FT: Sharks 30 d Dragons 18
Dragons looking for just some fun to finish the game.
Short 10 fails
Hynes converts
Katoa gets the game sealer! The Dragons tried a trick play at the end of the game with King-Togia chipping over the top, he tried to toe it forward but Katoa was on the spot to scoop it up. The visitors then over pursued the chase and the winger raced away for his second try.
Gutho is smashed!
Brailey goes to seal it but he plays the ball east-west.
Turns out he was in front of the kicker!
PENALTY SHARKS: Kick looked to break the plane but that looks pretty harsh live !
Gets it
Toby Couchman is in a bit of pain - looked to be an ankle sprain but the Sharks will go for goal and he is getting the assessment on his ankle
CHALLENGE DRAGONS AND UNSUCCESSFUL
PENALTY SHARKS: Tackle without ball
SIX AGAIN SHARKS: Inside 10m.
SIX MORE SHARKS: Inside 10m
Sharks getting the ball back I suspect - yes it it came off Sloan.
Great tackle from Nicholas Tsougranis on his debut
Then Flanagan burns it... rush of blood on the left side and is tackled!
Dragons looking to hit back!
Hynes' bat on goes forward as the bombing of Lawson continues.
Oregon Kaufusi ON for Addin Fonua-Blake.
Katoa goes for the corner but is crashed over the sideline!
That dropout goes dead
Nikora with the forced dropout - terrific work from the Sharks defence to keep Tyrell Sloan in the in-goal.
Brailey causing all sorts around the rucks!
Good take from Sloan under the high ball.
Dragons have successfully challenged - Sharks did knock on.
Lawson was ruled to have knocked on but the Dragons are going to challenge.
Sharks are downhill skiing right now.
No good
From the SCRUM!! They have got them shot to bits and Sione Katoa gets on the outside of Moses Suli and the Sharks have taken the lead!
Lawson spills it...
Hynes nails it
The Dragons hit the self-destruct the button as Trindall's bomb wasn't defused by Gutherson and Sloan. The race for the ball saw the five-eighth get their first to get a double.
Cronulla need to keep pushing forward here.
Oh no... Sione Katoa has his foot on the sideline from the drop-out!
Sharks complete their set after points - great set over 100 metres from the hosts!
Successful conversion.
Cronulla eventually cracked the Dragons line when they made the visitors pay for a high tackle penalty. Braydon Trindall went deep into the line to find Briton Nikora who crashes over several defenders to score for the hosts in his 150th game.
PENALTY SHARKS: High tackle.
Here is Toby Rudolf on the field !
NO TRY!
Nice shape down the right - Katoa is reaching out but will be going off to the Bunker!
Nikora goes though some space - Ramien threw a speculator and the Sharks wanted 6 more but do not get it!
Great shot Mulitalo on Toby Couchman.
Mulitalo loses it in the contest.
Cronulla with a nice roll on to start the half.
Hiroti has come off injured he won't return - Sharks will be 13 v 13 in a moment.
Back underway for the second half.
HT: Dragons 18 lead Sharks 6.
Braden Hamlin-Uele placed on report.
NO TRY
VIDEO REF: Wilton is claiming a try here but we have NO TRY
Big bomb from Trindall - no one wanted it - Sloan loses it and there's a chance for the Sharks on the stroke of half-time.
Some nice second phase play from the Dragons and Suli is taken just metres away from the line.
Trindall kicks inside the 40 and that is taken by Clinton Gutherson.
Good shot by Teig Wilton and Flanagan is tackled on the last.
Dragons complete their set after points.
Flanagan has nailed it.
St George immediately capitalised on the extra-man advantage and went down the right edge. It was some nice deception from Kyle Flanagan, which fooled the defence and Jack de Belin crashed across to make it 16-6.
Our great mate SuthoDan - "Peak Sharks footy"
Ramien has been given 10 minutes for a professional foul
PENALTY DRAGONS: Proffessional foul
Oh my goodness... Nicho handed it straight to the Dragons and they are on the counter attack!
PENALTY SHARKS: Escort on the kick chase.
Nice carry from Jesse Ramien coming out of his own end as Jacob Liddle coming onto the ground.
