2021 NRL Round Four Preview, Sharks Vs Cowboys

Chris Rooney previews the Sharks vs Cowboys match to be played at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium. This is what we have to look forward to.

TEAM NEWS

Venue: Netstrata Jubilee Stadium, Sydney, Date: Saturday, April 3, Time: 5:15pm

Referee: Chris Sutton

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Sharks

Cronulla-Sutherland will be praying that they have at least one player on the interchange bench this week considering all the injuries faced last week. Last Saturday night was absolute carnage: they lost Wade Graham, William Kennedy, and Briton Nikora all to HIA’s and they did not return. Sione Katoa also went down with a suspected MCL injury and will be out for at least six weeks. It was a tough old night for the Sharks, but they still deserve a lot of credit for their performance last week regardless, even with three late tries against them. Cronulla return to their temporary home at Kogarah this week (after the game was shifted from the Sunshine Coast due to COVID-19) and will be ready for this match-up against a very poor Cowboys team.

Cowboys

Oh boy, it’s going to be a long year for the Cowboys! They’ve dropped Jake Clifford and Esan Marsters for this match, which won’t make any difference. Surely there needed to be more players dropped for this week considering how poor they’ve been? Ben Hampton has been named at halfback which makes no sense as he is not a natural halfback, and for whatever reason they continue to persist with Valentine Holmes at fullback, who provides no creative plays from the back or shows up defensively. They will need to find a new gear in attack to be able to compete against the Sharks this Saturday.

PREVIEW

Cronulla are a team with a lot of upside compared to North Queensland. Many (including myself) don’t see the Sharks as a genuine finals team this year who can compete for the title and make any noise. Having said that, they have enough talent offensively to finish either seventh or eighth this year, while the Cowboys have no chance. The Sharks will be up for this match as they are at home and have the ability to beat teams under them on the ladder. I’m looking forward to the battle in the middle, specifically Toby Rudolf vs Josh McGuire: two players who are not afraid in running in and running their mouths on the field. Rudolf has been terrific for the Sharks since debuting last season and will be part of Cronulla’s long-term plans going forward.

KEY STAT

They’ve played 46 times in the past, with Cronulla winning 29 matches. The previous two meetings has seen Cronulla winning both matches and they have a very comfortable winning streak against North Queensland in recent memory.

PREDICTION

The Cowboys are still unstable in their spine and have a forward pack that is so underwhelming that it makes it very difficult to watch. They still – for some reason – have such a slow attack which is extremely predictable for oppositions and have poise in defence. The Sharks may have lost their grit-and-grind mentality they once proudly boasted, but can – and will – outscore the Cowboys by a large margin this Saturday.

Sharks by 13+.

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