Wade Graham is tackled and this match comes to a merciful end.
Aitken loses the ball and the Sharks will get out of jail.
Johnson goes long and forced Lomax to start a set on his own goal line.
Johnson puts the Sharks up by six.
Wade Graham is deemed not to have come into contact with Johnson's bomb (meaning Xerri will bring this match to a merciful end!)
The Sharks will win!
Xerri is calming a try.
The Sharks are 40 metres out - Johnson opts to bomb.
Luciano Leilua with some great offloading during that passage.
Widdop kicks, but the ball rolls dead.
If the Sharks don't improve from this performance it won't matter if they make the finals, they are absolutely no chance against the better teams.
Johnson loses possession.
Corey Norman is tackled in goal - play to resume with a line drop out.
McInnes pops an offload to Sims, who can't hold onto the ball.
Townsend misses with the first attempt of the afternoon.
No Try - Cameron McInnes has produced a sensation try-saver.
Bronson Xerri has been held up by Cameron McInnes, but the referee will check it with the bunker.
Both teams have been terrible today.
Tim Lafai comes up with an error inside his own half.
The Sharks get a penalty and will start a set 30 metres out from their own line.
The Dragons have used all their interchanges with 12 minutes remaining.
Gareth Widdop comes up wth an error.
For a team with so much to play for, this is one of the worst performances for a team vying for a place in the top eight.
Kurt Capewell has lost the ball 10 metres out from his own line.
Josh Dugan loses the ball backwards.
Tyson Frizell has failed his HIA.
Scores are tied at 12-all.
A powerhouse effort from Leilua sees the Dragons with a kick to level the scores at 12-all.
Leilua slams the ball down and the Dragons are in this match!
Leilua is claiming a try, but the referee will determine whether he has bounced the ball.
Frizell is coming off with a HIA.
The Dragons get a penalty in front of the posts.
Jack Williams loses possession inside his own half.
Widdop goes high, but Dugan does superbly to come up with possession.
Johnson kicks long as Lomax is collected 20 metres out from his line.
Widdop fires a forward pass to Ravalawa.
Aitken manages to stay in field despite good defence from the Sharks.
Jack Williams comes up with an error on his own goal line.
Ravalawa pulls Dugan back into the in-goal.
Josh Morris almost scored a try, but wasn't able to ground the ball.
The Sharks find touch inside the Dragons' half following a penalty.
Ben Hunt and Patrick Kaufusi have both failed their HIA tests - big test for the Dragons to get out of this one with 15 men.
The Sharks get a relieving penalty.
Luciano Leilua has a rush of blood to the head and puts in a kick.
The Sharks have come up with another error on their own line.
Hamlin-Uele comes up with a strip, only for Blake Laurie to do likewise a second later.
Wade Graham has come up with an error inside his own half.
Matt Moylan has come off with Kurt Capewell coming onto the field.
Jayden Brailey comes up with an important catch on his own goal line.
Luciano Leilua gets a penalty close to the line.
The Sharks can enter the top eight with a win today - there should be no shortage of incentive for the home side.
The Dragons are going to be on the attack.
Billy Magoulias has lost the ball inside his own half.
Widdop puts a high ball up and gets a bounce, but Euan Aitken can't get the ball down.
Graham is remaining on the field.
Wade Graham is in distress after copping contact from Korbin Sims.
Johnson goes high but Lomax does phenomenally to give the visitors a seven tackle set.
Braden Hamlin-Uele is collected just short of the try line.
Ben Hunt is coming off with a HIA after copping an accidental stray boot from Jackson Ford.
Matt Moylan is held up over the line.
The Sharks will pack a scrum 10 metres out from the Dragons line.
Braden Hamlin-Uele almost gets through the Dragons defence.
At the risk of sounding hyperbolic, Mikaele Ravalawa is having a game akin to Manu Vatuvei against Parramatta in 2007.
Corey Norman is collected in-goal after fielding a Townsend grubber.
Norman passes for Ravalawa who loses the ball on his own 30 metre line.
Braden Hamlin-Uele takes the first carry of the second half.
Josh Dugan is collected as the halftime siren sounds.
The Sharks have had the better of the first half, but at 12-6 the Dragons are right in this contest.
Johnson is tackled on the last tackle.
Korbin Sims loses possession on halfway.
Widdop converts to get the Dragons back in the contest.
Great touch from Aitken to roll the ball in-goal in the lead up to the try.
In his second match, Ford gets his first try.
Jackson Ford is claiming a try after a horror bounce for Matt Moylan in the in-goal.
