Cronulla Sharks fans called out for 'pathetic' scenes as AFL crowd puts NRL finals to shame

Sharks fans have been called out for filling up fewer than half the seats at Allianz Stadium on Friday night as the AFL got one over the NRL with the Sydney Swans playing in front of a packed house at the SCG. Braydon Trindall put on his best performance of the year, alongside a rejuvenated Nicho Hynes, as they defeated the Cowboys in Sydney 26-18.

However, fans from both codes couldn't but quickly call out the sad scenes at Allianz for an NRL finals game. The Sharks and Cowboys only managed to draw 19,124 supporters to the ground for the elimination game. While it can be expected there would be fewer North Queensland Cowboys supporters travelling south to Sydney, the turn out for Cronulla fans was disappointing for a must-win game.

There is plenty of debate around whether Cronulla should be able to play their home NRL finals games at Shark Park. The ground only has a capacity of 15,000 and the NRL want more fans to be afforded the opportunity to fill out the stadium for the big games.

Although for the NRL finals game against the Cowboys, they only managed a few thousand more at Allianz than what Shark Park holds. The look was poor for the NRL with fans dotted around the large stadium. The fact the Sharks failed to fill half the stadium capacity at Allianz raised eyebrows.

Unfortunately, the NRL's embarrassment was made worse with the Sydney Swans drawing a capacity crowd of 44,053 for their semi-final against Port Adelaide. The SCG was a sea of red and white with fans flocking to attend the spectacle.

Fortunately for Swans fans, an inspired Sydney team bulldozed their way to a 36-point victory to advance to the AFL grand final at the MCG next week. The Swans have captivated Sydney in 2024 with the club averaging more than 39,000 fans this year in their 13 games at the SCG.

While there are nine Sydney-based team in the NRL, which significantly dilutes the fan base, the spectacle for the Cronulla Sharks was a blight on the game. The code has enjoyed some of its biggest viewership ever in 2024, but the scenes in the NRL finals were embarrassing.

Supporters will now debate whether the Sharks should have played in front of a capacity crowd at Shark Park, even if it holds 4,000 less than what they drew at Allianz. Regardless, both NRL and AFL fans were critical of the situation on Friday night.

Braydon Trindall and Nicho Hynes shine

The build-up to the Sharks and Cowboys clash this week was about Hynes' failure so far to perform in big games. And while Hynes was excellent in the 26-18 victory, he was helped with a career-best performance from Trindall.

Trindall helped secure the Sharks' first try when he was taken out in play, which resulted in a rare penalty try. He then scored one in the second-half as the Sharks held off a fast-finishing Cowboys outfit to advance to face the Panthers.

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And coach Craig Fitzgibbon was full of praise for Trindall, and Hynes, after they broke a seven-game losing streak in the NRL finals. "To be honest, last week we were disappointed with Tricky's performance. But like Nicho, he owned it," Fitzgibbon said.

"He's a hell of a player. He has been developing along nicely. And tonight his kicking game was strong, his defence was strong. The combination with he and Nicho went well, they didn't get in each other's road and used each other really well. And when he had a moment, he went for it."