The Sharks booked their spot in this year's preliminary finals with a 26-18 win over the Cowboys on Friday evening.
It marked their first post-season victory since 2018, with Cronulla able to recover from a heavy defeat in Melbourne last week.
The result set up a challenging prelim clash for the Sharks, where they'll take on reigning champions the Panthers.
Post-match, head coach Craig Fitzgibbon stated that preparation will be key.
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"I'll enjoy tonight and get ready for what's about to come," Fitzgibbon said.
"We'll obviously have to get [our] recovery and prep right for the week.
"We've got a challenge on our hands, so we're looking forward to that."
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The Sharks have only beaten the Panthers once in their last five meetings.
Penrith also boast a tremendous finals record, currently riding a 10-match win streak.
Despite the quality of their upcoming opponents, Fitzgibbon wants to instil belief into his side.
"We have to [believe we can beat Penrith]," he said.
"Any moment you get, any opportunity you get ... we're so grateful just to be here.
"We work so hard throughout the course of the year ... to earn the top four [finish] to get two cracks.
"Thankfully, we did that, because we needed it after last week, and we've earned another opportunity.
"Obviously, that's going to be a stiff challenge, but we're looking forward to it.
"We're so excited to be here, but it's not over for us yet either."
