There were plenty of ex-Bulldogs in the Roosters side that played the Bulldogs at the Sydney Football Stadium on
Friday night, and several more who are now with the Roosters absent on Origin duty; and the heartbreak of the
Bulldogs was further compounded when the Roosters took the points 24-14.
A blustery wind made conditions difficult for both teams, with both sides guilty of a string of errors and some missed
shots from the kicking tee that would normally have been kicked. But the Bulldogs played with spirit early, surprising
the Roosters with two early tries and still leading 10-4 at the break; giving the Bulldog contingent in the crowd plenty to
make noise about in the hope of inspiring the Bulldog players to an upset.
But it was a different story in the second half, as the Roosters stepped up a gear. Even with several key player absent
on Origin duty, the Roosters had all the attacking answers and the ability to manufacture tries to keep the scoreboard
ticking over. The Roosters scored the first four tries of the second half to set up an unbeatable position; a result that
sees the Roosters maintain a share of the competition lead but which ensures the struggling Bulldogs remain trapped
in the bottom 3.
Sydney Roosters 24 def Bulldogs 14
Roosters : Tries – B Grose, S Kenny-Dowall, S Perrett, A Roberts, S Sa. Goals – A Roberts 2/5.
Bulldogs : Tries – H El Masri, T Winitana, A Tuamata. Goals – H El Masri 1/3.
Referee – J Maxwell. Crowd – 9,271 at Sydney Football Stadium.
Brisbane were missing a swag of players on Origin duty, and the Broncos would suffer as they were held to a 12-12
golden point draw by Penrith at CUA Stadium on Friday night.
Scores were tied at 6-6 in the first half, and Luke Lewis crashed over to put the Panthers in front shortly after the restart.
Shane Rodney’s conversion made the score 12-6, but Rodney was soon to depart the scene injured; and the Panthers
would miss his contributions with the boot. Teenager Lachlan Coote was thrown in the deep end, and two missed
penalty goals was an opportunity lost for the Panthers to extend their lead beyond a converted try. And when Dave
Taylor crossed for the Broncos and the try was converted, the game was back on level terms.
It was still level at full time, so an additional 10 minutes were called for. And another chance for the Panthers to take
the game was presented when a penalty was awarded 40 metres out. Coote elected to take the kick at penalty goal,
but the shot sailed agaonisingly wide.
Neither side was able to conjure up a winning score, and the scores remained deadlocked after the 10 additional
minutes. The first draw of the season.
Penrith Panthers 12 drew with Brisbane Broncos 12 after golden point extra time
Panthers : Tries – M Jennings, L Lewis. Goals – S Rodney 2/2, L Coote 0/3. Field Goals – L Coote 0/1.
Broncos : Tries – C Parker, D Taylor. Goals – M Ennis 2/2.
Referee – G Badger. Crowd – 9,963 at CUA Stadium.
St George leap-frogged Gold Coast to move into the top 4 when the Dragons came from behind at half time to defeat
the Titans 26-22 in front of a sellout crowd at Skilled Park on Saturday.
Both sides scored two tries in the first half, the Titans having a 2-point advantage at 14-12 thanks to a Mat Rogers
penalty goal from the sideline. But the Dragons gained the ascendancy shortly after the break when Chase Stanley
chased down a bomb to score in the corner.
The Dragons continued to press, but on the hour against the run of play it was Mat Rogers who would deliver the next
try, an intercept and 50m run levelling the scores before Luke O’Dwyer found the line. But importantly, neither try was
converted and the Titans held a 22-18 lead.
Friday night, and several more who are now with the Roosters absent on Origin duty; and the heartbreak of the
Bulldogs was further compounded when the Roosters took the points 24-14.
A blustery wind made conditions difficult for both teams, with both sides guilty of a string of errors and some missed
shots from the kicking tee that would normally have been kicked. But the Bulldogs played with spirit early, surprising
the Roosters with two early tries and still leading 10-4 at the break; giving the Bulldog contingent in the crowd plenty to
make noise about in the hope of inspiring the Bulldog players to an upset.
