Sharks' season back on track after 10 minutes of torment secures win over St George Illawarra
Braydon Trindall has helped put Cronulla's NRL season back on track, unleashing 10 minutes of torment on St George Illawarra's back three to help the Sharks come from behind and win 30-18.
Off the back of two straight losses and after trailing at halftime, Cronulla went from 18-6 down to 22-18 up between the 47th and 57th minutes on Thursday night.
The hosts then did enough to hold on for victory at Shark Park, making it 10 in a row against their arch-rivals and keeping the Sharks fifth on the ladder.
Trindall scored a double and kicked superbly in the win, while Blayke Brailey was back to his running ways out of dummy-half early in the game.
Their Sharks teammate Sione Katoa produced one of the tries of the year with a brilliant effort that proved the match clincher.
With the Dragons down 24-18 with five minutes to play, five-eighth Lyhkan King-Togia chipped ahead and went to toe the ball on again.
But Katoa slid along the ground to catch the ball goalkeeper-style, before gathering his feet and sprinting 60 metres to score.
The result makes it two losses in a row for the Dragons, with Shane Flanagan's men now 12th and at risk of sliding further south this weekend.
For Cronulla, this was a desperately needed win.
Beaten by an undermanned Sydney Roosters and the Warriors in the Shire in their past two matches, Cronulla travel to Brisbane and Melbourne in the next fortnight.
Things started well with Brailey running out of dummy-half, and the hooker bust through the middle to send Trindall over for his first.
But after that, it was all the Dragons before the break.
Damien Cook turned back the clock for one try and King-Togia beat four defenders for another.
And when Jack de Belin went over with Sharks centre Jesse Ramien in the sin-bin for a professional foul it was 18-6.
Then it was left for Trindall to revive the Sharks in the second half.
The five-eighth put Briton Nikora over with a short ball, before staying alive to score from one of his own bombs after Clint Gutherson and Tyrell Sloan failed to defuse it.
The go-ahead try then came when Nathan Lawson dropped Trindall's next bomb, and Sione Katoa skipped to the outside of Dragons centre Moses Suli from the scrum to score.
The only concern for Cronulla came in the form of a knee injury for Mawene Hiroti, just a week after fellow centre KL Iro was ruled out for two months with a pectoral tear.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
3 hours ago
- News.com.au
‘Outrageous': State of Origin move sparks furore as Ashley Klein set to be named for series decider
Ashley Klein is set to be handed the officiating reins for the State of Origin decider despite his controversial performance in Perth which left New South Wales fans and players outraged. The Blues were on the wrong end of an 8-0 first half penalty count in Game 2, which turned into 9-0 after 45 minutes. By that stage, Queensland were up 26-6. FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. In the end, Queensland won 26-24, but the NSW camp felt they were officiated out of the game and scheduled a meeting with NRL management to seek an explanation for several of Klein's controversial calls. The Blues' main gripe was why Klein chose to ignore numerous clear indiscretions by Maroons players while penalising the Blues for similar offences. However, despite the Blues' protests, Code Sports reports Klein will again be in charge of the series decider. That is because the NRL referees are rated under a KPI system by the league and by the numbers Klein is at the top of the list. Categories measured include play-the-ball speed, decision-making, communication, game understanding, accuracy, communication with other officials, consistency, identifying infringements, positioning, game management, ruck communication, positioning, fitness and endurance. His appointment in Sydney will be under heavy scrutiny and will undoubtedly be met with fierce backlash. Speaking about his Game 2 performance earlier this week Buzz Rothfield tore into the veteran ref, saying his calls cost the Blues the game and series win in Perth. 'I think NSW were ill-disciplined and I don't have too many problems with the nine penalties they conceded. The problem I do have is that anyone can look at a replay of that first half and find 4-5 areas of the game where Queensland could quite easily have been penalised as well,' Rothfield said. 'In my eyes, he was refereeing one side for the majority of the first half. 'I know we were ill-disciplined and I'm not blaming it for the loss … but Gordie you cannot be perfect in Origin for 45 minutes. Impossible.' 'It's outrageous that Queensland can play 45 minutes in State of Origin and that intensity, mistakes are made, high speed, high intensity and not one penalty. That cannot happen.' He also went on to say NSW Blues coach Laurie Daley – who refused to answer any question on the officiating after the Game 2 defeat – was privately furious at Klein. 'Laurie will look at the video and find out what he wants to talk to the NRL about and then take it to adjudication,' Rothfield continued. 'He was furious after the game. Privately furious, but he knows he can't come out and say anything. Not just for the fine, but because it'll look like poor sportsmanship.' And as news of Klein's Game 3 appointment spread NSW fans were unsurprisingly annoyed. 'You've got to be kidding,' one fan wrote. 'What an absolute joke!' another added. While a third commented: 'Surely he's not the best ref we have.' NSW will have a home-ground advantage for the series decider, which will take place at Sydney's Accor Stadium on Wednesday, July 9.
