2002 Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks season
Encyclopedia
The 2002 Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks season was the 36th season in the clubs history.
premiership-winning coach Chris Anderson, who also brought along with him the halfback involved in that premiership, Brett Kimmorley
.
After a poor start to the season by the Sharks' standards, the Sharks set about with a record-equalling 11-game winning streak which did not crossover with the Bulldogs' famous 17-match run. The highlight of Cronulla's season was a huge 64-14 win over an injury-hit Newcastle Knights
at home in round 22, exacting revenge after a 52-6 loss at Newcastle in round six (one of Cronulla's worst ever defeats). Eventually the Sharks finished 5th at the end of the premiership season and were drawn an away final against the Sydney Roosters
at Aussie Stadium. Despite scoring five tries apiece, it was the goalkicking that proved the difference as the Roosters emerged victors 30-20 (Brett Kimmorley
missed all five of his conversion attempts). The Sharks advanced further due to favourable results, which ultimately saw them pitted against rivals St. George Illawarra in the second round of the finals. The Sharks were seeking revenge after the Dragons denied them a place in the 1999 decider (which would have had them pitted against Anderson and Kimmorley's Melbourne Storm
) and indeed the Sharks won 40-24. For the second year in succession, and the third in four years, the Sharks reached the penultimate weekend of the season, only to lose against the minor premiers New Zealand
, ending another season in agony.
1Canterbury were deducted 37 premiership points due to gross salary cap breaches.
Season summary
In the off-season the Sharks signed former Melbourne StormMelbourne Storm
The Melbourne Storm are an Australian professional rugby league club based in the city of Melbourne. They are the first fully professional rugby league team based in the Australian rules football-dominated state of Victoria....
premiership-winning coach Chris Anderson, who also brought along with him the halfback involved in that premiership, Brett Kimmorley
Brett Kimmorley
Brett "Noddy" Kimmorley was an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs of the NRL. He has previously played for five other clubs and has also represented his country and state on several occasions...
.
After a poor start to the season by the Sharks' standards, the Sharks set about with a record-equalling 11-game winning streak which did not crossover with the Bulldogs' famous 17-match run. The highlight of Cronulla's season was a huge 64-14 win over an injury-hit Newcastle Knights
Newcastle Knights
The Newcastle Knights are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Newcastle, New South Wales. They compete in Australasia's premier rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership...
at home in round 22, exacting revenge after a 52-6 loss at Newcastle in round six (one of Cronulla's worst ever defeats). Eventually the Sharks finished 5th at the end of the premiership season and were drawn an away final against the Sydney Roosters
Sydney Roosters
The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League and is one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Australian rugby league history, having won twelve New South Wales Rugby League...
at Aussie Stadium. Despite scoring five tries apiece, it was the goalkicking that proved the difference as the Roosters emerged victors 30-20 (Brett Kimmorley
Brett Kimmorley
Brett "Noddy" Kimmorley was an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs of the NRL. He has previously played for five other clubs and has also represented his country and state on several occasions...
missed all five of his conversion attempts). The Sharks advanced further due to favourable results, which ultimately saw them pitted against rivals St. George Illawarra in the second round of the finals. The Sharks were seeking revenge after the Dragons denied them a place in the 1999 decider (which would have had them pitted against Anderson and Kimmorley's Melbourne Storm
Melbourne Storm
The Melbourne Storm are an Australian professional rugby league club based in the city of Melbourne. They are the first fully professional rugby league team based in the Australian rules football-dominated state of Victoria....
) and indeed the Sharks won 40-24. For the second year in succession, and the third in four years, the Sharks reached the penultimate weekend of the season, only to lose against the minor premiers New Zealand
New Zealand Warriors
The New Zealand Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership and are the League's only team from outside Australia...
, ending another season in agony.
