WHAT’S HAPPENED WHILE CRONULLA HAVE BEEN TRYING TO WIN A MAIDEN PREMIERSHIP SINCE 1967

PRIME MINISTERS (10): Harold Holt, John McEwen, William McMahon, Bob Hawke, Paul Keating, John Howard, Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, Tony Abbott, Malcolm Turnbull

AUSTRALIAN TEST CRICKET CAPTAINS (15): Bob Simpson, Bill Lawry, Barry Jarman, Ian Chappell, Greg Chappell, Graham Yallop, Kim Hughes, Allan Border, Mark Taylor, Steve Waugh, Adam Gilchrist, Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke, Shane Watson, Steve Smith

JAMES BONDS (6): Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, Daniel Craig

US PRESIDENTS (9): Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George HW Bush, Bill Clinton, George W Bush, Barack Obama

OLYMPIC GAMES (13): Mexico City, Munich, Montreal, Moscow, Los Angeles, Seoul, Barcelona, Atlanta, Sydney, Athens, Beijing, London, Rio

NSWRL/ARL/Super League/NRL CEOs (10): Bill Buckley, Kevin Humphreys, John Quayle, Ken Arthurson, John Ribot, Neil Whittaker, David Moffett, David Gallop, Dave Smith, Todd Greenberg

CLUBS WHO HAVE COME AND GONE (5): Adelaide (1997-98), Gold Coast Chargers (1988-98), Hunter Mariners (1997), South Queensland Crushers (1995-97), Western Reds (1995-97)

THEN AND NOW: A SHARK TALE

* Average weekly male earnings: 1967 – $58, 2016 – $1,613

* Australian population: 1967 – 11.8 million, 2016 – 24.2 million

* Postage stamp: 1967 – 5c, 2016 – $1

* Median house price in Sydney: 1970 – $18,700, 2016 – $1 million

* Loaf of bread: 1967 – 18c (1kg), 2016 – $2.63 (500g)

* 1973 Sharks v Manly grand final tickets, 90c-$3; 2016 grand final tickets $51-$387

* 1967 vintage Penfolds Grange: 2016 – $1,490

1967, THE SHARKS’ FIRST ATTEMPT:

* First live telecast of a football grand final in Australia as Souths defeat Canterbury-Bankstown at the SCG

* Bart Cummings trains his third Melbourne Cup winner as Red Handed triumphs

* The Australian dollar celebrates its first birthday in February

* Johnny Farnham releases Sadie The Cleaning Lady, his first number one

* Postcode system introduced

* Holden launches the Torana

* Prime Minister Harold Holt disappears

SHARKS’ NEAR MISSES:

* Drew 1978 grand final 11-11, lost to Manly 16-0 in replay

* Lost 1973 grand final to Manly

* Minor premiers 1988, lost preliminary final to Balmain

* Lost 1997 Super League grand final to Brisbane

* Minor premiers in 1999, lost preliminary final after leading Dragons at halftime

* Lost 2001 preliminary final after Newcastle at halftime

* Hot favourites for the 2002 preliminary final, lost to the Warriors