The Roosters broke the Sharks' hearts in last year's grand final and are hot favourites for Saturday's clash that will determine which side makes this year's decider.
Pundits and bookmakers have for weeks rated the Roosters and Brisbane as highly likely to meet in the grand final, with the former undefeated this season and the latter only losing to Easts.
Sharks captain Penitani is unperturbed.
"If anything, it's entertaining watching people who think they're experts talk about the competition," the centre told AAP.
"(The Roosters and Broncos) have been so successful this year and obviously there's lots of debate around the amount of talent they're hoarding at those clubs.
"If anything it just takes the spotlight off teams like us and (fellow semi-finalists) the Knights."
The Roosters inflicted a 30-point hiding on the Sharks in the final round of the regular season, with Cronulla completing at only 63 per cent that night.
"I'd say we've got equal amounts of strike on the field," Penitani said.
"But a couple of weeks ago, (we made) way too many errors, way too many penalties, not completing sets. Just really scrappy, low quality football.
"To be able to compete against teams like that ... you've got to play a high-quality game of football."
Cronulla are adamant something special is brewing in the Shire and not just in their NRLW and NRL sides, who both progressed to grand-final qualifiers.
The Sharks junior women's teams in the Lisa Fiaola Cup and Tarsha Gale Cup both played finals this year, with the women's reserve-grade side also qualifying for Sunday's grand final.
In the men's program, the SG Ball and Jersey Flegg Cup teams both played finals in 2025, as did NSW Cup feeder side Newtown.
"It's the family vibe that we have," NRLW forward Rhiannon Byers said of the strong results across the board.
"When we cross paths with the boys and stuff, it's not like they're the NRL boys and we're the NRLW girls, everyone is able to say hello and ask how you're going."
Byers went to NRL stars Braden Hamlin-Uele and Tom Hazelton for advice amid an injury-stricken 2025 campaign.
The pair's best tip was not to be afraid that you'll be bugging the club's support staff by pushing hard to get back on the field.
"They were saying, 'no you should be asking for their help, don't be afraid to ask for that, you're just as important. You may not be playing, but if you're in the rehab, you're just as important'. That was such a good trigger for me," she said.