Ladder
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | B | PF | PA | PD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  New ZealandNew Zealand Warriors The New Zealand Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership and are the League's only team from outside Australia... |
24 | 17 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 688 | 454 | 38 |
| 2 |  NewcastleNewcastle Knights The Newcastle Knights are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Newcastle, New South Wales. They compete in Australasia's premier rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership... |
24 | 17 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 724 | 498 | 38 |
| 3 |  BrisbaneBrisbane Broncos The Brisbane Broncos are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the city of Brisbane, the capital of the state of Queensland. Founded in 1988, the Broncos play in Australasia's elite competition, the National Rugby League premiership. They have won six premierships and two... |
24 | 16 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 672 | 425 | 37 |
| 4 |  Sydney RoostersSydney Roosters The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League and is one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Australian rugby league history, having won twelve New South Wales Rugby League... |
24 | 15 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 621 | 405 | 35 |
| 5 |  Cronulla-SutherlandCronulla Sharks The Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks are Australian professional Rugby league team based in Cronulla, in the Sutherland Shire, Southern Sydney, New South Wales... |
24 | 15 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 653 | 597 | 34 |
| 6 |  ParramattaParramatta Eels The Parramatta Eels are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta. The Parramatta District Rugby League Football Club was formed in 1947, with their First Grade side playing their first season in the New South Wales Rugby Football League... |
24 | 10 | 2 | 12 | 2 | 531 | 440 | 26 |
| 7 |  St George IllawarraSt George Illawarra Dragons The St George Illawarra Dragons is an Australian professional rugby league football club, representing the St. George and Illawarra regions. They have competed in the National Rugby League since 1999 as a joint venture between Sydney's historic St. George Dragons club and 1982 expansion club, the... |
24 | 9 | 3 | 12 | 2 | 632 | 546 | 25 |
| 8 |  CanberraCanberra Raiders The Canberra Raiders are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the national capital city of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. They have competed in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership since 1982... |
24 | 10 | 1 | 13 | 2 | 471 | 641 | |
| 25 | |||||||||
| 9 |  Northern EaglesNorthern Eagles The Northern Eagles were a rugby league team, that competed in the National Rugby League between 2000 and 2002. The club was formed during the rationalisation process of the NRL by the merger of the North Sydney Bears and the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles in 2000... |
24 | 10 | 0 | 14 | 2 | 503 | 740 | |
| 24 | |||||||||
| 10 |  MelbourneMelbourne Storm The Melbourne Storm are an Australian professional rugby league club based in the city of Melbourne. They are the first fully professional rugby league team based in the Australian rules football-dominated state of Victoria.... |
24 | 9 | 1 | 14 | 2 | 556 | 586 | |
| 23 | |||||||||
| 11 |  North QueenslandNorth Queensland Cowboys The North Queensland Cowboys are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Townsville, Queensland. They compete in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership... |
24 | 8 | 0 | 16 | 2 | 496 | 803 | |
| 20 | |||||||||
| 12 |  PenrithPenrith Panthers The Penrith Panthers are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in the western Sydney suburb of Penrith. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership, the top rugby league football competition in Australasia. For the 2012 NRL season they will be coached by Ivan... |
24 | 7 | 0 | 17 | 2 | 546 | 654 | |
| 18 | |||||||||
| 13 |  Wests TigersWests Tigers The Wests Tigers are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Sydney's mid-western suburbs. They have competed in the National Rugby League since they were formed at the end of the 1999 season as a joint-venture club between the Balmain Tigers and the Western Suburbs... |
24 | 7 | 0 | 17 | 2 | 498 | 642 | |
| 18 | |||||||||
| 14 |  South SydneySouth Sydney Rabbitohs The South Sydney Rabbitohs are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in Redfern, a suburb of South-central Sydney, New South Wales. They participate in the National Rugby League premiership and are one of nine existing teams from the state capital... |
24 | 5 | 0 | 19 | 2 | 385 | 817 | |
| 14 | |||||||||
| 15 |  BulldogsCanterbury Bulldogs The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Belmore, a suburb in the Canterbury-Bankstown region of Sydney. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership, as well as New South Wales Rugby League junior competitions... |
24 | 20 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 707 | 435 | 81 |
1Canterbury were deducted 37 premiership points due to gross salary cap breaches.