Cronulla face unwanted finals record against Cowboys

Cronulla are sitting on the verge of unwanted history, at risk of becoming the first team to lose eight straight finals matches during the NRL era.

Days after their 37-10 loss to Melbourne, Cronulla were back in the headlines again on Monday when Greg Alexander called for halfback Nicho Hynes to be dropped.

In a segment on SEN radio, the former Kangaroos No.7 suggested the Sharks should revert to Daniel Atkinson in the halves alongside Braydon Trindall.

Cronulla are expected to back Hynes and resist any changes for their do-or-die semi-final against North Queensland at Allianz Stadium on Friday night.

But they do need to find a way to win in the finals, with their last victory coming way back in 2018 with a see-sawing 21-20 win over Penrith.

In the six years since, the Sharks have been beaten just about every possible way through seven straight defeats.

They were blown out of the water by South Sydney in 2022 and knocked out in a drama-laden preliminary final by Melbourne in 2018.

There was heartbreak in the 2022 qualifying final when Valentine Holmes sank a golden-point extra-time two-point field goal to kick North Queensland home.

The Sharks were again victims of a field goal last year in an elimination final when Sam Walker slotted the Sydney Roosters home.

Cronulla players have long been adamant their finals record is not a major concern, and each of the losses are independent from each other.

"Every year is a different year," captain Cameron McInnes told AAP last week.

"This (year) is the best prepared we have been for that. But I imagine if things weren't to go the way we wanted there are always going to be questions.

"But that's every team. If you don't win, we're all in the same boat aren't we?"

McInnes was also insistent this Sharks team was more resilient than most others, after a year of injuries in the halves and the forward pack.

"Every year has different challenges. We've gone through a fair few this year," McInnes said.

"But as much adversity was thrown at us, I feel like we've stood up to it. Maybe in the past couple of years we probably wouldn't have.

"I don't reckon we've had the challenges the past couple of years that we have this year.

"That growth is quite evident. Whether other people see it or not, we definitely feel it. I feel like we're in the best place we've been to enter the finals series."

Cronulla will need to show that on Friday night.

The Sharks already hold the record for the most consecutive finals losses in the game's history with nine between 1978 and 1995.

Newtown and North Sydney also endured eight-match finals losing streaks in their history, both of which began in the 1940s and 1950s.

In the modern era, which began in 1998, Canberra lost seven straight between 2000 and 2008, while Brisbane did likewise between 2002 and 2006.

The Broncos celebrated ending that streak by winning a premiership. Cronulla must win on Friday night to have any chance of doing likewise.

CRONULLA'S SEVEN STRAIGHT FINALS LOSSES

2018: Melbourne 22-6 (preliminary final)

2019: Manly 28-16 (elimination final)

2020: Canberra 32-20 (elimination final)

2022: North Queensland 32-30 (qualifying final), South Sydney 38-12 (semi-final)

2023: Sydney Roosters 13-12 (elimination final)

2024: Melbourne 37-10 (qualifying final)