Captain's emotional tribute to Sharks 'legend'

Cronulla skipper Wade Graham paid an affectional and heartfelt tribute to departing players Andrew Fifita and Aiden Tolman aft the Sharks were bundled retired of finals.

A 38-12 loss to South Sydney astatine Allianz Stadium ended the club's season, and the nine careers of the 2 forwards.

Tolman is retiring from the game, portion Fifita is leaving Cronulla but remains unfastened to joining different nine if helium tin get a contract.

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Tolman played astir of his vocation astatine Canterbury but became a cardinal portion of the Sharks battalion successful the past 2 years, portion Fifita began his vocation astatine the Tigers but spent the past decennary astatine Shark Park.

Andrew Fifita and Aiden Tolman are farewelled by the Sharks aft their nonaccomplishment to South Sydney. (Getty)

Fifita was champion connected the tract erstwhile Cronulla won the 2016 expansive last - though helium did not person the Clive Churchill Medal to beryllium it - and received precocious praise from Graham aft his Sharks vocation came to an end.

"It's disappointing that we didn't execute and we couldn't spell further for them," Graham told media aft the loss.

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"Two guys who are conscionable retired and retired fable blokes, and their careers are afloat of the worldly that makes a bully teammate, makes a bully player.

"Look astatine (Tolman) astatine the 3 clubs he's played at, you could speech to each his teammates (about) however reliable helium is, however overmuch you spot him retired connected the field. He's no-nonsense astatine training... he's conscionable a bully guy.

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"Good clubman, bully person, and bully household man. He's played implicit 300 games and not galore radical person done that successful the manner helium has.

"And of people Andrew, it's hard to enactment into words however bully helium has been for the club.

"He is the champion front-rower the nine has had. He's a fable of the club, his iconic effort successful the (2016) expansive last helped present the archetypal premiership to the club.

"As disappointing arsenic it is contiguous that we couldn't proceed that travel for them further, those 2 guys tin surely look backmost and clasp their heads high, locomotion proudly and beryllium arrogant of what they've accomplished successful the game."

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