Sharks dominate listless Tigers

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Cronulla have extended the Wests Tigers' terrible run of form with a 30-6 win at Allianz Stadium on Friday night in front of 9,858 fans.

In a match that featured plenty of former teammates facing off against one-another, it was the last-placed Tigers who initiated proceedings with a try to veteran winger Matthew Utai. The 6-0 lead would be the last they'd see of the scoresheet, the Sharks equalising through an Andrew Fifita try after 26 minutes. Earlier, the visiting Cronulla side had lost winger Beau Ryan with a head cut.

Despite holding the Sharks to 6-all before the break, the Tigers dropped off the pace in the second half, with Cronulla taking an 18-6 early on through tries to halfback Jeff Robson and utility Jayson Bukuya. Sosaia Feki added his name to the scorers list to pushed the Sharks to 24-6 leaders and from that point the Tigers' heads dropped and errors littered much of their performance, despite the odd moment of hope.

Feki finished with a double late in the match to deliver the final score of 30-6, NSW hopeful fullback Michael Gordon maintaining a perfect 5/5 record in a match where the Sharks also celebrated the extension of Todd Carney's contract at the beleaguered club.

Next week Cronulla host Canberra at a sun-drenched Sharks Stadium on Sunday afternoon, while the injury-hit Tigers face another daunting task when they visit ANZ Stadium for a date with high-flyers the Rabbitohs.

Match Details
Wests Tigers 6 Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 30
Venue: Sydney Football Stadium
Crowd: 9858
Halftime Score: 6 all

LeagueUnlimited.com Players of the Match:
3 points - Luke Lewis
2 points - Andrew Fifita
1 point - Robbie Farah

WESTS TIGERS (6)
Tries: Matt Utai
Conversions: Curtis Sironen (1/1)

CRONULLA-SUTHERLAND SHARKS (30)
Tries: Andrew Fifita, Jeff Robson, Jayson Bukuya, Sosaia Feki (2)
Conversions: Michael Gordon (5/5)

LeagueUnlimited.com Live Commentary

Tigers: 1. James Tedesco 2. Marika Koroibete 3. Joel Reddy 4. Tim Simona 5. Matt Utai 6. Benji Marshall 7. Curtis Sironen 8. Aaron Woods 9. Robbie Farah 10. Sauaso Sue 11. Liam Fulton 12. Adam Blair 13. Eddy Pettyborne
Interchange: 14. Ben Murdoch-Masila 15. Jack Buchanan 16. Sean Spence 17. Bodene Thompson

