Cronulla are within striking distance of a top-two finish after a 36-12 mauling of the Wests Tigers on Saturday night but coach Craig Fitzgibbon doesn’t want his team worrying about their final playoff ranking.
“We’ve started to talk about the opportunity that presents itself and what is just in front of us. Obviously, it’s hard to ignore … but we can’t control the other fixtures as well, we just have to control our own.”
The Sharks have put the rest of the top eight on notice with their recent form and continued that trend with a 24-point triumph over the lowly Tigers.
In front of a sold-out crowd at Scully Park in Tamworth, the Sharks’ six tries to two win sees them jump up to equal second on the NRL ladder and perfectly commemorate the 150th NRL game for Cameron McInnes.
They have a great run to the finals, with their next three matches against bottom eight teams. The second-placed North Queensland Cowboys lost to the Sydney Roosters in the earlier game and are set to face Penrith Panthers in the last round.
It was an outstanding first-half effort from the Sharks, who were exciting in attack and solid in defence. They were able to make easy meters and constantly kept applying pressure to their opposition.
Nicho Hynes continues to shine as halfback, guiding his team around the park beautifully and making the most metres out of either side with 203. He has also improved immensely in the goal-kicking department, converting 6 of 7.
The win was however soured after Toby Rudolf left the field late in the game was a suspected MCL injury that could see him sidelined for 4-6 weeks.
The Tigers who are desperate to avoid the wooden spoon, were a far cry from the side that upset the Broncos two weeks ago. They showed some spark throughout the 80 minutes but not enough to catch fire. Fullback Daine Laurie was one of the best from the losing side, safe under the high ball and always full of effort.
Cronulla opened the scoring in just the fifth minute, after receiving a set restart on top of the Tigers try line. A lovely little grubber off the boot of Hynes was picked up by Lachlan Miller for his second try in the NRL.
A mirror image of the first try came only minutes later on the opposite side, when Shark’s centre Matt Ikuvalu scored from a Braydon Trindall kick into the in goal. Hynes added the extras for a 12-0 lead.
Jesse Ramien of the Sharks is tackled. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
Celebrations were short-lived when on the back of a Cronulla error, Fa’amanu Brown barged over the try line from dummy half to get the Tigers on the board.
It didn’t take long for the tide to turn back, when Royce Hunt celebrated his birthday in style by storming over for his side’s third try in the 19th minute.
The next set, the Shire boys were in again when a break up the right-hand side saw winger Miller put a kick back in field for fullback Kade Dykes to cross for his first NRL try in only his second game.
A penalty goal not long before the halftime break gave the Sharks a 26-6 lead heading into the sheds.
The second half started off slow, with the Sharks seemingly taking their foot off the pedal. They were eventually the first on the board when Braden Hamlin-Uele barged over for a four-pointer in the 52nd minute. Tigers returned serve when Luke Garner made a bust from the 20m line and scored in the corner.
But it wasn’t long until Cronulla were back on the attack and a Jesse Ramien try saw the Sharks leap out to a 36-12 lead.
When Teig Wilton was sent to the sin bin with eleven minutes on the clock, Brent Naden thought he had capitalised on the one-man advantage and broke straight through the Sharks defence to score. But the bunker had other ideas and ruled a ‘no-try’ due to obstruction.
Cronulla were able to keep the Tigers at bay while down to 12 men to take out the 24-point win.
JennyFromPenny
Guest
Padding out the 8 for much of that time. How's that porch light going ? It got turned off in 2016, but is it still off ? Or is it back on again ?
Renegade
Roar Guru
I’ll spell out for old Jenny from Penny. Finals appearances since 2012 season… Storm - 10 from 10 Roosters - 9 from 10 Sharks - 8 from 10 Rabbits - 8 from 10 Couldn’t care less about the rest..
JennyFromPenny
Guest
Last decade ,Storm (25) finals appearances, Roosters (21), Souths (21), Panthers (15), Cowboys (15) Sharks (13). Only the Storm and Roosters have had more appearances than the Sharks ? Turn the gaslight on yourself.
JVGO
Guest
They have players coming through at Newtown who are leading the NSW Cup and Flegg where this lot all came from. Tons of money off the books this year with Fifita and Wade who are both on $850k. Dykes will likely be better than Kennedy and Moylan. Talakai is really a backrower and is fools gold in the centres. They have resigned their young forward leaders Rudolph and Nikora. Wilton is still 22 and an ex Australian Junior captain. I'm pretty confident about their future. The fact that they're over achieving this year has everyone wanting to talk them down? It should really mean everyone talking them up. Just crazy. Next year the ground and Leagues Club will be open properly and the money flowing after three years of disruption. Yeah things are looking bleak.
Renegade
Roar Guru
Ahhh no… maybe you should read the comment again. ‘More’ means greater than… not equal to.
JennyFromPenny
Guest
Admit when it suits. Deny when it doesn't.
Renegade
Roar Guru
No I didn’t and no I wasn’t
JennyFromPenny
Guest
You forgot Souths. Else if are talking about actual number of finals games in the last 10 years, Panthers and Cowboys both have more than the Sharks.
Renegade
Roar Guru
No one’s really a contender then if you measure it that way… except Parra for being the only team to have beaten a full strength Penrith.
Renegade
Roar Guru
Exactly! Yeah “never buy anyone”… cool story guys :thumbup:
souvalis
Roar Rookie
How about Pangai, on the eve of last years semis, to the annoyance of most ? Now Ivan’s picking at the bones of the Tiger carcass,Garner and Madden.
Dumbo
Roar Rookie
JVGO “They will definitely be contenders over the next 3 or 4 years.” This year or next or it will be some years off. They have most of the backline coming off contract at the end of 2023, and I can’t see them being able to keep more than a couple of them.
JVGO
Guest
It would make a good article "The unlikeliest premiers".
Renegade
Roar Guru
Really? Kikau, Korisau, Sorensen, Capewell, Eisenhuth, O Sullivan, Salmon… almost half the team that played for Penrith on Friday. There’s a bucket load of sharks juniors across the league too… again what’s the point? Every club buys what they need… anyone who thinks their club doesn’t in this day and age is lying.
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
I have replied to this but it must have contained some b*d words. Stay tuned.
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
1. Wests have a history of being shafted by the NSWRL. I am going to write some history articles and there are quite a few examples of Wests receiving the raw prawn. The residential rules worked against them when Canterbury joined the competition. They lost some very good players to Canterbury who won a premiership with them in 1938. 2. Playing in mud is a great leveler. In 1963 it poured for days before the grand final. Wests had beaten Saints three times that year but the grand final was a mud bath. Wests were unlucky. 3. Wests got plenty of wooden spoons because they were given the sparsely populated area of Sydney in 1908. This was unfair in a competition that had the residential rule that you had to play for your local district.
Rob
Guest
Api? His influence on that side has been very underrated.
Chris
Guest
Cronulla are getting more money. With that are becoming a lot like the Roosters. Even with the coach from there. :laughing:
Westie
Guest
As a St.George supporter, you really shouldn’t mention any GF’s from that long ago , where refereeing may have made a difference. As we all know , referee Darcey Lawler bet on St.George to Win in a GF between St.George & West’s. He refereed that game & unsurprisingly St.George won that GF.
Panthers
Guest
Exactly what players have Penrith bought to be better? They have players bought away from them in loads. I don’t know one truly notable player that they’ve bought in years. So you’re obviously exaggerating.