The Cronulla Sharks are all too aware of the difficulty the club faces going into the season as NRL premiers.

The 2016 premiership win was the first for the club and in doing so, the club brought to an end one of rugby leagues longest premiership droughts.

First Nations star Wade Graham (pictured) says you only have to walk through the streets of Cronulla to be reminded of just how much the win meant to the clubs supporters, but with that comes the extra pressure of defending the title.