The Cronulla Sharks hosted and lost to the Brisbane Broncos on Saturday night, going down 20 points to 16 at Southern Cross Group Stadium.
MATCH DETAILS
The Sharks were off to a poor start early with a kick from Chad Townsend that bounced in favour of the Broncos allowing them to score in the opening two minutes of the match. A try to Anthony Milford followed shortly after for the Broncos and they led twelve points to nil.
The Sharks got the scores level with 20 minutes to go, however some bad luck and a poor performance didn’t allow them to steal yet another victory.
FOUR POINTERS
Completion Rate Hurts Sharks
The Cronulla Sharks had a low completion rate of 69 per cent, making 12 errors throughout the match, while the Broncos made only seven. Making a large number of errors has proven costly for the Sharks in the past, and Saturday night was no exception.
The errors forced them to turn over possession to the Broncos very cheaply, with the visitors able to capitalise and dominate throughout the match.
Strong Effort by Broncos
The defensive effort by the Brisbane Broncos was strong during the match, which helped them get the win over their opposition in the Sharks. The side also showed plenty of strength in attack, allowing them to dominate the match. It was a good effort by the Brisbane Broncos and a much-needed win for them in their push for the finals.
Poor Performance Overall for the Hosts
While a few of Cronulla’s players had strong matches, it was an overall poor performance from the side, who made silly and costly errors that hurt them in the end when the game was down to the wire.
The Sharks had a few chances to score more points, however, didn’t take them. The side lacked spark in both attack and defence, despite managing to score points and become level with the Broncos late in the match.
Still Inside the Eight
Both the Sharks and the Broncos are on the same amount of competition points and round out the top eight. They are four points clear of the Raiders who are currently in ninth place and will be hoping to win their next few games to climb further up the ladder.
This was an important game for both sides, and the Broncos were the ones who came out on top, leaving the Sharks scratching their heads. At this point in the season, cementing a top-eight position is important, and if the Broncos play the way they did on Saturday, they are well on their way. The Sharks, however, still have plenty of work to do.
THE RESULT
Cronulla Sharks 16
Tries: Jesse Ramien, Ricky Leutele, Wade Graham
Goals: Chad Townsend 2
Tries: Tevita Pangai Junior, Anthony Milford, Corey Oates
Goals: Jamayne Isaako 4
