Reliving Fifita's miracle try: All heart and now a work of art

With 11 minutes to play in the 2016 grand final and the Sharks trailing Melbourne 12-8, Andrew Fifita picked up his team and his community and carried them over the tryline for the most famous four-pointer in Cronulla history.

In their 50th year of trying, the Sharks had finally claimed a maiden premiership, and Fifita's bullocking, never say die try had proved the difference in an epic decider.

A decade later, that moment has been immortalised on the walls of Ocean Protect Stadium, a daily reminder to the Sharks of the night they finally made history.

And fittingly, it is Fifita who takes centre stage.

The former prop’s match-winning try against Melbourne has been chosen as the Sharks’ defining image as part of Telstra Together Round, with murals celebrating iconic moments unveiled across every NRL club to mark Telstra’s 25 years as the game’s major sponsor.

For Fifita, now 37, seeing the image of himself etched onto the wall at the club where he became a legend was a surreal reminder of just how much that night meant to Cronulla.

“It’s just good to see something up here from that year,” Fifita told Sharks Media.

“And they had to choose the best-looking person to put up here.”

The image captures the moment Fifita burrowed his way over the line at Accor Stadium, with the Sharks holding on to beat the Storm 14-12 and finally end almost five decades of heartbreak.

Fifita, who scored 40 tries across his 251-game career, none was bigger.

And without it, the Sharks may never have lifted their first premiership trophy.

“To be selected for the most memorable moment for the Sharks is quite an honour,” Fifita said.

“I can put that down to my team, the Cronulla Sharks, and I have to give praise to Mick Ennis because he gave me the nod and I got that moment.”

Fifita’s career spanned 251 games with the Wests Tigers and Sharks, but it was that one play that ultimately cemented his name as one of Cronulla’s greats. 

Now, every Sharks player walking through the club’s training base will be reminded of it.

“It definitely catches your attention when you walk past,” Sharks forward Jesse Colquhoun said.

“It’s pretty special and means a lot to the club, winning their first premiership in 2016.

“For Andrew Fifita to score a try like that, it’s remarkable. It’s something that will stay in the history of the Sharks forever, and it’s good we can acknowledge it around Ocean Protect Stadium.

“Ten years later, it would be quite the story, wouldn’t it?”

The timing could hardly be better.

Ten years on since Cronulla’s historic premiership, the motivation to bring the Provan Summons Trophy back to the Shire is fuelling the current playing group. 

“You’re getting a lot of the reminders about 2016 and what they’ve done for the club is massive,” Tom Hazelton said.

“It would be cool to pay them back on the anniversary, get the second one for the club, and that’s what we aim to do.

“There’s a lot of water to go under the bridge before then.”