‘I don’t care a great deal about other people’s opinions’: Sharks skipper not worried about a perceived lack of respect heading into the finals

Rodney Dangerfield and Aretha Franklin have famously spoken about getting some respect, and it’s all the Sharks want on the eve of the finals, with coach Craig Fitzgibbon pointing out that his side doesn’t get the plaudits they deserve.

The Sharks finished in the top four for the second time in three years but they’ve already been written off as premiership contenders by some despite boasting one of the most balanced squads in the finals led by former Dally M winner Nicho Hynes.

There has been a suggestion they don’t have another gear to go to, with the Sharks winning just one finals game since their 2016 premiership success, but they’ve already beaten the Storm in Melbourne this year ahead of their trip south on Saturday.

Fitzgibbon’s comments came following the big win over Manly on the road against a team that was playing for a home final, and another win in enemy territory this weekend will make everyone stand up and take notice.

“I’m not an emotional person so I don’t care a great deal about other people’s opinions,” skipper Cameron McInnes replied when asked if his side gets enough respect.

“I can’t speak on behalf of everybody about how they feel about how we’re perceived, but what I would say is that within the playing group, the thing we care about the most is getting each other’s respect.

“That’s not a cliche because when we play on the field, every single one of us wants to come off the field knowing the others are saying ‘he had a good crack today’. That’s above all.

“Everyone else has their own individual drivers, but for me, I don’t hear much.

“At the end of the day, if you win games and the comp, that noise goes away. That’s the challenge.”

That simple approach is something McInnes didn’t always have, but he has no issue with other players if they want to keep receipts from the critics to motivate them.

“Maybe when I was younger when I was coming through first grade at Souths. You learn some good lessons about your social media time and focusing on opinions that don’t matter,” he said.

“I have my head away from that as well which I believe helps, but it’s not for everyone, so for me it’s a lot easier.

“I don’t worry too much about what people are saying who don’t have control over what happens here.

“For some guys, they might use it as their fuel. All I’d say to them that if you’re going to use it as your fuel, channel it in the right way.

“With getting respect and not getting respect, if you perform well and win games, then at some point people have to acknowledge that.”