But it was a different story in the second half, as the Roosters stepped up a gear. Even with several key player absent
on Origin duty, the Roosters had all the attacking answers and the ability to manufacture tries to keep the scoreboard
ticking over. The Roosters scored the first four tries of the second half to set up an unbeatable position; a result that
sees the Roosters maintain a share of the competition lead but which ensures the struggling Bulldogs remain trapped
in the bottom 3.
Sydney Roosters 24 def Bulldogs 14
Roosters : Tries – B Grose, S Kenny-Dowall, S Perrett, A Roberts, S Sa. Goals – A Roberts 2/5.
Bulldogs : Tries – H El Masri, T Winitana, A Tuamata. Goals – H El Masri 1/3.
Referee – J Maxwell. Crowd – 9,271 at Sydney Football Stadium.
Brisbane were missing a swag of players on Origin duty, and the Broncos would suffer as they were held to a 12-12
golden point draw by Penrith at CUA Stadium on Friday night.
Scores were tied at 6-6 in the first half, and Luke Lewis crashed over to put the Panthers in front shortly after the restart.
Shane Rodney’s conversion made the score 12-6, but Rodney was soon to depart the scene injured; and the Panthers
would miss his contributions with the boot. Teenager Lachlan Coote was thrown in the deep end, and two missed
penalty goals was an opportunity lost for the Panthers to extend their lead beyond a converted try. And when Dave
Taylor crossed for the Broncos and the try was converted, the game was back on level terms.
It was still level at full time, so an additional 10 minutes were called for. And another chance for the Panthers to take
the game was presented when a penalty was awarded 40 metres out. Coote elected to take the kick at penalty goal,
but the shot sailed agaonisingly wide.
Neither side was able to conjure up a winning score, and the scores remained deadlocked after the 10 additional
minutes. The first draw of the season.
Penrith Panthers 12 drew with Brisbane Broncos 12 after golden point extra time
Panthers : Tries – M Jennings, L Lewis. Goals – S Rodney 2/2, L Coote 0/3. Field Goals – L Coote 0/1.
Broncos : Tries – C Parker, D Taylor. Goals – M Ennis 2/2.
Referee – G Badger. Crowd – 9,963 at CUA Stadium.
St George leap-frogged Gold Coast to move into the top 4 when the Dragons came from behind at half time to defeat
the Titans 26-22 in front of a sellout crowd at Skilled Park on Saturday.
Both sides scored two tries in the first half, the Titans having a 2-point advantage at 14-12 thanks to a Mat Rogers
penalty goal from the sideline. But the Dragons gained the ascendancy shortly after the break when Chase Stanley
chased down a bomb to score in the corner.
The Dragons continued to press, but on the hour against the run of play it was Mat Rogers who would deliver the next
try, an intercept and 50m run levelling the scores before Luke O’Dwyer found the line. But importantly, neither try was
converted and the Titans held a 22-18 lead.
With 8 minutes remaining, Michael Lett capitalised on a knock-on from a bomb, grabbing the crumbs and throwing
a dummy that wrong-footed the Titans’ defence to score in the corner. Jamie Soward converted from the sideline
with a magnificent kick into the wind to restore the St George lead. A late penalty goal stretched the margin to 4
points and ensured the Dragons would extend their winning streak to 6 games.
St George-Illawarra Dragons 26 def Gold Coast Titans 22
Dragons : Tries – B Hornby, B Lett, B Morris, C Stanley. Goals – J Soward 5/5.
Titans : Tries – B Delaney, B Jeffery, L O’Dwyer, M Rogers. Goals- M Rogers 3/5.
Referee – B Sutton. Crowd – 26,453 at Skilled Park.
Saturday night at Gosford saw Manly maintain a share of the ladder leadership when the Sea Eagles were 28-12
too good for an undermanned Newcastle lineup.
The Sea Eagles got off to a quick start, a cross kick from Jamie Lyon setting up David Williams. But the Knights
fought back, with wingers James McManus and Cooper Vuna scoring for the Knights to give them the lead. But Wes
Naiqama was having a poor night with the boot, and two appallingly executed attempts at conversion saw the
Knights lead at just two points.
