THEY might be called Sharks but Cronulla last night played like rabbits caught in the glare of the lights high above them at the Sydney Football Stadium.

If you've seen a rabbit caught by a spotlight, you'll understand exactly what happened to Cronulla last night. The Storm just walked around behind, picked them up by the back legs and did things farmers do to rabbits that the RSPCA is always trying to film. It was painful to watch, especially so for Sharks coach Ricky Stuart

"We were never in the hunt," he conceded. "We started off very well and, after they scored that first try, I think we panicked and tried to score off every set. That wasn't our game, we had to be patient and it sort of went a little bit out the window."

But starting off well doesn't count for much when the opposition scores a runaway try in the third minute. In truth, suggested captain Paul Cullen, Cronulla's season might have ended even earlier.

The young and largely inexperienced side walked out in front of a crowd of 27,570 - more than you'll ever find down the Shire, even at a riot on a hot summer's day - and soaked up a little too much atmosphere.

"Just talking to the boys after the game, they were amazed at how good the feeling was when they went out," he said. "A few of them said they were just like, 'Wow, how good is this?' and they might have got stuck in that moment a bit."

Before they knew what hit them, the young Sharks forwards began a tiring series of dropped balls and knock-ons, with Luke Douglas just the worst of a bad lot.

"It's very unfortunate," said Stuart. "I'm really disappointed for the boys because they didn't deserve to finish that way this year. They've had a very, very strong season and I'm very proud of the way they've handled a lot of adversity.

"You can't give a powerful strong football team such as Melbourne that sort of latitude in regards to easy possession. Two penalties - and they were penalties - that they scored off.

"We spoke about trying to eliminate every shot at our line. It didn't happen and you can't afford to turn that much football over and make those errors."

Cronulla have been derided all season long as a team that could score only 16 points. Score 17 and you win, 15 and you lose. Last night the Storm could have won with a field goal as the Sharks' attack broke down, failing to pressure the Melbourne defence. The Sharks moved the ball from side to side and back again but, in truth, never looked like punching a hole in the purple blanket.

"But every time we made half a break there was three or four of them there just covering for each other," said Gallen. "Ricky said earlier we needed every single one of us to play our best game of the year and I don't think there was anyone who played their best game."

At half-time Stuart still thought his side a chance and, for the next 20 minutes they played their best football. A try might have opened up the game. It never came.

"We've done it before when we've come out and scored two or three tries in quick succession, and we were talking about walking out that room a different football team," he said.

"I thought we could change the first 40 [minutes] around, complete our sets more. The first 15 and 20 I thought we were were very strong. We just couldn't break their line, couldn't get over and give us a bit of a pump."