The last effort is a Norman crossfield kick and Saab NEARLY gets there, but he can't ground it in time! So close! Bunker confirms it's not a try and Cronulla hold on to win. FULLTIME.
30 seconds left, two plays left. Saints 20m out...
Two tackles in and the Saints are already well into Sharks territory!
90 seconds left, the Dragons have a scrum 15m from their own line after Johnson puts it into touch.
Time off with Sione Katoa down after what seems to have been head contact.
NO TRY! Grounding is a mess. Sharks 20m restart.
BUNKER! Hunt kicks through, Dufty chases through... has he grounded it?
SHARKS ERROR! First play... Saints have it 10m out now!
Saints rolllllling up the park here. Sharks' defence is tiring but the last tackle kick from Hunt is clearly and cleanly taken by Kennedy.
Strap yourselves in - a big finish coming up here! Dragons have it deep in their own half with Ravalawa tackled.
Time off as Townsend comes off with a leg concern. Sharks holding on.
Good fortune for the Dragons there as they force Cronulla into offload after offload and eventually Kennedy is bundled into touch.
Fuimaono looks too far ahead and that's an error. Sharks off the hook.
Cronulla cough it up on their own 10m! Dragons with all the luck there!
BHU fluffs his lines playing the ball and the Dragons will feed a scrum 10m short of halfway.
Another downfield kick - this one mid-field, let to bounce by Cronulla - Kennedy takes it but it's another penalty for the hosts with the Dragons chasers again in front of the kicker.
Dragons with an enterprising little move after the Sharks let a bomb bounce, flicking a touch-bound ball back in... but ultimately it's a Sharks penalty as the chasing player was offside.
That pendulum of momentum has well and truly swung back in the favour of the Red V. Four points the difference headed into the final quarter.
Lomax nails it from a similar position to the one he missed last time.
Mikaele Ravalawa with some wonderful hands and then powers over! GAME ON.
BUNKER! Dragons claim another try, this time through Ravalawa. Checking onside and grounding.
Lomax pushes it right. First miss of the day.
Where did that come from? Lomax scythes down the right touchline after the Dragons used their numbers down that edge! Try in the corner!
Cronulla are just rolling up the park while the Dragons seem to have to toil to make any metres. It's tough going out there for the away side.
Saints have it near their own line and the Sharks' defence is brutal. They're struggling to make metres on any play.
Cronulla with another successful captains challenge. They pick up a penalty from it and start a new set on halfway.
Time off with Mikaele Ravalawa down hurt.
Johnson with two more and the Sharks are now double the Dragons' score.
Woods steams over for the home side and the lead is suddenly a big one...
Challenge successful. Sharks with a huge chance here, full set from 10m out.
Dragons get a handover after a last tackle play - Cronulla are challenging whether the Dragons touched it which would constitute a set restart.
Adam Clune AND Trent Merrin ruled out for the remainder of the contest. Big challenge for the Red V...
Game on for the second half. Cronulla have first use of the ball through Toby Rudolf.
The Sharks force another drop-out with Saab taking it dead. About 30 seconds for the home team to extend their lead.
It's kicking off a bit in the corner after Dufty is forced to take it dead - some push and shove but nothing much more. Drop-out Dragons.
Three minutes til the break. Cronulla have it off a scrum on their own 30m.
SJ's thrown another over the sticks and it's now an eight-point lead.
Three tries in ten minutes and the black, white and blue boys are having a field day! Kennedy's try is awarded and the lead is now six.
BUNKER: Johnson puts one through for Kennedy and he looks to have won the race to the ball!
Cronulla now force a drop-out and well and truly have the momentum in this contest.
As the rain comes down, Fox League confirms Jesse Ramien won't return tonight.
Converts his own four-pointer and it's now Sharks by 2.
Well then! Johnson steps back inside and the Dragons defenders can't stop despite plenty of them being there. Scores now level - about to be a Cronulla lead.
The momentum has ebbed and flowed so far in this contest - at the moment the Sharks seem to have the upper hand, but the Dragons lead on the scoreboard.
Shaun Johnson from out wide... pushes it out to the right.
The NRL's top tryscorer adds to his tally as the Sharks score out wide!
Back-to-back set restarts for Cronulla and the Dragons suddenly look shaky...
Lomax goes 3/3 converting his own try from the sideline.
WOWEE. On the next play, they throw it around a bit then spread it to the right, a kick ahead from Lomax and he races to his own ball, beating Townsend to it and getting a four-pointer of his own!
Dufty bursts through the middle but he's dragged down on the fourth.
Sharks concede a penalty and Lomax takes the easy two to put the Saints back in front.
NO TRY. Blayke Brailey was in the defensive line and he's created an obstruction. Dragons penalty.
BUNKER! Sharks score through Ramien... but we're looking at obstruction.
Big metres that set from the Red V, the final play is a Clune cross-field kick which Lomax gets fingertips to, but knocks on. Sharks handover.
Penalty Dragons, Mulitalo takes a player off the ball around an aerial contest near the Saints' 10m.
Replays suggesting that actually wasn't a try - the Bunker incorrectly awarding Williams the try. Dufty certainly looked to have grounded it first.
SJ adds the extras and the scores are level.
Jack Williams gets the four-pointer, getting to the ball before Dufty! Sharks strike back!
BUNKER! A cruel bounce misfoots Matthew Dufty, Jack Williams chasing through... pounces! Looks good...
Penalty for Cronulla, just the second of the game as we head toward the tenth minute. They edge inside the Dragons' half.
Lomax adds to his impressive season points tally.
GREEN LIGHTS! He's had it stripped (which can be done in the act of scoring), but then reaches out and plants it anyway! Fuimaono gets the Saints on the board first.
BUNKER: Tyrell Fuimaono claiming a try. He burrows over - but has he got it down?
A bit of a problem for Matt Dufty with what looked like a dislocated finger but it's re-set and he's back into the line.
The Dragons survive the Sharks' opening salvo and as they work it out, they pick up a penalty which puts them onto the attack.
Not an ideal start for the Saints, on the last, Norman spills it at first receiver on his own 40m. Sharks scrum!
Game on. St George Illawarra have the ball first through prop Paul Vaughan.
A bit of background on head to head between these teams, thanks to our exclusive match program The Front Row. They've met 45 times since the Dragons' joint venture began in 1999 and the Red V does hold a slender advantage with 23 wins to 21. At Kogarah, the scales tip heavily in their favour with 7 wins to 3. The last ten matches are split evenly with five wins each.
In team news, Josh Dugan is out and won't face his former club - he hasn't overcome the hamstring concern that's been dogging him. Bryson Goodwin comes in at centre, while there's a bench-lock switch which sees Jack Williams start and Toby Rudolf drop to the interchange. The 'away' side in the Dragons (yes, away at Kogarah) are 1-17 as named.
The second of the local derbies for the year coming up! Welcome to LeagueUnlimited.com's coverage of the Sharks v Dragons contest from Kogarah.
Referees & scorers:
Referee: Grant Atkins
Touch Judges: Tim Alouani-Roby, Liam Kennedy
Video Referee: Steve Clark, Ben Galea
CRONULLA-SUTHERLAND SHARKS (28)
Tries: Jack Williams, Shaun Johnson, Sione Katoa, Will Kennedy, Aaron Woods
Field Goals:
Conversions: Shaun Johnson (4/5)
Penalty Goals:
ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA DRAGONS (24)
Tries: Tyrell Fuimaono, Zac Lomax (2), Mikaele Ravalawa
Field Goals:
Conversions: Zac Lomax (3/4)
Penalty Goals: Zac Lomax (1/1)