WARRIORS 40, SHARKS 10
Maybe this really could be the year of the New Zealand Warriors.
Coach Andrew Webster’s men completely outplayed Cronulla on Saturday night to triumph 40-10.
The Sharks were meant to be fresh off the bye and bounce back at home after a humiliating loss to the Sydney Roosters, but they were out-enthused all night by a side that made it win No.10 for the season.
Adam Pompey celebrates a try.Credit: Getty Images
Luke Metcalf, a former Cronulla half, was his usual brilliant self, setting up the Warriors’ first try, and producing some excellent tackles. Who will seriously deny Metcalf in the Dally M race should he stay fit?
James Fisher-Harris and Jackson Ford ran the ball hard, Adam Pompey is a seriously big dude, Kurt Capewell’s no-fuss attitude is exactly what his old club Brisbane need right now, Erin Clark is a contender for buy of the year (what were the Titans and Des Hasler thinking?), while late call-up Sam Healy, son of Sharks legend Mitch Healy, was also a handful out of dummy-half.
Warriors captain James Fisher-Harris.Credit: Getty Images
Club legend Shaun Johnson said on Fox League after full-time: “That was as complete a performance as I’ve seen from a Warriors side. There have been some good wins in the club’s history dating right back, but there’s something about this side that does hit different. It really does.”
The Warriors have the bye next week before hosting the Panthers, who are likely to rest their Origin stars, followed by the Broncos, Wests Tigers, Newcastle and Gold Coast Titans.
They have never won the premiership, but do not write them off this year. The rise and rise of the Warriors, along with Canberra and Canterbury, has breathed a new life into rugby league.
A team that desperately needs some life breathed into their campaign is Cronulla.
Some of the scenes late in their game at Shark Park were bad. A bit like Parramatta a few years ago under then coach Brad Arthur, Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon has stuck solid with the core group of players who suddenly look a little stale.
It is hard to put the finger on what they need. They did beat the Storm last month, but the Roosters loss that followed was disappointing, while the Warriors display was even worse.
They did not help themselves in the first half with their discipline. The penalties also came deep inside the Warriors’ half, which allowed the visitors to keep marching down field when they should have been scrapping for every metre.
Injuries have not been kind with KL Iro suffering a pec injury, but not before helping himself to a first-half four-pointer, the ninth consecutive game he has got across the line this year.
One thing they could do is encourage Nicho Hynes to start running the ball more. He has barely tucked the ball under the arm and taken a carry this year, and the one time he did, just before half-time, he burst down field and put the Sharks on the attack.
They probably should have led at the break, only for Braden Hamlin-Uele to grab a Braydon Trindall grubber, then have the ball knocked out of his hands in a contest with Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad.
They host St George Illawarra next Thursday.