SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS 12 CRONULLA SHARKS 14
TOM SMITH, Polytec Stadium, Gosford, Saturday
LEWIS DODD’S first game in South Sydney’s number-seven jumper ended in defeat, as the Sharks overcame the undermanned Rabbitohs.
Dodd’s halves partner Jack Wighton was sin-binned early in the second half as the Bunnies forfeited a slender half-time lead under Cronulla’s weight of possession.
Tevita Tatola crossed in the 80th minute – dislocating his shoulder in the process – to shave the margin to two, but the scoreline flattered the Rabbitohs, who conceded ten penalties and made 99 more tackles.
The Sharks’ third straight win boosts their top-eight hopes, while Souths’ eighth straight loss compounds a brutal season.
Cronulla coach Craig Fitzgibbon will be happy with the result but not his side’s spluttering attack, which generated just two tries despite dominating possession.
All eyes were on the St Helens recruit, whom Wayne Bennett entrusted with the playmaking reins for the first time.
Dodd’s brightest moment came midway through the first half, when he produced a try-saving tackle on opposite number Nicho Hynes.
The Englishman shouldered plenty of the kicking but conceded two penalties and spent the final eleven minutes on the bench.
Dodd was limited to three games as sub and one start at stand-off before this Cronulla clash, but the injury crisis tearing through Redfern handed the 23-year-old a long-awaited opportunity.
Regular halves Cody Walker (hamstring), Jamie Humphreys (concussion) and Jayden Sullivan (broken leg) joined stars Latrell Mitchell (quad), Brandon Smith (knee), Campbell Graham (back), Cameron Murray (achilles), Keaon Koloamatangi (ankle) and Davvy Moale (wrist) in a crowded casualty ward.
The personnel issues didn’t stop Bennett’s men from pushing Cronulla, but the gulf in class eventually told.
In good news on the injury front, fullback Jye Gray returned from a thumb issue, while unknown halfback Ashton Ward also made his NRL debut off the bench.
The Sharks lost Briton Nikora (concussion) and Siosifa Talakai (illness) from the line-up that notched an impressive win over the Roosters in round 20, but regained Jesse Ramien (hamstring).
Tyrone Munro’s nightmare under aerial bombardment began early, when he spilled a Braydon Trindall bomb and caused the offside infringement that gifted the opening two points to Hynes.
A forward pass ruled out a Billy Burns try claim before a ruck penalty invited Isaiah Tass to boot the equalising penalty-goal.
Dodd then stopped Hynes from scoring – and after repelling further Sharks raids, the Rabbitohs were awarded for their defensive grit when Munro barged into the right corner seconds from half-time.
Two minutes after the restart, another Munro error handed Cronulla the territory to strike, as the stand-out Will Kennedy tipped on a lightning pass to the unmarked Ronaldo Mulitalo on the left flank.
Wighton’s shoulder then ended Toby Rudolf’s night early with concussion and landed the skipper in the bin.
And although a forward pass ruled out Mulitalo’s second, Cronulla struck again once Munro mishandled another Trindall bomb into the path of Kennedy, who found Blayke Brailey in support.
Souths continued to press and Tatola eventually found a consolation try at the death, but it was too little, too late.
GAMESTAR: Sharks fullback Will Kennedy registered a whopping 241 running metres and assisted both of his team’s tries.
GAMEBREAKER: Blayke Brailey’s try on the hour mark – the result of another Tyrone Munro error under the high ball – gave Cronulla all the points they needed.
MATCHFACTS
RABBITOHS
1 Jye Gray
2 Alex Johnston
3 Isaiah Tass
4 Tallis Duncan
5 Tyrone Munro
6 Jack Wighton
7 Lewis Dodd
8 Tevita Tatola
16 Ryan Gray
10 Sean Keppie
11 Euan Aitken
12 Jai Arrow
13 Lachlan Hubner
Subs (all used)
9 Siliva Havili
14 Liam Le Blanc
15 Jacob Host
17 Ashton Ward
Tries: Munro (40), Tatola (80)
Goals: Tass 2/3
Sin bin: Wighton (46) – shoulder charge
SHARKS
1 Will Kennedy
2 Sione Katoa
3 Jesse Ramien
19 Chris Vea’ila
5 Ronaldo Mulitalo
6 Braydon Trindall
7 Nicho Hynes
8 Addin Fonua-Blake
9 Blayke Brailey
10 Oregon Kaufusi
11 Billy Burns
12 Teig Wilton
13 Cameron McInnes
Subs (all used)
14 Daniel Atkinson
15 Jesse Colquhoun
16 Toby Rudolf
17 Braden Hamlin-Uele
18th Man (used)
20 Hohepa Puru
Tries: Mulitalo (43), Brailey (61)
Goals: Hynes 3/3
SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-2, 2-2, 6-2; 6-8, 6-14, 12-14
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Rabbitohs: Tevita Tatola; Sharks: Will Kennedy
Penalty count: 2-10
Half-time: 6-2
Referee: Belinda Sharpe
Attendance: 13,986