Mitch Dransfield reviews the round 13 clash between the Sharks and the Eels at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium. Here’s how the game went.
MATCH TIMELINE
| Minute | Scoring Play | Score |
| 18th | Try Dylan Brown (Parramatta) | Parramatta 4-0 |
| 20th | Goal Mitch Moses (Parramatta) | Parramatta 6-0 |
| 26th | Try Jesse Ramien (Cronulla) | Parramatta 6-4 |
| 44th | Try Kane Evans (Parramatta) | Parramatta 10-4 |
| 46th | Goal Mitch Moses (Parramatta) | Parramatta 12-4 |
| 51st | Try Ronaldo Mulitalo (Cronulla-Sutherland) | Parramatta 12-8 |
| 55th | Try Ronaldo Mulitalo (Cronulla-Sutherland) | Scores tied 12-12 |
| 69th | Penalty Goal Mitch Moses (Parramatta) | Parramatta 14-12 |
MATCH SUMMARY
1st Half
On a water-logged ground, the Sharks came out of the blocks with a perfect set working downfield into the Eels’ 20 metre zone. With forced dropout after dropout, the Eels created pressure in the Sharks’ red zone to strike with a four pointer to Dylan Brown, who threw a dummy and sold the Cronulla defence, going up 4-0 in the 18th minute: with Mitch Moses converting for a 6-0 lead. The Sharks fought back a few sets later, with Shaun Johnson grubbering into the in-goal, and seeing Jesse Ramien ground the ball before the dead ball line. The Sharks kept the ball for the rest of the half, with their possession not being converted, and Parramatta leading 6-4 at halftime.
2nd Half
The Eels pushed ahead in the second half, with a try to Kane Evans off a Nathan Brown tackle break close to the line, to lead 12-4. After multiple errors – with three straight sets of lost ball – the Sharks eventually maintained possession, with Johnson creating a 40/20 which created the opportunity for him to back it up with yet another try assist for Ronaldo Mulitalo to score his double and level at 12-all in the 55th minute. Back-and-forth possession was seen for the majority of the match, with 10 forced dropouts created from each side across the game. A controversial penalty for the Eels down in the Sharks’ 20 metre zone allowed them to take the penalty goal and go ahead 14-12 with just 11 minutes left in the match.
GAME HIGHLIGHT
A pinpoint 40/20 by Shaun Johnson in the 55th minute through the wet surface was then followed by a cut-out pass for Ronaldo Mulitalo’s second try, allowing the Sharks to level the scores. It was a crucial try – with a quarter of the match left – in such slippery conditions.
SQUADS
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks: 1. Will Kennedy 2. Sione Katoa 3. Josh Dugan 4. Jesse Ramien 5. Ronaldo Mulitalo 6. Matt Moylan 7. Shaun Johnson 8. Braden Hamlin-Uele 9. Blayke Brailey 10. Aaron Woods 11. Siosifa Talakai 12. Wade Graham 18. Scott Sorensen. Interchange: 13. Toby Rudolf 14. Connor Tracey 16. Teig Wilton 17. Royce Hunt.
Parramatta Eels: 1. Clinton Gutherson 2. Maika Sivo 3. Michael Jennings 4. Waqa Blake 5. Blake Ferguson 6. Dylan Brown 7. Mitchell Moses 8. Reagan Campbell-Gillard 9. Reed Mahoney 10. Junior Paulo 11. Shaun Lane 12. Marata Niukore 13. Nathan Brown. Interchange: 14. Andrew Davey 15. Ray Stone 16. Kane Evans 17. Oregon Kaufusi.
