Andrew Pelechaty reviews the Sharks’ big win against the Warriors on the Central Coast. Here’s how the game went.
MATCH TIMELINE
| Minute | Scoring Play | Score |
| 3rd | Try Braden Hamlin-Uele (Cronulla-Sutherland) | Cronulla-Sutherland 4-0 |
| 4th | Goal Shaun Johnson (Cronulla-Sutherland) | Cronulla-Sutherland 6-0 |
| 8th | Try William Kennedy (Cronulla-Sutherland) | Cronulla-Sutherland 10-0 |
| 9th | Goal Shaun Johnson (Cronulla-Sutherland) | Cronulla-Sutherland 12-0 |
| 14th | Try Ronaldo Mulitalo (Cronulla-Sutherland) | Cronulla-Sutherland 16-0 |
| 16th | Goal Shaun Johnson (Cronulla-Sutherland) | Cronulla-Sutherland 18-0 |
| 21st | Try Ken Maumalo (NZ Warriors) | Cronulla-Sutherland 18-4 |
| 28th | Try Shaun Johnson (Cronulla-Sutherland) | Cronulla-Sutherland 22-4 |
| 30th | Goal Shaun Johnson (Cronulla-Sutherland) | Cronulla-Sutherland 24-4 |
| 42nd | Try Sione Katoa (Cronulla-Sutherland) | Cronulla-Sutherland 28-4 |
| 44th | Goal Shaun Johnson (Cronulla-Sutherland) | Cronulla-Sutherland 30-4 |
| 55th | Try Jesse Ramien (Cronulla-Sutherland) | Cronulla-Sutherland 34-4 |
| 59th | Blake Green (NZ Warriors) – SIN BIN | Cronulla-Sutherland 34-4 |
| 61st | Try Sione Katoa (Cronulla-Sutherland) | Cronulla-Sutherland 38-4 |
| 63rd | Goal Shaun Johnson (Cronulla-Sutherland) | Cronulla-Sutherland 40-4 |
| 77th | Try Jesse Ramien (Cronulla-Sutherland) | Cronulla-Sutherland 44-4 |
| 78th | Goal Shaun Johnson (Cronulla-Sutherland) | Cronulla-Sutherland 46-4 |
| 79th | Try Wayde Egan (NZ Warriors) | Cronulla-Sutherland 46-8 |
| 79th | Goal Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (NZ Warriors) | Cronulla-Sutherland 46-10 |
MATCH SUMMARY
1st Half
Cronulla were first to score in the third minute through Braden Hamlin-Uele, barging in from 20 metres out off a short ball from Chad Townsend.
The Warriors almost hit back with a try to Patrick Herbert from a Sharks knock-on. David Fusitu’a, who regathered the ball, threw a no-look flick pass to Herbert while managing to stay in touch, though Herbert dropped it, undoing Fusitu’a’s brilliant work.
Cronulla made the Warriors pay with a quick shift right from a scrum win, with replacement fullback William Kennedy scoring. Johnson converted for a 12-0 lead.
After only 10 minutes, it looked like a long afternoon for the Warriors after a dramatic week.
The Sharks kept the foot on the throat with their third try inside 15 minutes. Shifting to the left, Josh Dugan made himself useful with a nice around-the-corner ball to Ronaldo Mulitalo.
The Warriors finally got some decent field position after 20 minutes, using a Captain’s Challenge to contest a knock-on ruling. The Bunker ruled that Mulitalo touched the ball first, and the Warriors kept the footy.
Helped by the successful challenge, they got on the board with a try off a set restart, shifting right to left, with Ken Maumalo scoring in the corner.
Shaun Johnson scored a clever try in the 28th – grounding the ball just inside the dead ball line while chasing his own kick. He enjoyed celebrating the try: not only his first of the year, but also against his former club. He converted to give the Sharks a 24-4 lead, which they retained for the rest of the half.
2nd Half
Just like the first half, the Sharks quickly got on the board in the second, with Sione Katoa scoring a runaway try, wrong-footing the Warriors’ defence and planting the ball in the right-hand corner while his body was in the air.
Jesse Ramien scored in the same spot – though the put-down wasn’t quite as spectacular – with a nice little in-and-away to fool the Warriors’ defence.
The Warriors’ afternoon got worse when Blake Green was sin-binned in the 59th minute; Katoa quickly exploited the depleted Warriors’ defence by scoring his second try. With that try, the Sharks had now scored 40 points in three of their last four games.
Ramein scored his second try of the afternoon in the closing minutes as the Sharks briefly entered the top eight, overtaking Souths on for-and-against.
Wayde Egan scored a consolation try for the Warriors on fulltime, sending the Sharks back to ninth, at least for this week.
The Sharks have their local derby against St George Illawarra next Saturday at Kogarah Oval – bizarrely a Sharks home game at the Dragons’ usual home ground. The Warriors have a tough game against the Sydney Roosters, who will be hurting after their loss to Canberra on Thursday night.
GAME HIGHLIGHT
Sione Katoa’s first try – early in the second half – not only ensured the Warriors couldn’t mount a comeback after halftime, but showcased just how athletic modern wingers can be.
After a break from Shaun Johnson, Katoa received the pass and ran 70 metres to the tryline, but the best was yet to come: with Peta Hiku closing in, Katoa wrong-footed him, leapt towards the right-hand corner and planted the ball with his right hand and his body airborne.
SQUADS
New Zealand Warriors: 1 Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, 2 David Fusitu’a, 3 Patrick Herbert, 4 Peta Hiku, 5 Ken Maumalo, 6 Kodi Nikorima, 7 Blake Green, 8 Jamayne Taunoa-Brown, 9 Wayde Egan, 10 Adam Blair, 13 Karl Lawton, 12 Tohu Harris, 15 Jack Hetherington. Interchange: 11 Eliesa Katoa, 14 Agnatius Paasi, 16 Isaiah Papali’i, 17 Jazz Tevaga.
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks: 20 William Kennedy, 2 Sione Katoa, 1 Josh Dugan, 4 Jesse Ramien, 5 Ronaldo Mulitalo, 6 Shaun Johnson, 7 Chad Townsend, 8 Braden Hamlin-Uele, 9 Blayke Brailey, 10 Aaron Woods, 11 Briton Nikora, 12 Wade Graham, 15 Scott Sorensen. Interchange: 13 Toby Rudolf, 14 Connor Tracey, 16 Siosifa Talakai, 17 Royce Hunt.