Sharks: 1. Michael Gordon 2. Sosaia Feki 3. Ben Pomeroy 4. Jonathan Wright 5. Beau Ryan 6. Todd Carney 7. Jeff Robson 8. Andrew Fifita 9. John Morris 10. Ben Ross 11. Luke Lewis 12. Wade Graham 13. Chris Heighington
Interchange: 14. Isaac De Gois 15. Sam Tagatese 16. Jayson Bukuya 17. Anthony Tupou 18. Mark Taufua
Kick off in a few minutes here tonight. The Cronulla Sharks will be buoyed by their golden point win over the Knights last weekend, while the Tigers will be looking to not be embarrassed too badly, despite their massive injury toll.
1 min: Wests Tigers kick off, and the Sharks return the ball.
1 min: Wests Tigers kick off, and the Sharks return the ball.
2 min: Looked like a late tackle there, but the referees let it go. Wests Tigers with the ball, and a combination between Marshall and Farah sees a break made.
2 min: End of the set and the Farah dribbles the ball over the dead ball line.
4 min: Utai making some solid metres from dummy half so far.
4 min: Sironen kicks high looking for his chasers, and Reddy comes up with it, and then puts it on the toe, but the Tigers can't capitalize. Matt Utai did manage to trap the Tigers in goal though - line drop out.
6 min: A relieving penalty for the Sharks, with the Tigers having hands all over the play the ball. The Tigers are definitely looking the more impressive so far.
6 min: A nothing kick from the Sharks at the end of the set - with no chasers following through on Carney's kick.
6 min: Tedesco slips into a tackle on the greasy ground, and cops a high shot as he was falling into it.
Looked like a knock on from the Sharks there, but the refs don't see it. In the next tackle, and Pomeroy is smashed by Koroibete, driven back a long way.
9 min: Beau Ryan has an injury here, bleeding from a head wound after a head clash with Eddie Pettybourne.
9 min: Ryan leaves the field, although he's clearly unhappy about it.
10 min: TRY WESTS TIGERS
Scored by Matt Utai. Conversion attempt by Curtis Sironen successful.
Beautiful backline movement from the Tigers - Sironen holds the ball up nicely, and all the outside backs combine to put Matt Utai over in the corner. Sironen converts the try, after bouncing it off the upright.
Wests Tigers 6-0
12 min: Wests Tigers are looking good here so far - they look confident and enthusiastic - a far cry from the last few weeks.
14 min: Another penalty against the Tigers here, this time for lifting to a dangerous angle. Sharks tap, and they move into the Tigers end of the field.
14 min: The Sharks force a line dropout, and Marshall drop kicks it 60 metres on the fly.
16 min: And again the Sharks get a penalty - Morris takes the tap and gives it to Fifita.
16 min: And on tackle 2, Tupou knocks the ball on.
20 min: Injury update on Beau Ryan - he has a concussion and a split above his eye. We're unsure if he'll be back.
20 min: Spence down for the Tigers, looks like a head knock - he tried to get up but fell back down again.
20 min: Spence leaves the field with a cut on his head. He's looking out his earhole at the moment. Absolutely scrambled.
26 min: TRY CRONULLA-SUTHERLAND SHARKS
Scored by Andrew Fifita. Conversion attempt by Michael Gordon successful.
Fifita scores, and Gordon lines the kick up 15m from the sideline. He hits it sweetly, and it's over the black dot. The Sharks look to be warming into this game.
6 all
26 min: Video referee rules the Sharks to have not scored - ruling a knock on against the Sharks. Double knock on, but we are playing the first infringement, and it's a line dropout.
26 min: Tigers all ruled offside - the Sharks get a penalty only metres from the tryline.
29 min: And another penalty, interfering in the play the ball.
29 min: And the Sharks knock the ball on - the Tigers are off the hook.
35 min: Carney puts up another massive bomb, Koroibete jumps but comes down without the ball, and it heads dead.
37 min: A bit of luck for the Tigers - Carney kicks for Korobiete again, who misses it again, but the Tigers come up with the ball.
41 min: We're back underway in the second half here - and already we have a penalty against the Sharks for a strip in the tackle. First set of the second half and we're already getting whistles being blown.
41 min: Bit amateur here, Beau Ryan batting the kick for touch back infield, and the Tigers have the ball.
41 min: TRY CRONULLA-SUTHERLAND SHARKS
Scored by Jeff Robson. Conversion attempt by Michael Gordon successful.
Some beautiful play, looks like a set play with a lot of sets of hands on the ball. Robson scores the try and Gordon kicks the ball straight over the posts.
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 12-6
43 min: TRY CRONULLA-SUTHERLAND SHARKS
Scored by Jayson Bukuya. Conversion attempt by Michael Gordon successful.
Another try to the Sharks - yet another brilliant bomb, which the Tigers can't handle. Bukuya gets underneath it, picks up the loose ball and scores the try. Gordon adds the extras.
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 18-6
43 min: Video referee decision pending!
43 min: TRY CRONULLA-SUTHERLAND SHARKS
Scored by Sosaia Feki. Conversion attempt by Michael Gordon successful.
The referee has awarded a try, and there wasn't enough conclusive evidence to take it off him. Feki scores. Some of the more inexperienced Tigers' outside backs are really struggling with the condition. Gordon lines up from 2m in from the sideline, and puts it over the posts.
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 24-6
50 min: Korobiete catches his first kick of the game, and gets an enormous roar from the home crowd.
50 min: But later in the same set, the poor guy knocked the ball on.
56 min: An attempted 40/20 from the Tigers now, but it doesn't have the depth, and the Sharks recover the ball.
56 min: Penalty to the Tigers for hands in the play the ball just inside their own half.
59 min: Goal line drop out now. Matt Utai is now limping as well.
59 min: Ball has been lost by the Tigers, and is picked up by Wade Graham.
65 min: Farah is being forced to do a lot of playmaking here tonight, with Marshall not looking 100%. He forces a drop out for his team, and the Tigers have a repeat set.
65 min: And the Tigers are caught with the ball on the last tackle.
70 min: Another kick for touch that has not gone out - this time from the Sharks.
72 min: Time almost out for the Tigers.
72 min: TRY CRONULLA-SUTHERLAND SHARKS
Scored by Sosaia Feki. Conversion attempt by Michael Gordon successful.
And to add insult to injury, the Sharks score again, through Sosaia Feki - a bit of a dummy, and he finishes it nicely. Gordon lines up from the sideline to take the kick, and puts it between the uprights.
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 30-6
72 min: Full time. A great win for the Sharks - two celebrations in one week, firstly Carney resigning, and now a massive win.
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