Cronulla and the Wests Tigers both came into Saturday's game on 18 competition points and needed to win to keep their slim finals hopes alive. The Sharks turned up - and the Tigers turned in yet another loss - 50-20 in Rockhampton's inaugural NRL fixture - when they needed a win.
It was the Tigers who opened the scoring in the fourth minute when they produced a left side movement where Moses Mbye linked with Michael Chee Kam who straightened his run and barged over to score a strong try. Adam Doueihi failed to convert.
The Sharks got on the board in the 12th minute when Braydon Trindall fired a long cut-out ball to the unmarked Sione Katoa who scored in the corner. Trindall added the extras from out wide.
15 minutes later the Sharks ran their previous point scoring play, but on the other side, where Luke Metcalf sent a cut-out pass to Ronaldo Mulitalo and the winger scored comfortably. Trindall failed to convert from out wide.
The Sharks added more points just before the break with some rather average passing to the left where Will Kennedy dummied and then sent a good ball out to Mulitalo who bagged his second try. Trindall converted from touch. Sharks went into the sheds leading 16-4.
The Sharks scoring spree continued after halftime, when Mulitalo busted through the Tigers middle defence, dummied to beat Moses Mbye before selflessly passing to Metcalf who scored his first NRL try under the posts. Trindall converted.
In the 55th minute Katoa busted through the middle and linked with Kennedy who raced away to score under the posts. Trindall again converted.
2 minutes later the Tigers hit back when Michael Chee Kam made a good ruck run before getting an offload away to Ken Maumalo who scored. Adam Doueihi converted.
Almost immediately after the Sharks hit back when they put up a bomb which was dropped by the Tigers. Teig Wilton was right there to clean up and dive over the line to score under the sticks. Trindall added another conversion.
The Tigers responded 3 minutes later when they spread the ball right to Tommy Talau who spun in the tackle and rolled over the line to score. Mulitalo copped an accidental stray boot to his face which forced him off the field with a suspected broken jaw. Doueihi converted the try.
The Tigers took just 2 minutes to add another try when Kelma Tuilagi taking a crash ball, burrowed over to score a powerful try, but injured his arm in the process. Doueihi failed to convert. Sharks at this stage lead 34-20 with the game seemingly in the balance with 12 minutes remaining.
Then the Tigers fell apart completely.
In the 70th minute, Matt Moylan made a break and passed to Metcalf who scored under the posts. Trindall converted.
In the 74th minute, trindall drifted right, showed the ball and then passed to kennedy who ran a strong line back in towards the posts, brushed off a poor tackle and raced away to score a good try. Trindall converted.
In the 77th minute, Sharks sent the ball through the hands to Katoa who scored another try to bring up 50 points for the Sharks. Trindall failed to convert from touch.
Tigers season ended in typical miserable fashion, yet again, while the Sharks big win saw them jump up into the top 8.