Cronulla’s second half performance allows them to run away with the win, despite a close first half against the Gold Coast Titans.
Result
Cronulla Sharks 36
Tries: Ronaldo Mulitalo 4th, 30th; Connor Tracey 17th; Cameron McInnes 36th; Wade Graham 45th; Toby Rudolf 63rd; Jesse Ramien 75th
Goals: Nicho Hynes 19th, 37th, 46th, 65th
Gold Coast Titans 6
Tries: Tino Fa’asuamaleaui 21st
Goals: Tanah Boyd 23rd
Report
The Sharks hosted the Titans at a packed out PointsBet Stadium in Cronulla on Friday night.
In front of their home crowd, the Sharks got off to a roaring start. Ronaldo Mulitalo scored their first points of the game after four minutes of play, and they were looking in control.
The Titans were a bit late off the mark, but that didn’t stop them from throwing themselves into the contest against Cronulla. After the first try to Mulitalo, the Gold Coast tightened up their defence.
Connor Tracey scored more points for Cronulla at the twenty-minute mark, putting them in the lead by 10 points.
The Gold Coast Titans were ready and waiting for their first points. Tino Fa’asuamaleaui was the one to finally score the Titans’ opening points, only a couple of minutes after Cronulla scored.
By this time, both the Sharks and the Titans were showing their strengths, particularly in defence, particularly on their line. The remainder of the first half looked promising, and that it could go either way.
In the final ten minutes of the first half, the Sharks scored a couple more tries, extending their lead by 14 points at the break. Despite only scoring the one try, the Titans were still in the contest, and could muster a comeback in the second half.
The Sharks came back into the second half guns blazing, when Wade Graham, who has just recently announced his NRL retirement, scored his first try of the season.
The Titans slowly lost confidence and urgency in their defence, allowing plenty more points to come from the Sharks in front of their fans at home.
The Sharks were able to run away with the win in the end, despite a promising looking first half from the Titans, who fell short when they didn’t carry the same energy from the first half and into the second.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR POINTS
3 – Jesse Ramien (Sharks)
2 – Nicho Hynes (Sharks)
1 – Siosifa Talakai (Sharks)