Manly veteran Steve Menzies was playing his 336th game, equalling second place on the all-time list with only Terry
Lamb ahead of him. And Menzies showed his class with a sensational pass on the half hour to set up Steve Matai
for the Sea Eagles’ second try, one that put the Sea Eagles 10-8 ahead at half time.
The Sea Eagles took control of the game in the second half, with tries to Bell, Lyon and Watmough putting the game
out of Newcastle’s reach. It was a disappointing fade-out for the Knights, but there was no disputing Manly’s
superiority on an evening when they once again underlined their credentials as genuine premiership contenders
for 2008.
Manly Sea Eagles 28 def Newcastle Knights 12
Sea Eagles : Tries – S Bell, J Lyon, S Matai, A Watmough, D Williams. Goals – M Orford 4/5.
Knights : Tries – J McManus 2, C Vuna. Goals – W Naiqama 0/3.
Referee – S Hayne. Crowd – 13,798 at Bluetongue Stadium.
North Queensland hosted Souths at Dairy Farmers Stadium on Saturday night, with both sides keen to achieve the
win to get off the bottom of the ladder. And a field goal to young half-back Chris Sandow was enough to get the
Rabbitohs over the line, giving Souths their third win on the trot and condemning the Cowboys to their 9th straight
defeat and bottom spot.
But for much of the night, it was looking like a comfortable win for the Cowboys. Ray Cashmere took advantage of
the field position afforded by a penalty to open the scoring, and from the kick-off the Cowboys ran the ball forward for
John Williams to score. Williams converted both tries, and the Cowboys held a 12-0 advantage. Against the run of
play, Roy Asotasi got a try back for the Rabbitohs on the back of a 60 metre run. But the Cowboys were looking the
stronger side and had several more scoring opportunities in the first half but failed to capitalise on them.
It was 12-4 at half time, but the floodgates opened after the break. But within 8 minutes of the restart, the Cowboys
had gone in three more times, taking full toll of some sloppy defence from the Rabbitohs. At 28-4, it looked like the
Cowboys’ 2-month long losing streak was finally coming to an end.
But somehow the Rabbitohs bounced off the canvas and got back into the contest. Backing themselves and taking
risks, the Rabbitohs were throwing the ball around and finding scoring chances. Star recruit Craig Wing, in his first
game since being injured in the opening round, was playing a pivotal role, scoring one of the tries and setting up
some others. Four tries in a row would come, the conversion of Luke Capewell’s 76th minute effort levelling the
scores.
The Rabbitohs completed the miracle comeback when teenage half-back Chris Sandow landed a field goal, and
what had been a remarkable effort to come from nowhere had been completed. The Rabbitohs, after a terrible start
to the season, had climbed off the bottom; while the Cowboys were left to wonder how this game had got away and
when their losing streak would ever come to an end.
South Sydney Rabbitohs 29 def North Queensland Cowboys 28
Rabbitohs : Tries – R Asotasi, L Capewell, B Champion, F Talanoa, C Wing. Goals – I Luke 4/5. Field Goals – C
Sandow 1/1.
Cowboys : Tries – A Graham 2, R Cashmere, B Harris, J Williams. Goals – J Williams 4/5.
Referee – T De las Heras. Crowd – 15,631 at Dairy Farmers Stadium.
Reuben Wiki played his 300th NRL game when his New Zealand Warriors side took on Wests Tigers at Leichhardt
on Sunday, and it was a day to remember as the Warriors won a high-scoring contest 28-26.
The first half hour was virtually a perfect start for the visitors, as the Warriors raced to a 16-0 lead. Ian Henderson
crashed over from dummy half for the opening try, and Sonny Fai found a gap in the Tigers’ defence and went for a
40 metre run to add the second. Nathan Fien ran in to score another and the Warriors held a good lead, one that
could have been greater but the Warriors were denied another try by the video referee. Taniela Tuiaki got one back
for the Tigers shortly before half time, but the Warriors were still 10 points in front and looking comfortable.
