We’re approaching the business end of the 2019 NRL season and it’s all to play for on Thursday when the Sharks host the Cowboys.
It’s a critical game that will all but eliminate the losing side from this year’s finals equation, and neither team is really running with form that fills the supporter’s hearts with hope.
Both teams have a 7-10 record and sit 11th and 13th in the standings.
Cronulla have lost their last five games, and four of them by two points or less. This shocking run includes a somewhat remarkable feat – in those four close losses, Cronulla have scored more tries than their opponents, but still got beaten.
If they’d been able to kick for goal accurately, things could be so different for the men from the shire. They’ve certainly got the talent to contend for the title, but sloppy execution at fundamental parts of the game has cost them a real shot at the premiership.
Jayden Brailey of the Cronulla Sharks (Photo by Tony Feder/Getty Images)
North Queensland aren’t in shiny nick themselves, losing four of their last five games. The one win wasn’t bad, a surprise 15-12 result over the Roosters, but this was bookended by pretty ordinary performances against the Rabbitohs and St George Illawarra.
The Cowboys put up a good fight against South Sydney last week but couldn’t close the deal, copping three tries in the last ten minutes to go down by 12 points.
Cowboys coach Paul Green is starting to feel the heat of an underwhelming couple of seasons and his squad is fast running out of time to make anything of 2019.
It’s 6-4 Cronulla’s way in the last ten match-ups between these two and the last time they played up in Townsville the Sharks cleaned up the home side to the tune of 42-16.
Cronulla will be missing regular fullback Matt Moylan (injured again) and the forward Andrew Fifita (suspended again). To cover them, Josh Dugan will move to fullback and young monster dynamo Braden Hamlin-Uele will start in the front row.
Hamlin-Uele is a great young forward who makes things happen and it’ll be good for the Sharks to have him throwing himself around early.
North Queensland’s captain Michael Morgan is still out after being concussed in State of Origin three almost three weeks ago. That length of time out for concussion is not a good sign, but the Cowboys are taking every precaution as they should.
One positive for the Cowboys has been the recruiting of Scott Drinkwater from Melbourne, pushed out by a fullback oversupply down south. Drinkwater is a great young talent and has already scored twice in just three games with North Queensland.
Both sides need to win this game if they have any plans of grabbing onto the lower part of the top eight. If carrying a 7-10 record wasn’t bad enough, the Sharks and Cowboys both have incredibly difficult schedules to round out the season and every win against teams in the finals push will be worth its weight in gold.
Cronulla’s last six weeks include games against Canberra (fourth), Penrith (seventh) and South Sydney (second) as well as tricky but winnable match-ups against Wests Tigers, St George Illawarra and New Zealand.
Jason Taumalolo was in terrifying form to start the season – can he pick it up again? (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)
North Queensland have tough trips to Newcastle (eighth), Melbourne (first) and also take on the Broncos, Tigers and Panthers.
It’s not easy route to the finals, and a loss tonight could mean there’s too much ground to make up.
Prediction
There’s a lot on the line for this one. The winner of this match keeps their season on life support for seven more days, the loser can start planning early surgeries for key players and giving the kids a run in first grade for the last six weeks.
North Queensland are under the most pressure to win with a horrible for and against of -69. Facing up to a good Sharks team may be a bridge too far.
It’ll be a tough game, but I’ve got the Sharks in a squeaker.
Teams
Sharks
1. Josh Dugan, 2. Sosaia Feki, 3. Bronson Xerri, 4. Josh Morris, 5. Ronaldo Mulitalo, 6. Shaun Johnson, 7. Chad Townsend, 8. Barden Hamlin-Uele, 9. Jayden Brailey, 10. Aaron Woods, 11. Briton Nikora, 12. Kurt Capewell, 13. Paul Gallen\
Bench/Reserves: 14. Blayke Brailey, 15. Jack Williams, 16. Matt Prior, 17.. Billy Magoulias, 18. Jayson Bukuya, 19. Kyle Flanagan, 20. Scott Sorensen, 21. Sione Katoa
Cowboys
1. Scott Drinkwater, 2. Kyle Feldt, 3. Javid Bowen, 4. Tom Opcacic, 5. Murray Taualgi, 6. John Asiata, 7. Jake Clifford, 8. Josh McGuire, 9. Jake Granville, 10. Jordan McLean, 11. Gavin Cooper, 12. Shane Wright, 13. Jason Taumalolo
Bench/Reserves: 14. Coen Hess, 15. Matthew Scott, 16. Scott Bolton, 17. Francis Molo, 18. Peter Hola, 19. Reuben Cotter, 20. Corey Jensen, 21. Gideon Gela-Mosby
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Papi Smurf
Roar Rookie
No mate, the Eels are on a 33 year drought already so you only have to wait another 17 years! So hang in there champ. ;-) Anyway, next week your boys take on mine in a battle of the NRL escapologists! :-)
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
LOL… ya got me. How’d you pick that? To this Friday let those repair That are either true or fair; For these dead dragons sigh a prayer.. The plays and poems of William Shakespeare I know a little of the old bard as well ????