News.com.au
4 hours ago
- News.com.au
Billy Slater urged to make Reece Walsh call after Broncos fullback stars in comeback win
Reece Walsh has put Maroons coach Billy Slater on notice after a scintillating performance on Sunday, leading the Broncos to a stunning 34-28 comeback win over Cronulla. The 22-year-old, renowned for his flashy style, produced some moments of magic as well as some grit and toughness as the Broncos turned around a 28-12 deficit to get their season back on track. FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. Walsh finished with two try assists, three linebreak assists, a linebreak, five tackle busts and 178m in a performance sure to have got Slater's attention. 'He's a competitor, and I guess we all expect Reecey to come up with those things, just with what he's able to do,' Michael Maguire said after the Broncos' win on Sunday. 'He just keeps competing.' And with Slater looking forward to Game 3, many have suggested he may axe struggling fullback Kalyn Ponga and either look to Walsh or switch Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow to fullback. In Game 1, the Knights superstar had 21 runs for 163 metres, and it was even more dire in Game 2 as he registered just eight runs for 77 metres, as well as missing four tackles and making two errors. His Game 2 horror show led former Broncos and Warriors player Denan Kemp to suggest Slater should drop him for the Origin decider. 'He dropped three bombs. He got bounced off by Cleary and got lucky there was an obstruction,' Kemp said on the Bloke in a Bar podcast on Thursday 'I think Billy has to have a real hard look at that fullback position. I think KP (Ponga) is just out of form. 'It's tough but if you've got that many errors, it's just a real question we (Queensland) have to ask ourselves. We need someone who's bringing energy around the ruck, making their catches and tackles. It's definitely a question that I think Billy should be considering because we can't afford to go into Game 3 and have that many dropped balls. We'll lose by 30-plus.' And after Sunday's incredible performance, Slater appears to have been handed the perfect solution to his problem in the form of Walsh. The fullback has played five Origin games and if not being out with a knee injury early in the season, many believe he would have been Slater's preferred No.1. Walsh's knee is still far from right with the fullback seen limping on several occasions during the win. However, the 22-year-old says it is getting better each week. 'It's good, I was trying to hide it (laughs),' Walsh said of his knee. 'It's a work in progress. I am still trying to get used to the feel of it.' And after an incredible showing on Sunday fans have called for Slater to pick him at fullback for the State of Origin decider, declaring even a one-legged Walsh is their best chance at reclaiming the Origin shield. 'I know he's not 100% but there's a case for Reece Walsh playing FB for QLD, moving Ponga to 14?' one fan wrote. 'Surely Reece Walsh has to be picked for Origin III. A one-legged Walsh is better than Ponga,' another said. 'Queensland can't go without Reece Walsh in SOO III when he's in this sort of form. It's irresistible. Just got to decide whether Kalyn Ponga can be afforded on the bench alongside Kurt Mann and two other forwards,' a third added. While a fourth said: 'Walsh is back!'. NSW will have a home-ground advantage for the series decider, which will take place at Sydney's Accor Stadium on Wednesday, July 9.
