Cronulla has staked its declare as a reliable top-four crew, plunging St George Illawarra’s finals hopes into doubt with a 38-10 win over the Dragons.
In a end result that has far-reaching ramifications for a number of sides, the Sharks ran in 4 unanswered tries on their arch-rivals within the remaining 25 minutes in Wollongong on Sunday.
The win strikes the Sharks into third spot on the NRL standings, above Penrith on the ladder and solely behind the Sydney Roosters on for-and-against.
The Dragons stay in eighth with must-win matches in opposition to Parramatta and Canberra to return, however nonetheless have 4 different finals hopefuls respiration down their neck.
It was just a few weeks in the past that Cronulla’s top-four credentials had been being effectively and actually questioned, after an eight-game run the place they received solely two matches.
Since then they’ve claimed a scrappy 20-6 win over South Sydney, blown Gold Coast out of the water 44-0, and are available again to beat Newcastle 19-18.
However Sunday’s effort in opposition to the Dragons could have been the Sharks’ finest and most necessary win in months.
They began effectively, weathered the storm after halftime and finally ran away with the sport.
A win subsequent Saturday evening in opposition to the Warriors would all however guarantee a top-four end, forward of their final-round conflict with Manly at Brookvale.
And Cronulla will now enter that interval as a crew legitimately in type, with the one concern being a possible ban for centre Jesse Ramien after a excessive sort out.
Ramien had initially struck first for the Sharks, utilizing his velocity to step exterior of reverse quantity Mat Feagai from a scrum.
One other first-half strive got here when Kayal Iro stepped Max Feagai after a Braydon Trindall cut-out ball, and Sam Stonestreet additionally stepped inside for an additional.
However it was a second of magic from Will Kennedy that turned the match, after Ben Hunt’s composure had obtained the Dragons again to 14-10 down after the break.
Kennedy swung the down when he leapt excessive over Tyrell Sloan to take a Trindall bomb and dot down below the posts.
Briton Nikora then ran by way of the Dragons’ center defence 4 minutes later, earlier than Stonestreet and Mawene Hiroti each scored once more because the hosts wilted.
Making issues worse for the Dragons, their for-and-against is now comfortably worse than Brisbane, the Dolphins and Newcastle beneath them.
And whereas their defence allow them to down late, it was missed alternatives in assault after halftime that proved most expensive.
One strive went begging when Sloan was discovered to have pushed a Shark off the ball earlier than Zac Lomax crossed, and Mat Feagai threw one other ball into contact on assault.
AAP
