Cronulla coach Shane Flanagan has lashed out at Phil Gould following their victory against Penrith on Sunday, saying Gould's "soft premiership" comments earlier in the year had been a motivation behind their performance.

Flanagan's comments come as Sharks skipper Paul Gallen, who has long been the subject of criticism from the Panthers general manager, took aim at Penrith officials who he said had allocated Sharks players' wives and children tickets to the general admission hill.

"Three cheers for Gus". Those were the words booming out of the Cronulla dressing room after their comprehensive 28-2 victory against the Panthers on Easter Sunday.

Gould's comments at the start of the season, in which he spoke about Cronulla's triumph in what "ended up being a fairly soft competition", has left a sour taste in the mouths of Cronulla players. And they haven't forgotten – taking great pleasure in destroying the Panthers in their own backyard.