The Sharks will face a Dolphins side missing injured forward Tom Flegler on Saturday, with the front-rower failing to overcome a rib injury for the trip south.
Cronulla are expected to be one of the genuine contenders again this season, after reaching the preliminary finals in each of the past two campaigns.
Nothing has irked them more during Fitzgibbon's tenure than claims they are handed a friendly draw, or that they don't take it to top sides.
Last week's loss to Penrith marked the Sharks's sixth straight against the Panthers, with Fitzgibbon asked on Friday about the narrative they cannot beat good teams.
"In the past few years Penrith are the only team we haven't beaten. So to say we can't beat the other teams, well that's incorrect," Fitzgibbon said.
"They're the only team we haven't (beaten). So I don't know how that's a narrative."
Since Fitzgibbon took over as Cronulla coach in 2022, the Sharks have a winning record against regular fellow-finalists Canterbury (6-2) and the Sydney Roosters (4-3).
They have recorded three wins from eight games against Melbourne, and one from four against Brisbane.
But Fitzgibbon did concede that his ill-disciplined side paid for being below their best against the Panthers, when beaten 26-6 last week in Bathurst.
"Penrith do that to most teams and if you want to play like that against Penrith you get exactly what you deserve," he said.
"Sometimes you get one you're disappointed with, a call or something and you let it get in your way ... you just have to get on with things.
"That seeps into the other discipline, the simple stuff like playing the ball well and catching and passing. And tidying a few things with the way we move in defence."
Fitzgibbon had spoken about the challenge of playing high-scoring trials and putting on a points-scoring spree in round one before facing Penrith.
The Dolphins also have the potential to drag the Sharks into an attacking shootout, but Fitzgibbon was insistent Cronulla could not enter with that approach.
"You always want to set up to play the way you want to play and get in control of the game," Fitzgibbon said.
"They have some attacking strike, particularly in the mid-period of last year.
"But they are a hard-working side and we know we'll have to get into the hardest and simplest parts of the game to be successful if we want to."
18°C