Stirling Taylor
The Sharks have slipped to a hefty defeat on their home patch after conceding 18 points in the last six minutes against a Dolphins side which sent the rest of the competition a reminder of their attacking strike power.
The visitors overran their tiring opponents in the closing stages, running in tries via Jake Averillo, Selwyn Cobbo and Connelly Lemuelu as the final score blew out to 38-10, with Averillo and centres partner Herbie Farnworth too hot for the Sharks to handle.
Cronulla had double the tackle breaks of the Dolphins, but struggled to find space with a spine that lacked cohesion. The absence of skipper Cameron McInnes was keenly felt, with the Sharks sorely lacking a link man.
The Dolphins took full advantage of Cronulla’s laboured approach, with their halves pairing of Isaiya Katoa and Kodi Nikorima providing their backs with a succession of one-on-one match-ups and attacking opportunities.
Averillo, Jamayne Isaako and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow pounced with first-half tries to keep the Sharks at arm’s length as they went to the interval 16-4 in front.
Cronulla playmaker Braydon Trindall, playing his 100th NRL match, did his best to inspire a late surge from the home side but was too often unable to find his edge players and, as a consequence, the Sharks could not build momentum.
Trindall’s try early in the first half, converted by Nicho Hynes, kept the home fans hopeful of an unlikely comeback, but two penalty goals from Isaako extended the Dolphins’ lead to 20-10 with 10 minutes remaining.
Averillo then iced the game, racing away to score after an error by KL Iro and sending Sharks fans streaming for the exits.
Despite a quiet outing, Cobbo went over late in the piece, schooling Cronulla on connectivity and the value of pushing the ball wide. It was then Lemuelu who walked over in the final minute, twisting the knife even further.
The defeat ended the Sharks’ run of eight consecutive wins at Shark Park. It was their second loss in two weeks following last weekend’s defeat to Penrith, and raises significant questions over Craig Fitzgibbon’s side, which enjoyed a 50-10 victory over the Titans in round one.
Blayke Brailey’s league-leading streak of 133 consecutive games could be under threat after he went on report for tripping.
with AAP