But the Warriors fell foul of the referee in the second half, and became the victims of an increasingly lopsided
penalty count and possession flow. And weight of opportunities would take its toll, Robbie Farah and Chris
Lawrence crossing the Warriors’ line to level the scores at 16-16.
On 65 minutes the Warriors were back in front, when Sonny Fai chipped and chased before setting up Lance
Hohaia. And when Sam Rapira crashed over to score three minute later, and both tries were converted, the
Warriors held a 12-point lead.
But the Warriors conceded yet another penalty, which gave the Tigers a scoring opportunity which Taniela Tuiaki
capitalised on to score. With five minutes to go, the margin was 6 points but the Warriors were never able to
establish the field position to attempt a field goal. And the Tigers would attack the line in the final minute, with Tuiaki
bringing up his hat-trick in the corner with just seconds on the clock. Brett Hodgson had a shot from the sideline to
convert, which would have sent the match into golden point; but the kick sailed wide, and the Warriors had hung on
just enough to take the two points.
New Zealand Warriors 28 def Wests Tigers 26
Warriors : Tries – S Fai, N Fien, I Henderson, L Hohaia, S Rapira. Goals – L Hohaia 2/3, M Witt 2/2.
Tigers : Tries – T Tuiaki 3, R Farah, C Lawrence. Goals – B Hodgson 3/5.
Referee – S Lyons. Crowd – 15,027 at Leichhardt Oval.
With Melbourne Storm being without 9 players on Origin duty, Parramatta capitalised on the good fortune the draw
provided to them by defeating the defending champions 24-22 at Parramatta Stadium on Sunday.
The Storm made the early front-running, with Sika Manu crashing over from close range for the first try before an
intercept and length of the field run by Joe Tomane gave them a 10-0 lead. Taulima Tautai got the Eels on the board
after chasing a grubber on the last tackle; and the Storm began to struggle with discipline. Twice the visitors were
penalised for late tackles, and both times the penalties would result in tries. Tom Williams and Joel Reddy were
the beneficiaries, and with Luke Burt converting both tries from the sideline the Eels held a 18-10 lead at half time.
The Storm fought back in the second half, but were twice denied by the video referee. But it would be third time lucky
when Manu sharked the crumbs after a Parramatta knock-on and scored, the conversion reducing the margin to 2
points.
Another soft penalty gave the Eels a set inside Melbourne’s 20 and Krisnan Inu capitalised to score and give the
Eels an 8-point buffer. And they would need it as Cooper Cronk with a strong running try cut the margin to 2 points
to set up a grandstand finish. But the parochial pro-Eels crowd would have their way, with the home side hanging
on in the final minutes to take the victory.
Parramatta Eels 24 def Melbourne Storm 22
Eels : Tries – K Inu, J Reddy, T Tautai, T Williams. Goals – L Burt 4/4.
Storm : Tries – S Manu 2, C Cronk, J Tomane. Goals – S Turner 2/2, C Cronk 1/2.
Referee – B Cummins. Crowd – 12,957 at Parramatta Stadium.
On a bitterly cold Monday night in Canberra, Cronulla celebrated Brett Kimmorley’s 250th game in style when the
Sharks took control in the second half to record a 36-24 win over the Raiders.
The Raiders made the early front-running, with tries in the first 10 minutes to Todd Carney and Bronx Goodwin
giving the home side a 12-0 advantage. But back to back penalties gave the Sharks a run of several sets in a row,
and weight of possession finally paid dividends when Luke Covell dived over to score in the corner. And on the
stroke of half time, Brett Kimmorley put up a bomb which Justin Carney was unable to control, Isaac De Gois
gathering the ball and strolling in for a try under the posts to level the scores at 12-12 at the break.
After the break, the Sharks were doing all the attacking. Mitch Brown was denied a try after the video referee ruled
the ball hadn’t been correctly grounded, but there was no need for technology to make a ruling when Ben Ross
crashed over to give the Sharks the lead for the first time. And a spectacular off-load by Kimmorley set up Dave
Simmons for another to put the Sharks 24-12 ahead.