Great take from Sloan as he somehow avoids the sideline.
Braden Hamlin-Uele is on the park.
Dragons complete their set post points.
Flanagan converts.
After some inconsistency in the opposition 20. Young gun Lyhkan King-Togia took matters into his own hands with a great solo effort to give the visitors the lead.
PENALTY DRAGONS: Flop.
Sharks taken on the last for a handover.
Nice counter attacking footy from Brailey!
Lawson goes close to the line! Great shape from the Dragons out to the left hand side.
That contact on Trindall was penalised by the referees last week (Talagi when he was smashed by Luai).
Oh no... Kennedy puts it down.
Trindall is smashed as he kicked the ball and it'll be a handover.
Cronulla are just looking complacent...
Nice bust from Suli
Despite a crazy play with Trindall lobbing it off the boot - Nicholas Tsougranis picks it up!
Dragons complete their set after points.
Flanagan makes no mistake.
Five minutes later, some nice second phase play from Damien Cook saw Emre Guler attract several defenders. A late offload saw Cook into space and some nifty-stepping from the beach sprinter had way too much pace for the poor Sharks defence to get the visitors back on level terms.
PENALTY DRAGONS: Flop (second effort) - just lazy from Cameron McInnes.
Great kick return from Ronaldo Mulitalo gives the home side a needed boost up field.
Sharks complete their set post points.
Hynes converts as we see our Telstra man for the first time!
After being denied mere moments before, Blayke Brailey continued his strong start to the game when he schemed out of dummy half. The back-to-back Monty Porter Medallist burst through the markers before finding Braydon Trindall to score the first try of the contest.
SIX AGAIN SHARKS: Slow peel against Toby Couchman.
PENALTY SHARKS: Second effort against Luciano Leilua.
PENALTY DRAGONS: Obstruction.
It was a tense start to the derby until Nicho Hynes put boot to ball in a cross-field kick. As Ronaldo Mulitalo went to contest for the ball, he bumped into Kyle Flanagan AFL style before batting it onto Mawene Hiroti to claim the opening try of the contest. However, the Bunker very quickly found problem with Mulitalo's challenge and the try was revoked.
That just sums up the Dragons state of play in the halves... Luciano Leilua just kicked that ball further than most Dragons kicks this season...
Kick gets scooped up Kyle Flanagan - what an escape from the Red V. Cronulla trying to show their defensive muscle.
Nice intrusion out of dummy half by Blayke Brailey
PENALTY SHARKS: Slow peel against Toby Couchman.
First bomb from Hynes and it is well defused by Gutherson.
Both sides through their opening sets to start this game. Cronulla have to respond after last week you suspect.
Off and running from Shark Park - Dragons get first use of it running from right-to-left to open proceedings.
Grant Atkins is in charge on a milestone night, refereeing in his 300th NRL game. Atkins has come a long way since his NRL debut in 2011, having become one of our most consistent officials and has ranked in the top four officials most seasons since the return of the one referee system. Our touch judges are Belinda Sharpe and Drew Oultram. In the Bunker tonight is Origin II referee Ashley Klein.
Cronulla are 1-13 but have changes on the bench. The Daniel Atkinson experiment at 14 comes to an end, but it's Toby Rudolf who returns from injury. For the Dragons, Nicholas Tsougranis makes his NRL debut in place of Corey Allen, but have no further changes to their side tonight. AJ Lucantonio with you for this one on a cold Thursday night.
Welcome to Shark Park for the first clash of the abridged Round 15 of the NRL season. Tonight it's the local derby and Cronulla taking on St George Illawarra.
Referees & scorers:
Referee: Grant Atkins
Touch Judges: Belinda Sharpe, Drew Oultram
Video Referee: Ashley Klein
CRONULLA-SUTHERLAND SHARKS (30)
Tries: Braydon Trindall (2), Briton Nikora, Sione Katoa (2)
Conversions: Nicho Hynes (4/5)
Penalty Goals: Nicho Hynes (1/1)
ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA DRAGONS (18)
Tries: Damien Cook, Lyhkan King-Togia, Jack de Belin
Conversions: Kyle Flanagan (3/3)