Craig Fitzgibbon is a loyal coach - and despite another early finals exit, he's made few changes to the Sharks team that looked sharp in the regular season, finishing a creditable sixth, before crumbling under September pressure.
The only two significant losses are veterans who were on their last legs - back-rower Wade Graham (retired) and five-eighth Matt Moylan (Leigh Leopards) - and Fitzgibbon hasn't signed any big names to replace them.
Connor Tracey (Bulldogs) is a player I would have kept - he's young, dynamic, can play anywhere in the backline and has a spark to his game.
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The only name signing the Sharks have made is former Dragons second-rower Billy Burns, and he's probably destined to fight it out for a bench spot with Tom Hazelton and Oregon Kaufusi.
Young centre Kayal Iro has been a consistent performer in the lower grades in recent years and deserves more chances in the top grade - otherwise he will be headed for greener pastures in 2025.
There's a real chance that the 17 players for round one will all have been at Shark Park in 2023 - a rarity in the modern game.
The team listed below has the ability to make the finals - the stumbling block in recent years has been to go any further.
The Sharks haven't won a final since 2018 and the dreaded 'hoodoo' word is starting to encircle them every time the big games come around.
Watch the 2024 NRL premiership live and free on Nine and 9Now.
Fitzgibbon's task is to get this lot playing at their best after August - otherwise it shapes as another season of heartache and frustration for Sharks fans.
The player he will be looking for to turn it around is the classy Nicho Hynes - but the 2022 Dally M winner faces a tougher task getting the Sharks over the line in the big games in 2024.
With Moylan gone, Braydon Trindall is the only other experienced playmaker in the ranks and he doesn't quite have the quality to take the heat off Hynes - which means the star No.7 will be a heavily marked man every time he takes the field.
2024 gains: Billy Burns (Dragons), Michael Gabrael (Bulldogs).
2024 losses: Wade Graham (retired), Jensen Taumoepeau (unsigned), Matt Moylan (Leigh Leopards), Connor Tracey (Bulldogs).
SHARKS' BEST 17
1. Will Kennedy 2. Sione Katoa 3. Jesse Ramien 4. Siosifa Talakai 5. Ronaldo Mulitalo 6. Braydon Trindall 7. Nicho Hynes 8. Toby Rudolph 9. Blayke Brailey 10. Braden Hamlin-Uele 11. Briton Nikora 12. Teig Wilton 13. Dale Finucane 14. Cameron McInnes 15. Tom Hazelton 16. Royce Hunt 17. Jack Williams
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