A year after sending the Roosters packing in week one of the 2025 play-offs, the Sharks and Roosters will resume their finals rivalry in another sudden-death showdown at Allianz Stadium on Saturday night.
But while the Sharks are on a high from ending a month-long lull with victory over North Queensland, the Roosters will be coming off a sapping loss to Penrith.
As well as enjoying an extra day's rest, the Sharks are hoping the Roosters' petrol gauge is low after Sunday's gruelling and physical 19-12 defeat to the Panthers.
"I actually thought they were going to give us the Sunday game because of the Roosters (game), so it gives us an upper hand," Cronulla centre KL Iro told AAP after the Sharks enjoyed a meditating session and relaxing recovery swim on Monday.
"I was pretty confused why the Knights and the Warriors got the longer turnaround than the Roosters did. But we'll take that with both hands for sure."
Superstar playmaker Nicho Hynes also declared "it's a slight advantage for sure" to the Sharks, pointing to Cronulla's deflating exit four years ago after being unable to back up from an epic 100-minute 32-30 golden-point loss to North Queensland.
"I've been in that situation in 2022 when we lost to the Cowboys here and then lost to the Rabbitohs a week after," Hynes said.
"So out in straight sets - and the Raiders did it last year too when we went and beat them (in Canberra in week two).
"So the Roosters are a great club and they'll have them in the best position to recover and win, but the energy is hard to come back from sometimes and they've put a lot of effort into that game.
"So hopefully they're a bit drained from it."
The Sharks, though, know they can't bank on any Roosters fatigue alone to get them home and know they will have to match the quality of the star-studded Tricolours to advance to a third straight preliminary final.
"They've got so many fast players across the park that they've been there, done it before," Hynes said.
"They've got players who played Origin, lost game one, go and win game two.
"So it's not going be the thing where we're going to get an upper hand just because of that. We're going to go out there and earn the right to win the game."
Hynes reckons the Sharks will take more out of how they eliminated the Roosters last year at what the 2022 Dally M Medallist joked Craig Fitzgibbon's side now considered their home ground.
"We'll probably have a look at some of that footage as well," Hynes said.
"But it's a whole new year, a whole new competition and they've been a great team for a long period of time this year.
"Not too long ago they were the favourites to win the comp. So you don't forget about those things over a week or two, and just really looking forward to the challenge.
"We always have good games against the Roosters and they're a big club, so we we're looking to get after it back at Allianz Stadium - yeah, back at home."
Cronulla or the Roosters will take on the Dolphins for a place in the grand final.
