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A 30-18 win over the North Queensland Cowboys has put the Cronulla Sharks into premiership calculations after recording their eighth win from their past nine games and jumping to fifth on the ladder.
>>MATCH REPORT: Sharks flex muscle with win over Cowboys
The Sharks lead by 18-0 at half time and despite a late attempted Cowboys comeback, held out to win the game.
Cronulla 30 def. North Queensland 18
Could it be a case of finals footy coming early when the high-flying North Queensland Cowboys meet the resurgent Cronulla Sharks in the Sutherland Shire? Join The Roar from 5:30pm (AEST) for live coverage to find out.
With just four games remaining in the regular season, the Cowboys and Sharks are enjoying a purple patch of form.
Both have won four out of their last five, with the North Queenslanders sitting pretty in second spot, while the hosts have surged to fifth.
The Sharks won a tight last-start tussle with the Warriors in New Zealand, while the Cowboys did it tough against the Raiders but eventually prevailed 32-24.
Overall the Cowboys have won 15 matches this season with four losses, while the Sharks have an 11-8 record.
If the Cowboys have an Achilles Heel it is their starts – in several matches this season they have started poorly and had to rely on their talented spine to steer them home. In a competition as close as the NRL you just can’t do that, particularly in games with semi-final intensity, which Paul Green would have stressed to his charges.
Conversely, the Sharks’ greatest strength is their ability to grind out tough wins and frustrate teams into making errors – a game plan that works a treat against a team like the Cowboys.
The Sharks have a poor recent record against the visitors, but will gain plenty of confidence knowing that the last time the two sides met they came out on top.
It’s easy to say that for the Cowboys to win Johnathan Thurston needs to fire, but the Cowboys have so much more to them than that. Jake Granville, Lachlan Coote and Michael Morgan all take pressure off their chief playmaker, and add a depth to their attack that makes them formidable. Add that to their forward pack and you can see why this is a team that has made winning a habit.
The Sharks have found the balance between controlled aggression and attacking flamboyance in recent weeks, and it’s working for them. Ben Barba is the x-factor when he comes on and adds another dimension to their attack. Valentine Holmes is improving week by week, and is yet another off the Queensland production line.
The early stages of this match are likely to be played through the middle of the field – don’t be surprised if it’s a slugfest, played at a finals intensity.
Hopefully the backs will get a chance to come into it later, as there’s plenty of talent on both sides of the field.
Prediction
The Cowboys are vulnerable, and the Sharks at home are a tough assignment, but the visitors have just a bit more in attack and have the added motivation of reversing the result from earlier in the season.
Cowboys by 8.
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