The Advertiser
5 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Eels star Cherrington to miss start of NRLW season
Kennedy Cherrington will miss at least the first three weeks of the NRLW season with the knee injury she suffered in the third State of Origin match. She could be joined on the sidelines by Parramatta captain Mahalia Murphy, who is racing to recover from a minor hamstring injury in time for the season opener against Cronulla. Parramatta had initially hoped NSW forward Cherrington may recover from her posterior cruciate ligament injury in time for the opener on July 3. But she is now tracking to miss up to a third of the regular season with the injury that prevented her from playing the second half of NSW's game-three loss in Newcastle last month. It's a blow for Cherrington, who missed the end of last season with a separate knee issue. "It's tough for Kennedy but it'll be good to get her for the back half of the season," said coach Steve Georgallis. "We're hoping she'll be back for round four or round five at the latest." Eels captain for a second straight season, Murphy is hoping to return from a hamstring injury in time to face the Sharks. "Mahalia's just got a little niggle," Georgallis said. "We're hoping she should be back for round one but if we feel like she's not ready then we're not going to push her." The news is less rosy for Eels forward Boss Kapua, who fractured her fibula in an opposed session and will miss the opening weeks of the competition. "She's tough, she walked off the field and she just said, 'I'm a bit sore here'," Georgallis said. "We were glad it wasn't syndesmosis because syndesmosis can be like 12 (weeks), three months. She'll be three or four weeks. She might even be back before Kennedy." Murphy said she was relishing the chance to start the season against Cronulla, whose narrow win over Parramatta ended up being the difference in the sides' finals fates last year. The Eels lost the round-two match-up by two points, their closest loss of the campaign, then found themselves beaten to the final top-four spot by the Sharks. "It's personal," Murphy said. "I know the girls can definitely beat them. We should've beaten them last year. We're focusing on round one." Kennedy Cherrington will miss at least the first three weeks of the NRLW season with the knee injury she suffered in the third State of Origin match. She could be joined on the sidelines by Parramatta captain Mahalia Murphy, who is racing to recover from a minor hamstring injury in time for the season opener against Cronulla. Parramatta had initially hoped NSW forward Cherrington may recover from her posterior cruciate ligament injury in time for the opener on July 3. But she is now tracking to miss up to a third of the regular season with the injury that prevented her from playing the second half of NSW's game-three loss in Newcastle last month. It's a blow for Cherrington, who missed the end of last season with a separate knee issue. "It's tough for Kennedy but it'll be good to get her for the back half of the season," said coach Steve Georgallis. "We're hoping she'll be back for round four or round five at the latest." Eels captain for a second straight season, Murphy is hoping to return from a hamstring injury in time to face the Sharks. "Mahalia's just got a little niggle," Georgallis said. "We're hoping she should be back for round one but if we feel like she's not ready then we're not going to push her." The news is less rosy for Eels forward Boss Kapua, who fractured her fibula in an opposed session and will miss the opening weeks of the competition. "She's tough, she walked off the field and she just said, 'I'm a bit sore here'," Georgallis said. "We were glad it wasn't syndesmosis because syndesmosis can be like 12 (weeks), three months. She'll be three or four weeks. She might even be back before Kennedy." Murphy said she was relishing the chance to start the season against Cronulla, whose narrow win over Parramatta ended up being the difference in the sides' finals fates last year. The Eels lost the round-two match-up by two points, their closest loss of the campaign, then found themselves beaten to the final top-four spot by the Sharks. "It's personal," Murphy said. "I know the girls can definitely beat them. We should've beaten them last year. We're focusing on round one." Kennedy Cherrington will miss at least the first three weeks of the NRLW season with the knee injury she suffered in the third State of Origin match. She could be joined on the sidelines by Parramatta captain Mahalia Murphy, who is racing to recover from a minor hamstring injury in time for the season opener against Cronulla. Parramatta had initially hoped NSW forward Cherrington may recover from her posterior cruciate ligament injury in time for the opener on July 3. But she is now tracking to miss up to a third of the regular season with the injury that prevented her from playing the second half of NSW's game-three loss in Newcastle last month. It's a blow for Cherrington, who missed the end of last season with a separate knee issue. "It's tough for Kennedy but it'll be good to get her for the back half of the season," said coach Steve Georgallis. "We're hoping she'll be back for round four or round five at the latest." Eels captain for a second straight season, Murphy is hoping to return from a hamstring injury in time to face the Sharks. "Mahalia's just got a little niggle," Georgallis said. "We're hoping she should be back for round one but if we feel like she's not ready then we're not going to push her." The news is less rosy for Eels forward Boss Kapua, who fractured her fibula in an opposed session and will miss the opening weeks of the competition. "She's tough, she walked off the field and she just said, 'I'm a bit sore here'," Georgallis said. "We were glad it wasn't syndesmosis because syndesmosis can be like 12 (weeks), three months. She'll be three or four weeks. She might even be back before Kennedy." Murphy said she was relishing the chance to start the season against Cronulla, whose narrow win over Parramatta ended up being the difference in the sides' finals fates last year. The Eels lost the round-two match-up by two points, their closest loss of the campaign, then found themselves beaten to the final top-four spot by the Sharks. "It's personal," Murphy said. "I know the girls can definitely beat them. We should've beaten them last year. We're focusing on round one."
