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A 75th-minute penalty goal from James Maloney has taken Cronulla to a memorable 16-14 comeback win over Canberra and within one game of the NRL grand final.
Maloney kept dreams of a maiden premiership alive on Saturday evening when he calmly broke a 14-14 deadlock with a 25-metre shot after Raiders second-rower Elliot Whitehead was pinged for a high tackle.
It was a brave effort from the Sharks, who had captain Paul Gallen ruled out on game day with a back injury and then lost second-rower Wade Graham seven minutes into the match.
The Sharks were also down 12-0, but came back strongly through the second half of the match.
Final score:
Canberra Raiders 14
Cronulla Sharks 16
The Canberra Raiders host the Cronulla Sharks in the first week of the 2016 NRL finals series in what should be a cracking game. Join The Roar for live scores and commentary from 5.35pm (AEST).
For the Raiders, it will be their first taste of finals football since 2012. Many believe this squad has a great chance to break Canberra’s 22-year premiership drought.
Both teams have travelled vastly different paths in finishing 2nd and 3rd on the ladder. The Raiders have earned second spot and enter the finals on the back of 10 straight wins, while the Sharks have only won one of their last six matches.
A draw with the Titans in Round 21 broke Cronulla’s incredible 15-match winning streak during the season. It started their late-season form slump, with the Raiders beating them 30-14 in their next match. But the finals are a new competition.
Both Cronulla hooker Michael Ennis and Canberra fullback Jack Wighton escaped penalty after being reported for shoulder charges during last week’s final round of the regular season.
Sharks’ coach Shane Flanagan has made one change to the team that lost to the Storm in Melbourne last week, with centre Ricky Leutele returning and Gerard Beale dropping back to the bench.
Canberra five-eighth Blake Austin is still unavailable with a hand injury, but he’ll likely be back for week 2 or 3 of the finals series. Sam Williams will once again take his place.
The winner of this qualifying final will earn a week off next week. The loser will play the winner of tomorrow’s elimination final between Penrith and Canterbury next week.
Prediction
The Raiders have scored more points than any other team in the NRL this season, averaging 28 per match. If they can manage that again, they’ll win the game.
Expect the Cronulla defence to come out firing though, the big match experience of players like Gallen, Ennis, Lewis and Maloney will be invaluable.
Canberra by 4 points.
Join The Roar at 5:35pm AEST for live score updates and debate in our live blog.
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