Ryan Hinchcliffe got the Raiders back into the game, throwing a dummy to wrong-foot the Sharks’ defenders before
running in to score. But a chip and chase by Luke Covell restored the 12-point margin for the Sharks, and
Kimmorley helped put the result beyond doubt with a sensational offload to Ben Pomeroy. Even with David Milne
scoring a late try for the Raiders, this was to be Cronulla’s night.
The result sees the Sharks climb to third on the ladder, only their for and against keeping them behind the Sea
Eagles and Roosters. But for the Raiders, it was a blow to their finals hopes as they find themselves still a game
outside the 8.
Cronulla Sharks 36 def Canberra Raiders 24
Sharks : Tries – L Covell 2, I de Gois, B Pomeroy, B Ross, D Simmons. Goals – L Covell 6/6.
Raiders : Tries – T Carney, B Goodwin, R Hinchcliffe, D Milne. Goals – T Carney 4/4.
Referee – S Hampstead. Crowd – 9,136 at Canberra Stadium.
a dummy that wrong-footed the Titans’ defence to score in the corner. Jamie Soward converted from the sideline
with a magnificent kick into the wind to restore the St George lead. A late penalty goal stretched the margin to 4
points and ensured the Dragons would extend their winning streak to 6 games.
St George-Illawarra Dragons 26 def Gold Coast Titans 22
Dragons : Tries – B Hornby, B Lett, B Morris, C Stanley. Goals – J Soward 5/5.
Titans : Tries – B Delaney, B Jeffery, L O’Dwyer, M Rogers. Goals- M Rogers 3/5.
Referee – B Sutton. Crowd – 26,453 at Skilled Park.
Saturday night at Gosford saw Manly maintain a share of the ladder leadership when the Sea Eagles were 28-12
too good for an undermanned Newcastle lineup.
The Sea Eagles got off to a quick start, a cross kick from Jamie Lyon setting up David Williams. But the Knights
fought back, with wingers James McManus and Cooper Vuna scoring for the Knights to give them the lead. But Wes
Naiqama was having a poor night with the boot, and two appallingly executed attempts at conversion saw the
Knights lead at just two points.
Manly veteran Steve Menzies was playing his 336th game, equalling second place on the all-time list with only Terry
Lamb ahead of him. And Menzies showed his class with a sensational pass on the half hour to set up Steve Matai
for the Sea Eagles’ second try, one that put the Sea Eagles 10-8 ahead at half time.
The Sea Eagles took control of the game in the second half, with tries to Bell, Lyon and Watmough putting the game
out of Newcastle’s reach. It was a disappointing fade-out for the Knights, but there was no disputing Manly’s
superiority on an evening when they once again underlined their credentials as genuine premiership contenders
for 2008.
Manly Sea Eagles 28 def Newcastle Knights 12
Sea Eagles : Tries – S Bell, J Lyon, S Matai, A Watmough, D Williams. Goals – M Orford 4/5.
Knights : Tries – J McManus 2, C Vuna. Goals – W Naiqama 0/3.
Referee – S Hayne. Crowd – 13,798 at Bluetongue Stadium.
North Queensland hosted Souths at Dairy Farmers Stadium on Saturday night, with both sides keen to achieve the
win to get off the bottom of the ladder. And a field goal to young half-back Chris Sandow was enough to get the
Rabbitohs over the line, giving Souths their third win on the trot and condemning the Cowboys to their 9th straight
defeat and bottom spot.
But for much of the night, it was looking like a comfortable win for the Cowboys. Ray Cashmere took advantage of
the field position afforded by a penalty to open the scoring, and from the kick-off the Cowboys ran the ball forward for
John Williams to score. Williams converted both tries, and the Cowboys held a 12-0 advantage. Against the run of
play, Roy Asotasi got a try back for the Rabbitohs on the back of a 60 metre run. But the Cowboys were looking the
stronger side and had several more scoring opportunities in the first half but failed to capitalise on them.
