Match Centre

FULLTIME and Cronulla go into the finals with a solid victory, Canterbury with some concerns headed into a qualifying final against Melbourne.

Bulldogs winger Marceo Montoya is taken off injured. Ankle injury according to the broadcaster.

Horrible end to the set after the drop-out with Crichton kicking straight to Katoa. Sharks off the hook and you can bank the two points for them now.

Burton grubbers through the line and the crowd rises with the chase coming through... but Kennedy comes across and defuses it. Drop-outs.

Canterbury penalty with a 11 to go, inside Cronulla's 20m. They need a try here to have any hope of a miracle comeback.

Cronulla lose the challenge with Iro having tackled Tuala off the ball. Challenge unsuccessful, Bulldogs penalty stands.

Cronulla captains challenging after Klein gives Canterbury a penalty for a tackle without the ball...

Canterbury get the ball from a turnover but cough it up 2 plays later and now Cronulla have a full set in attack again. This is turning into a really poor showing for the home side.

Cronulla win a captains challenge after Klein ruled Rudolf had knocked it on, but it was Kikau who had touched it first. Big attacking chance for the Sharks...

CROWD: 30,368. It means the Dogs finish with over 31,000 per game as their season average, and it takes the 2025 season past the 4 million aggregate mark as well. Huge season!

A bit of a lull in the contest, you get the feeling the Bulldogs need a try in the next few minutes to ensure this remains a contest in the final 20 minutes.

Penalty Cronulla now with Curran hitting a player high. Both teams giving each other easy passage out of trouble in this half.

Talakai has hit Burton high as the Dogs five-eighth was slipping. Dogs penalty for that.

Cronulla get a penalty coming out of their own end - Dogs fans filthy as two players prior they'd had a player taken out of a kick contest.

Canterbury penalty gives them the footy starting around halfway.

Teams back out onto the pitch for the second stanza. Kikau has passed his HIA so the Bulldogs' enforcer is ready and returns to the lineup. Can the Doggies come back into the contest? Lets go!

The Sharks' last set headed into halftime sees them make plenty of metres but Hynes' fifth tackle option is a sideline kick which trickles across as the siren sounds. HALFTIME.

Canterbury escape with possession after several players miss collecting a loose ball down the left edge inside the Dogs' 20m. The hosts need to turn things around if they're to be a feature in this game.

Canterbury back rower Viliame Kikau is off for a HIA, a few plays after he appeared to have been doonked in the head as Cronulla neared the tryline.

Canterbury keep defending but some lucky bounces see Cronulla get it back via a scrum for accidental offside. Huge glut of possession for the visitors here.

Connor Tracey makes an error fielding the Sharks' last tackle grubber against his old team – it'll give the Sharks a scrum on the Doggies 10m. Huge chance.

Sharks with some attacking footy for the first time in a while. Neither side troubling the scoreboard just yet, but you sense that's about to change...

Up and back, up and back. After both sides pressured each others' line for repeat sets in the first 10-12 minutes, it's largely been end-to-end since.

The Bulldogs steam into the corner through Montoya, but Kennedy and Hynes have come across to stop him... successfully... but Hynes has hit him high! Penalty Bulldogs.

Canterbury to feed a scrum on Cronulla's 30m line. Their first attacking opportunity of the night coming up...

Canterbury pick up a penalty after the Sharks turn the ball over, with the Cronulla cover defence too over-zelaous trying to force Curran into touch.

An errant Sharks pass nearly lets Canterbury off the hook but Crichton picking it up makes an error. More ball for the visitors in front of Canterbury's line.

A huge moment early. Bronson Xerri is off, Cat 1 HIA after a tackle on Sione Katoa. He'll not be back and can't play v Storm next week. Mahoney comes on with a reshuffle of the Dogs spine to follow.

Cronulla with the first penalty of the contest, taking them into Bulldogs' territory.

KICKOFF. Cronulla first use.

Wolfmother blast their tunes across Accor Stadium as Canterbury enter the playing surface. Big crowd at Accor. Finals-like atmosphere.