Inspirational Cronulla captain Paul Gallen has declared near enough won't be good enough this year as the Sharks look to bury three seasons of mediocrity and make the play-offs for the first time since 2008.
The straight-talking skipper used the club's season launch to tell fans and players that competing for 60 or 70 minutes before falling away will no longer be tolerated.
Cronulla have forged a reputation for blowing games late and Gallen is demanding intensity levels remain high right to fulltime.
Underlining the new attitude, Gallen pointed to last week's 22-18 trial match loss to Newcastle as an example of what won't be acceptable in 2012.
"(It was)18-all with 30 seconds to go and we let them score, which is a little typical of where we've been," Gallen said.
"Games like that aren't acceptable anymore. We've got to turn games like that into wins."
"Close enough isn’t good enough for us anymore."
"It’s never been my attitude and I don't know where it comes from but it's not the playing group's attitude either."
"We are here to win games."
"If we can do that (win tight games), we're going to be there at the back end of the year."
Gallen praised fans for sticking with the club during the tough times and promised their loyalty would be rewarded.
He told Sharks supporters: "It's been really tough the last few years. I know it's hard when we're not winning."
"But you've really stuck in there and we do appreciate it. I thank you guys for coming out."
"We give our best every week and things are going to turn around this year, that's for sure."
Gallen's optimism is understandable when you run a finger down the club's list of new recruits.
Headed by playmaker and former Dally M winner Todd Carney, the Sharks have also attracted Bryce Gibbs, Andrew Fifita, Jeff Robson, Jon Green, Mark Taufua and Ben Ross to the Shire.
"We haven't had a squad this good since probably 2008, with the guys we've recruited this year being genuine first grade players," an excited Gallen said.
"Everyone in the squad is pushing for a spot and there is a lot of competition for spots in every position."
Cronulla's campaign begins against competition favourites Wests Tigers at a soon-to-be sold-out Leichhardt Oval on March 4.