In a shocking upset, the Sharks eliminated the top-seeded Raiders, leaving Coach Stuart disappointed.
The greatest upset of 2025 took place on Saturday night, when the Cronulla Sharks sent the Canberra Raiders home packing, after the latter's most dominant season in 35 years.
The minor premiers, whose season-long underdog mentality led them to the finals, were eliminated in straight sets, leaving Raiders head coach Ricky Stuart speechless.
Despite his visible disappointment, he did admit he was impressed with his side in the first half, before dwindling off when it mattered most.
"We were good for the first 38 minutes of the first half, and started well in the second half," he said.