CRONULLA SHARKS 20 CANBERRA RAIDERS 24
CALLUM WALKER, Ocean Protect Stadium, Saturday

CANBERRA dented Cronulla’s top-four hopes with a Joseph Tapine-inspired victory in the Shire.

The Raiders, who themselves still sit four points outside the play-offs, had to recover from an 8-0 deficit after just six minutes when Nicho Hynes slotted over a penalty and then a conversion following a Braydon Trindall score.

A lovely move saw Keao Weekes fire a superb pass to Xavier Savage, and the fleet-footed winger did the rest before Owen Pattie stole a four-pointer from dummy-half moments later.

The tide was firmly turned on the fixture’s head just after the half-hour when Ethan Strange looped a wonderful cut-out pass onto the chest of Jed Stuart for an 18-8 lead.

But, after weathering that Raiders’ storm, the Sharks did manage to hit back just before half-time, Teig Wilton crashing over.

And it was a stroke of luck that saw the Sharks regain the lead ten minutes into the second half. Weekes, usually so reliable, dropped a Stuart pass cold on his own goal-line, giving Will Kennedy the chance to gather and score.

With Hynes on target once more, Cronulla led 20-18 going into the final quarter, but the ever-impressive Tapine crossed on the hour to send Canberra back to the capital with two points.

SHARKS: 1 Will Kennedy, 2 Sione Katoa, 3 Mawene Hiroti, 4 KL Iro, 5 Ronaldo Mulitalo, 6 Braydon Trindall, 7 Nicho Hynes, 8 Oregon Kaufusi, 9 Blayke Brailey, 10 Jesse Colquhoun, 11 Briton Nikora, 12 Teig Wilton, 13 Cameron McInnes. Subs: 14 Hohepa Puru, 15 Billy Burns, 16 Siosifa Talakai, 17 Tom Hazelton, 19 Braden Uele (not used), 21 Sam Stonestreet (not used)

Tries: Trindall (6), Wilton (36), Kennedy (50); Goals: Hynes 4/4

RAIDERS: 1 Kaeo Weekes, 2 Jed Stuart, 3 Savelio Tamale, 4 Matthew Timoko, 5 Xavier Savage, 6 Ethan Strange, 7 Ethan Sanders, 8 Ata Mariota, 9 Owen Pattie, 10 Joseph Tapine, 11 Zac Hosking, 12 Matty Nicholson, 13 Morgan Smithies. Subs: 14 Tom Starling, 15 Joe Roddy, 16 Josh Papalii, 17 Daine Laurie, 18 Vena Patuki-Case (not used), 19 Sebastian Kris (not used)

Tries: Savage (12), Pattie (16), Stuart (33), Tapine (57); Goals: Sanders 4/4

SCORING SEQUENCE: 2-0, 8-0, 8-6, 8-12, 8-18, 14-18; 20-18, 20-24

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Sharks: Teig Wilton; Raiders: Joseph Tapine

Penalty count: 9-4; Half-time: 14-18; Referee: Gerard Sutton; Attendance: 12,358