It was 12-4 at half time, but the floodgates opened after the break. But within 8 minutes of the restart, the Cowboys
had gone in three more times, taking full toll of some sloppy defence from the Rabbitohs. At 28-4, it looked like the
Cowboys’ 2-month long losing streak was finally coming to an end.
But somehow the Rabbitohs bounced off the canvas and got back into the contest. Backing themselves and taking
risks, the Rabbitohs were throwing the ball around and finding scoring chances. Star recruit Craig Wing, in his first
game since being injured in the opening round, was playing a pivotal role, scoring one of the tries and setting up
some others. Four tries in a row would come, the conversion of Luke Capewell’s 76th minute effort levelling the
scores.
The Rabbitohs completed the miracle comeback when teenage half-back Chris Sandow landed a field goal, and
what had been a remarkable effort to come from nowhere had been completed. The Rabbitohs, after a terrible start
to the season, had climbed off the bottom; while the Cowboys were left to wonder how this game had got away and
when their losing streak would ever come to an end.
South Sydney Rabbitohs 29 def North Queensland Cowboys 28
Rabbitohs : Tries – R Asotasi, L Capewell, B Champion, F Talanoa, C Wing. Goals – I Luke 4/5. Field Goals – C
Sandow 1/1.
Cowboys : Tries – A Graham 2, R Cashmere, B Harris, J Williams. Goals – J Williams 4/5.
Referee – T De las Heras. Crowd – 15,631 at Dairy Farmers Stadium.
Reuben Wiki played his 300th NRL game when his New Zealand Warriors side took on Wests Tigers at Leichhardt
on Sunday, and it was a day to remember as the Warriors won a high-scoring contest 28-26.
The first half hour was virtually a perfect start for the visitors, as the Warriors raced to a 16-0 lead. Ian Henderson
crashed over from dummy half for the opening try, and Sonny Fai found a gap in the Tigers’ defence and went for a
40 metre run to add the second. Nathan Fien ran in to score another and the Warriors held a good lead, one that
could have been greater but the Warriors were denied another try by the video referee. Taniela Tuiaki got one back
for the Tigers shortly before half time, but the Warriors were still 10 points in front and looking comfortable.
But the Warriors fell foul of the referee in the second half, and became the victims of an increasingly lopsided
penalty count and possession flow. And weight of opportunities would take its toll, Robbie Farah and Chris
Lawrence crossing the Warriors’ line to level the scores at 16-16.
On 65 minutes the Warriors were back in front, when Sonny Fai chipped and chased before setting up Lance
Hohaia. And when Sam Rapira crashed over to score three minute later, and both tries were converted, the
Warriors held a 12-point lead.
But the Warriors conceded yet another penalty, which gave the Tigers a scoring opportunity which Taniela Tuiaki
capitalised on to score. With five minutes to go, the margin was 6 points but the Warriors were never able to
establish the field position to attempt a field goal. And the Tigers would attack the line in the final minute, with Tuiaki
bringing up his hat-trick in the corner with just seconds on the clock. Brett Hodgson had a shot from the sideline to
convert, which would have sent the match into golden point; but the kick sailed wide, and the Warriors had hung on
just enough to take the two points.
New Zealand Warriors 28 def Wests Tigers 26
Warriors : Tries – S Fai, N Fien, I Henderson, L Hohaia, S Rapira. Goals – L Hohaia 2/3, M Witt 2/2.
Tigers : Tries – T Tuiaki 3, R Farah, C Lawrence. Goals – B Hodgson 3/5.
Referee – S Lyons. Crowd – 15,027 at Leichhardt Oval.
With Melbourne Storm being without 9 players on Origin duty, Parramatta capitalised on the good fortune the draw
provided to them by defeating the defending champions 24-22 at Parramatta Stadium on Sunday.
The Storm made the early front-running, with Sika Manu crashing over from close range for the first try before an
intercept and length of the field run by Joe Tomane gave them a 10-0 lead. Taulima Tautai got the Eels on the board
after chasing a grubber on the last tackle; and the Storm began to struggle with discipline. Twice the visitors were
penalised for late tackles, and both times the penalties would result in tries. Tom Williams and Joel Reddy were
the beneficiaries, and with Luke Burt converting both tries from the sideline the Eels held a 18-10 lead at half time.
The Storm fought back in the second half, but were twice denied by the video referee. But it would be third time lucky
when Manu sharked the crumbs after a Parramatta knock-on and scored, the conversion reducing the margin to 2
points.
Another soft penalty gave the Eels a set inside Melbourne’s 20 and Krisnan Inu capitalised to score and give the
Eels an 8-point buffer. And they would need it as Cooper Cronk with a strong running try cut the margin to 2 points
to set up a grandstand finish. But the parochial pro-Eels crowd would have their way, with the home side hanging
on in the final minutes to take the victory.
Parramatta Eels 24 def Melbourne Storm 22
Eels : Tries – K Inu, J Reddy, T Tautai, T Williams. Goals – L Burt 4/4.
Storm : Tries – S Manu 2, C Cronk, J Tomane. Goals – S Turner 2/2, C Cronk 1/2.
Referee – B Cummins. Crowd – 12,957 at Parramatta Stadium.
On a bitterly cold Monday night in Canberra, Cronulla celebrated Brett Kimmorley’s 250th game in style when the
Sharks took control in the second half to record a 36-24 win over the Raiders.
The Raiders made the early front-running, with tries in the first 10 minutes to Todd Carney and Bronx Goodwin
giving the home side a 12-0 advantage. But back to back penalties gave the Sharks a run of several sets in a row,
and weight of possession finally paid dividends when Luke Covell dived over to score in the corner. And on the
stroke of half time, Brett Kimmorley put up a bomb which Justin Carney was unable to control, Isaac De Gois
gathering the ball and strolling in for a try under the posts to level the scores at 12-12 at the break.
After the break, the Sharks were doing all the attacking. Mitch Brown was denied a try after the video referee ruled
the ball hadn’t been correctly grounded, but there was no need for technology to make a ruling when Ben Ross
crashed over to give the Sharks the lead for the first time. And a spectacular off-load by Kimmorley set up Dave
Simmons for another to put the Sharks 24-12 ahead.
Ryan Hinchcliffe got the Raiders back into the game, throwing a dummy to wrong-foot the Sharks’ defenders before
running in to score. But a chip and chase by Luke Covell restored the 12-point margin for the Sharks, and
Kimmorley helped put the result beyond doubt with a sensational offload to Ben Pomeroy. Even with David Milne
scoring a late try for the Raiders, this was to be Cronulla’s night.
The result sees the Sharks climb to third on the ladder, only their for and against keeping them behind the Sea
Eagles and Roosters. But for the Raiders, it was a blow to their finals hopes as they find themselves still a game
outside the 8.
Cronulla Sharks 36 def Canberra Raiders 24
Sharks : Tries – L Covell 2, I de Gois, B Pomeroy, B Ross, D Simmons. Goals – L Covell 6/6.
Raiders : Tries – T Carney, B Goodwin, R Hinchcliffe, D Milne. Goals – T Carney 4/4.
Referee – S Hampstead. Crowd – 9,136 at Canberra Stadium.
| ROUND 17 FIXTURES: (All times shown are Sydney time) Wednesday 2nd July State of Origin III - New South Wales v Queensland (8:00pm, ANZ Stadium) Friday 4th July Gold Coast v Manly (7:30pm, Skilled Park) Saturday 5th July Newcastle v St George-Illawarra (7:30pm, Energy Australia Stadium) Sunday 6th July Melbourne v Canberra (2:00pm, Olympic Park) Parramatta v Penrith (3:00pm, Parramatta Stadium) Monday 7th July Bulldogs v South Sydney (7:00pm, ANZ Stadium) BYE - Brisbane, North Queensland, Sydney Roosters, Cronulla, Wests Tigers, NZ Warriors |
|
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
