Back in 1999, Craig Fitzgibbon was a member of the St George Illawarra side that made the grand final in their debut season ... 23 years later, he'll be plotting the downfall of the Red V at a ground he once called home.
The opening game of round three is packed with intriguing storylines and WIN Stadum is sure to come alive as Fityz's Sharks and Anthony Griffin's Dragons both go in search of a second win for the season.
The Sharks have played in two thrillers - going down to Canberra at the death in round one and then snatching victory in the final minute against the Eels in round two.
The Dragons followed an impressive opening win over the Warriors with a gutsy performance against the premiers, copping some tough calls on their way to a 20-16 loss at Netstrata Jubilee.
The Rundown
Team news
Dragons: Hooker Andrew McCullough (elbow) will miss the local derby, his place taken by experienced utility Moses Mbye. Jackson Ford and Jack Gosiewski are the new faces on the bench. No changes to the squad in the 24-hour update.
Sharks: Matt Ikuvalu comes in on the wing for Ronaldo Mulitalo (head knock) and Siosifa Talakai will start in place of Teig Wilton (suspended). The new face on the bench is Braydon Trindall, who returns from a two-match ban for a high tackle in the trials. No changes to the squad in the 24-hour update.
Key match-up
Ben Hunt v Nicho Hynes: When Hunt is on song and taking on the line, the Dragons are an infinitely more dangerous proposition. The skipper holds the key to the Red V's chances and he comes up against a man who'll be riding high on confidence after kicking his new club to victory on Saturday with an ice cool conversion after the siren. Hynes has looked right at home in the No.7 and his combination with Matt Moylan looks sharper with every passing minute they play together.
Stat attack
The Sharks have racked up 37 points in their two matches and much of their attack has flowed from quality offloads. Their offload tally stands at 23 compared to just 13 for the Dragons. Centre Jesse Ramien and halfback Nicho Hynes lead the way for Cronulla with four offloads apiece.
Story first published on NRL.com