CRONULLA SHARKS 31 MELBOURNE STORM 26
STEPHEN IBBETSON, Sharks Stadium, Saturday
CRONULLA moved level on points with Melbourne in the chasing pack thanks to an impressive victory on their return home.
In their first Sharks Stadium outing since March, Addin Fonua-Blake laid the platform for a devastating display in the opening 40 minutes.
And while Xavier Coates-inspired Storm threatened a fightback all the way through the second half, the Sharks held on with no little help from the kicking of halves Braydon Trindall and Nicho Hynes.
First-half events could not have been foreseen after a dominant opening five minutes from Melbourne, who earned back-to-back penalties and then took the lead through centre Grant Anderson off a short Cameron Munster pass.
But the Sharks hit back with their first attack, Ronaldo Mulitalo muscling in wide out on the end of a nice switch play.
Cronulla suffered two injury blows in the first half with backs Jesse Ramien and Sam Stonestreet going off with eye and ankle problems respectively.
But it didn’t seem to have an effect as two further tries in quick succession put them into a commanding position.
First Blayke Brailey laid the ball off for impressive prop Fonua-Blake to twist his way over from close range.
And then, following a Tui Kamikamica error, Siosifa Talakai produced an outrageous offload out the back, straight into the arms of makeshift winger Daniel Atkinson.
Storm seemed to have clicked back into gear when Coates finished a nice try in space created by Eliesa Katoa requiring five defenders to be halted on the line.
But Ryan Papenhuyzen knocked-on a Trindall kick to hand the initiative back to Cronulla and, straight from the scrum, Mulitalo smartly set up KL Iro.
Trindall then knocked a field-goal over on the hooter for a three-score half-time lead at 25-12 – and the Sharks would be grateful for such an advantage in a nervy second half.
Quickfire tries brought Melbourne firmly back into the picture, starting with the combination of Jahrome Hughes and Munster allowing Anderson to put Coates over again.
Nick Meaney then pounced on Will Kennedy’s hesitation in the face of a Munster bomb to bring the gap down to just three points.
With momentum seemingly all one way, Atkinson’s first career double – the second provided by Talakai like the first – was sweet relief for the Sharks.
And the contest could have been put to bed earlier, if not for a Munster try-saver on Billy Burns and a missed Hynes penalty-goal attempt – his only failure from the tee (Papenhuyzen landed three from five for Melbourne).
From the latter, Storm marched down the field and Coates made an incredible leap into the air to claim a Munster kick and complete a hat-trick.
That meant the game went down to the wire, and even beyond the hooter as a dramatic penalty ensured one final play – but Mulitalo claimed a Munster kick to finally secure the Sharks’ win.
GAMESTAR: Addin Fonua-Blake was at his very best to set the Sharks’ platform, and then see them home at the end.
GAMEBREAKER: With five tries scored apiece, the difference turned out to be Nicho Hynes’ goal-kicking plus the field-goal from Braydon Trindall.
MATCHFACTS
SHARKS
1 Will Kennedy
2 Sam Stonestreet
3 Jesse Ramien
4 KL Iro
5 Ronaldo Mulitalo
6 Braydon Trindall
7 Nicho Hynes
8 Addin Fonua-Blake
9 Blayke Brailey
10 Oregon Kaufusi
11 Britson Nikora
12 Billy Burns
13 Cameron McInnes
Subs (all used)
14 Daniel Atkinson
15 Jesse Colquhoun
16 Siosifa Talakai
17 Braden Hamlin-Uele
Tries: Mulitalo (8), Fonua-Blake (22), Atkinson (28, 53), Iro (36)
Goals: Hynes 5/6
Field-goals: Trindall (40)
STORM
1 Ryan Papenhuyzen
2 Sualauvi Faalogo
3 Grant Anderson
4 Nick Meaney
5 Xavier Coates
6 Cameron Munster
7 Jahrome Hughes
8 Stefano Utoikamanu
21 Harry Grant
10 Josh King
11 Shawn Blore
12 Eliesa Katoa
13 Trent Loiero
Subs (all used)
14 Tyran Wishart
16 Tui Kamikamica
17 Joe Chan
22 Nelson Asofa-Solomona
Tries: Anderson (5), Coates (32, 45, 68), Meaney (47)
Goals: Papenhuyzen 3/5
SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-6, 6-6, 12-6, 18-6, 18-12, 24-12, 25-12; 25-16, 25-22, 31-22, 31-26
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Sharks: Addin Fonua-Blake; Storm: Cameron Munster
Penalty count: 5-7
Half-time: 25-12
Referee: Adam Gee
Attendance: 11,570