is hope. Hope is something that fans of the black, white and blue have got a lot of, and they will need to continue in this vein to help their club reach their potential. So if you're a Cronulla fan - don't give up! Stay strong and keep supporting your club! In a similar vein to the 2015 NRL premiers North Queensland - who were deemed as "chokers" for their performances in the 2005-2014 period - it all changed on the back of one season. And for the Sharks, that could be all it takes.

The burning question is do the Sharks have the desire and mental fortitude to get over the line and win the big games in their 2016 campaign? Or will it be history repeating itself? Only time will tell in the up and down slippery dip that is the 50 season history of the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks.