Sydney Roosters earned a week’s rest and they will go into the Preliminary Final in two weeks’ time after defeating Cronulla Sharks 21-12 today at Allianz Stadium in Sydney.
In a keenly contested game, which saw the Sharks blow a number of try scoring opportunities, the decisive moment was perhaps the field-goal kicked by Cooper Cronk on 72 minutes, which gave the Roosters a 19-12 lead at that point.
The Sharks took an early lead with a spectacular try from Sosaia Feki in the corner, but the Roosters replied when Cooper Cronk touched down his own grubber for Latrell Mitchell to convert for a 6-4 lead. Valentine Holmes equalised with a penalty on 23 minutes, but the Roosters went into a 10-6 lead at the interval with a try from Joseph Manu.
The Sharks grabbed the lead again early in the second half with another spectacular try to Edrick Lee, this time converted by Holmes.
But the Roosters grabbed the lead again with two unconverted tries by Mitchell and Daniel Tupou, before Cronk landed his field-goal and Mitchell rounded off the scoring with a penalty goal on 76 minutes.
Roosters: 1 James Tedesco, 2 Daniel Tupou, 3 Latrell Mitchell, 4 Joseph Manu, 5 Blake Ferguson, 6 Luke Keary, 7 Cooper Cronk, 8 Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, 9 Jake Friend, 10 Siosiua Taukeiaho, 11 Boyd Cordner, 16 Mitchell Aubusson, 12 Isaac Liu; Interchange 13 Victor Radley, 14 Lindsay Collins, 15 Zane Tetevano 17 Ryan Matterson
Tries: Cronk, Manu, Mitchell, Tupou; Goals: Mitchell 2; Field Goal: Cronk
Sharks: 1 Valentine Holmes, 2 Sosaia Feki, 3 Josh Dugan, 4 Ricky Leutele, 5 Edrick Lee, 6 Matt Moylan, 7 Chad Townsend, 8 Andrew Fifita, 9 Jayden Brailey,10 Matt Prior, 11 Luke Lewis, 12 Wade Graham, 13 Paul Gallen; Interchange: 15 James Segeyaro, 16 Aaron Woods, 17 Jayson Bukuya, 18 Scott Sorensen
Tries: Feki, Lee Goals: Holmes 2
A full report from this game will feature in Monday’s edition of League Express