Big Daddy
Guest
Sharks for me only because of home ground advantage. Have to query Morris s non selection of Flanagan as he is probably their best goalkicker which has resulted in Roosters gobbling him up . Me thinks dad might have influenced slightly.
Joe
Roar Rookie
Both teams desperate for the W after losses last week and Cronulla on a losing streak. I think this is going to be a smashing game with both teams throwing everything at each other.
Zlatan
Roar Rookie
The sharkies have been struggling to get through sets of late (not to mention the problems kicking for goal) & i think we are going to get smashed.
Papi Smurf
Roar Rookie
Is that you, Greg Bird? LOL Are you referring to "The glass of fashion and the mould of form" - Hamlet, Act 3, scene 1 As the Dragons are not in form and are currently out of fashion the old bard must have been tipping the Bunnies this week. ;-)
Farkurnell
Guest
I was gunna use that line CPB ,you beat me to it. Lucky it’s only fake blood for these keyboard warriors
Chris.P.Bacon
Guest
hahaha....'et tu DPS'?
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
Geez Papi, that was stylish.. You're really making it hard to glass you after the game Friday....
Farkurnell
Guest
Gee Papi that makes me feel so much better.I’ll probably be pushing up daisies if the other club breaks our record .I’ll definitely be long gone if we have to wait another 49 years
Papi Smurf
Roar Rookie
In all fairness Shakespeare deserves some of the credit in all honesty. It is a direct quote from Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar" Act 4, scene 3, 218–224, parodied and adapted for relevance with just a hint of humour thrown in for good measure. Well, I laughed, that's the main thing. ;-)
Chris.P.Bacon
Guest
"...all the voyage of their season is bound in shallows and in miseries and waiting for next year’s pre-season. Carpe diem, boys!" Wow....I'm not a person to express their feelings openly but damn it PS that just left a lump in my throat and a tear in my eye.
Chris.P.Bacon
Guest
hehehehehe.....
Papi Smurf
Roar Rookie
"Sharks are good at setting losing records we’ve had decades of it" Don't worry mate, just like the Dragons 11 straight premiership titles run the Sharks 49 year premiership title drought will stand the test of time and still be celebrated by remote posterity. ;-) Admittedly the Rabbitohs have an honourable mention with 43 years between titles but, like with the wooden spoon, there are no prizes for second. The Eels though look set to give the Sharks a run for their money with 33 years and counting between trophies. If there is no change in the status quo before 2036 then the albatross will finally be removed from the shire's collective necks and all the little hobbits can celebrate together. Bahahahahahahaha You can take solice though in the fact that with only 4 premiership titles and 14 wooden spoons (a ratio of nearly 4-1) the Eels hold a record that will never be beaten! ;-)
Papi Smurf
Roar Rookie
It's time once again to dust off that old popular cliché... It's now or never for the Sharks and the Cowboys. Ditto for the Tigers, Broncos and Warriors. There is a tide in the affairs of NRL clubs, Which taken at the flood, leads to the finals and premiership glory. Omitted, all the voyage of their season is bound in shallows and in miseries and waiting for next year's pre-season. Carpe diem, boys!
14-12
Guest
Sharks will lose 22-20 Sharks will score 5 tries and convert none of them, and the Cowboys will kick 11 penalty goals.
BA Sports
Roar Guru
I reckon Kurt Capewell owes Josh Dugan about 25% of his earnings. Part of the reason he probably gets a spot in that Sharks team is because he can cover when Dugan goes down and they have to reshuffle the backline.
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
Ooooo burn..
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
Absolutely :), a couple will drop off the pace..
AJ Mithen
Expert
I see what you did there BA, and I like it