Penrith was desperately unlucky to lose another tight game to a top four opponent in Cronulla on Sunday, especially given they managed to outscore the Sharks four tries to three despite the first half injuries to Waqa Blake and Te Maire Martin.
But injuries often have a silver-lining and against the Sharks, if nothing else will be remembered as the day James Fisher-Harris announced himself on the NRL stage.
James Fisher-Harris in just his seventh NRL game to date, played out the remaining 54 minutes of the match and produced a barnstorming performance that yielded 145 metres from 15 runs with a line-break, three tackle-breaks and an offload (plus 25 tackles for good measure in defence), that earned praise from coach, Anthony Griffin.
“I thought he was very good,” Griffin stated.
“He has been plugging away, getting 15 to 20 minutes here and there.
“Today (however) with all the injuries, we gave him an opportunity and got him out there early and he certainly grabbed it with both hands.”
But it was scoring his first two tries in the NRL, arguably two of the best team tries seen so far this season that had the 20 year-old back-rower, whom is still Holden Cup-eligible, in some disbelief after the game.
“(We were) unlucky with the injuries but it was a good opportunity for me and some other boys to get some minutes and I’m just grateful to be playing in the NRL, it’s a dream come true,” Fisher-Harris said.
“I didn’t think I would be debuting this year but everything has just happened so fast.
“I’m still overwhelmed getting two tries to be honest.”
Fisher-Harris’ first NRL try came after a nervous wait for the back-rower before the Bunker agreeing with pocket referee Alan Shortall’s contentious call that the Junior Kiwi forward’s attempted back-handed offload did travel backward.
Despite having to wait for what almost felt like an eternity, Fisher-Harris was confident he didn’t knock the ball forward.
“I knew it went backwards that’s all I knew. I was just wondering whether they (the Sharks) touched it but otherwise I knew it was a try,” Fisher-Harris confirmed.
Fisher-Harris’ try took the lead out to 14-8 but could have been greater had Soward and Moylan had their goal-kicking boots on, but just as the Sharks reclaimed the lead with two converted tries inside the last fifteen minutes, to reclaim the lead, Fisher-Harris scored an even better try in the dying minutes.
A flurry of passes 35m out ended with Wallace’s reverse flick pass providing the space for Fisher-Harris, who couldn’t believe the gap opened up for him to beat Graham and take Ben Barba and Ricky Leutele across the try-line with him, to score out wide.
“I think Peter Wallace gave me the ball and I just saw a big gap open up so I just went for it and scored,” Fisher-Harris said.
But despite outscoring Cronulla four tries to two in the second half, Fisher-Harris lamented how yet another game against quality opposition had slipped away in the last ten minutes, noting that not scoring in the first half was a key factor.
“We were a bit unlucky on the loss, yet another close game,” Fisher-Harris said.
“It’s good that we are competing against everyone but we just fell off in the last ten minutes.
“We should have some had some points in that first half, but we were just too jumpy, not playing to our strength and we were all over the place.
“(However) we’re only getting better and we were a bit unlucky we got those injuries.
“(We just) need to be more selfless and work harder for each other in that last 20 minutes.”
Fisher-Harris’ stellar performance should surely see the back-rower fulfil another of his 2016 goals – retaining his in securing a spot in a Junior Kiwis team test, due to be announced in a week’s time.
“I know the Junior Kiwis are coming around the corner,” Fisher-Harris replied.
“I am keen as to play that and represent my country again.”
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