Wade Graham puts in an attacking kick, but the ball rolls dead. The Dragons will get a much-needed seven tackle set.
Lomax puts a kick in and almost gets a result, but the ball beats everyone over the dead ball line.
The Sharks are on top at the moment - at 12-0 the Dragons are still in this contest (just).
Corey Norman comes up with a try-saving tackle on Sosaia Feki.
Ben Hun kicks straight to Matt Moylan.
Ravalawa concedes a tackle inside the field of play.
Norman puts in an attacking kick that Johnson fields in-goal, resulting in a seven tackle set for the home side.
Bronson Xerri makes a sensational break to position Shaun Johnson underneath the posts, only for Johnson to drop the ball with the line open.
Luciano Leilua makes his way through the line, but can't find anyone in support.
Ravalawa loses possession only for Dugan to do likewise.
Matt Moylan loses possession inside the Dragons' half.
Matt Moylan is collected just over the 40 metre line.
Townsend kicks on halfway and forces Corey Norman to take a tackle close to his goal line.
From the right touchline, Johnson swings the kick back between the posts.
Feki scores his seventh of the season.
Moylan puts Feki over, but the referee wants to check the touchline.
Where was the support?! Graham had the Dragons shot.
Graham dummies and is through.
From in front of the posts, Johnson converts.
Woods scores his first try in a year to put the Sharks on the board.
Aaron Woods is claiming a try after Jayden Brailey rolled a kick into the in-goal.
Wade Graham is a metre out from the try line.
The Sharks get a repeat set after a try-saving knock on from Zac Lomax.
Bronson Xerri is held up just short of the try line.
Tyson Frizell collects Matt Moylan high - Moylan takes the quick tap to put the Sharks on the attack.
Widdop goes high but Josh Morris manages to come up with possession.
Gareth Widdop comes up with the ball and gets a penalty on the next play.
Wade Graham is tackled just short of the line.
Ravalawa tries to race down the touchline but ends up giving the Sharks back possession.
The Sharks comes up with possession - both sides are lacking composure during the opening stages.
Jayden Brailey is tackled an inch out from the try line.
Josh Morris gets a penalty after a try-saving tackle from Zac Lomax.
Sharks get a repeat set 10 metres out from the Dragons' line.
Cronulla get a penalty and find touch 20 metres out from the Dragons' line.
Patrick Kaufusi pops an offload to Josh Morris close to the try line.
Townsend goes high, but Lomax has no troubles collecting the ball in-goal.
Briton Nikora makes a good run over halfway.
Ben Hunt comes up with an error inside the Sharks' attacking zone.
The Dragons get a penalty inside the Sharks' half.
Bronson Xerri comes up with an error after good pressure from the Dragons' defence on halfway.
Josh Morris is collected just over his 20 metre line after fielding a Dragons ricochet.
Josh Morris drops the ball with the line open - massive chance blown for the home side.
The Sharks will feed a scrum 20 metres out from the Dragons line.
Shaun Johnson goes high and gets a result as Mikaele Ravalawa knocks on.
Corey Norman drives the ball downfield as Matt Moylan is collected 30 metres out from his own line.
Paul Vaughan takes the first carry of the afternoon.
Paul Gallen takes the Sharks out as captain for the 200th time.
Gareth Widdop leads the Dragons out onto the field.
Impressive youngster Zac Lomax comes onto the wing in place of Jacon Saab in the only change from the side named by coach Paul McGregor earlier in the week.
Fielding an unchanged squad from the team named by coach John Morris on Tuesday afternoon, the Sharks will take the field as per program.
Enjoying a competitive rivalry over the past half century, the Sharks will have no shortage of motivation this afternoon with a win moving them into top eight, while the Dragons will be hoping to record three consecutive wins at PointsBet Stadium for the first time.
Welcome to League Unlimited’s coverage of Round 22 Sunday Afternoon Football between the Cronulla Sharks and the St George Illawarra Dragons from PointsBet Stadium.
Referees & scorers:
Referee: Adam Gee, Jon Stone
Touch Judges: Chris Butler, Nick Morel
Video Referee: Jared Maxwell, Bryan Norrie
CRONULLA-SUTHERLAND SHARKS (18)
Tries: Aaron Woods, Sosaia Feki, Bronson Xerri
Field Goals: Chad Townsend (0/1)
Conversions: Shaun Johnson (3/3)
Penalty Goals:
ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA DRAGONS (12)
Tries: Jackson Ford, Luciano Leilua
Field Goals:
Conversions: Gareth Widdop (2/2)
Penalty Goals: