Cronulla Sharks console Chad Townsend after second-half shocker in loss to Canberra Raiders
Sharks teammates could only console Chad Townsend after Cronulla lost a very winnable game against the Canberra Raiders.
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Sharks teammates could only console Chad Townsend after the halfback missed three shots at goal in the second half as Canberra somehow held on for a 12-10 win to spoil Wade Graham’s 250th game in the NRL.
Having nailed 6/6 last week, Townsend could only manage 1/4, including two misses in the final five minutes.
Cronulla fans were cheering on the miracle when Josh Dugan scored one of the scrappiest tries ever seen to cut the margin to two, but his halfback couldn’t convert from out wide, having earlier missed from much closer to the posts.
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The veteran was then given another shot at glory when the Sharks successfully challenged a lost ball, but his effort from the left sideline never looked close as it hooked wide.
“It’s not about Chad Townsend. He set up two tries for us. It’s never about that in my eyes, it’s about the 17 players that were out there,” John Morris said.
“Chaddy’s obviously not happy with a couple of his kicks, but it shouldn’t have been about that. Whenever I felt we had a chance to push ahead in the game, we’d come up with a cheap error.
“He’s been outstanding all pre-season. If you could see the amount of work he’s put into his goal-kicking, you’d see he’s a true professional, and that’s why he’d be disappointed in himself.”
Incredibly, Matt Moylan had a chance to level the scores when he attempted the first two-point field goal in NRL history, but his audacious attempt from 57 metres out barely got off the ground as Canberra somehow hung on for victory.
It’s a similar story for the Sharks who lost a stack of matches in 2019 when they scored more tries than their opponents, and they sorely missed regular sharpshooter Shaun Johnson who is out with an Achilles injury.
Townsend had no hesitation to line-up for the match-equalling penalty conversion.
“I’ve been practicing my goal-kicking for four months,” Townsend told ABC Sport. “I’ll wear it. I’ll face up and own it. We need to be better — myself included.
“I feel like I let the boys down. Sometimes stuff doesn’t go your own way. You have to get back on the horse. I’ve busted my backside all summer to get the goal-kicking job. I backed myself to kick it. I’ll move on to the next job.”
GRAHAM’S HEARTBREAK
He’s the heart and soul of the club, but the writing was on the wall from the moment Wade Graham battled to get through the banner celebrating his 250-game milestone.
What should have been a memorable night turned into 80 minutes of frustration as the dogged Sharks struggled to penetrate Canberra’s almost impenetrable wall in miserable conditions in Sydney’s south.
He was as tenacious ever, constantly in the face of Canberra’s playmakers, but just couldn’t come up with the moment of magic to get his side over the line.
“I think we were a little bit nervous because we wanted to get it done for him,” Morris conceded.
“He’s been an absolute champion. He came to the club as a young, carefree player, and he’s developed into a leader and a world-class player.
“He stands for everything the Sharks are about, and he gives this team an identity.”
GREAT SCOTT
Curtis Scott has had his ups and downs over the years, but Sharks fans will be lamenting the one that got away after the Raiders centre came up with a monumental play before half-time to set up his side’s second try.
The Cronulla-Caringbah junior was first to react to a loose ball near halfway, toed it ahead and then beat to Sharks players to the footy to give his side field position, which eventually led to a Hudson Young barge over.
Those are the plays that make coaches proud, and it’s what the Green Machine need from a man who is starting to find his feet after a turbulent 2020.
“Games like this, you look for the small moments such as Curtis’ execution. That’s what you value in individuals,” Ricky Stuart said.
SMASH HITS
It’s time to bring back Brut Big Hits to honour the monster shots that make our game so great.
With opportunities hard to come by, Canberra produced three of the biggest hits of the year to give YouTube producers enough highlights to make a mega mix that would fetch millions of views overseas.
Ryan James, Josh Papalii and Jack Wighton each produced bellringers, but incredibly the smaller Cronulla players were able to get up every time.
Originally published as Cronulla Sharks console Chad Townsend after second-half shocker in loss to Canberra Raiders
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