Chad Townsend, Wade Graham suspensions puts Cronulla Sharks season in jeopardy
Cronulla’s finals hopes have been dealt a blow with star half Chad Townsend and backrower Wade Graham pleading guilty to heavy charges from their spiteful game against the Knights.
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Cronulla’s top-eight hopes have taken a huge hit with veteran halfback Chad Townsend to miss the rest of the regular season after he took the early guilty plea for his shoulder charge on Newcastle superstar Kalyn Ponga.
Townsend’s first game back from injury ended abruptly when he became the third player to be sent off in 2020 for launching at Ponga even though referee Ben Cummins had called time-off during Cronulla’s 38-10 loss in Newcastle.
The 29-year-old was hit with a grade three shoulder charge and will miss the next three matches after he pleaded guilty on Sunday.
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The news gets worse for the Sharks with skipper Wade Graham banned for two games for his part in a lifting tackle on Mason Lino, although teammate Toby Rudolf is free to play after he also took the early guilty plea for his role in the tackle.
Graham has long been the glue on Cronulla’s left edge, and they’ll miss his experience as they did in 2019 when they managed just seven wins from the 15 games that he was out injured.
He will be free to return for the round 20 clash against the Raiders in what could be a make-or-break game for their finals prospects, evoking memories of their do-or-die showdown at Leichhardt Oval last year.
The Sharks are four points clear of the Wests Tigers and the Warriors, with the latter a chance to close the gap when they take on the Eels later this afternoon.
Fittingly, the two sides close out round 18 when they meet next Sunday at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium. Cronulla smashed the Warriors 46-10 when they met earlier in the year, with Townsend setting up two tries.
Cronulla had their destiny in their own hands last week, but a horror draw to end the season means they may need to rely on other results should the Warriors keep their miraculous winning streak alive.
John Morris’ men finish the year with games against last year’s grand finalists the Roosters and the Raiders, and you’d expect them to start as long-priced outsiders in both of those fixtures.
“We’re still in the eight but certainly after games like that we don’t deserve to be. Blokes have got to have a real good hard look at themselves,” the embarrassed coach said after Friday’s game.
The only bit of good news is star playmaker Shaun Johnson should return from the groin/hamstring concerns that have kept him sidelined since the infamous bite against the Titans in round 14.
But even his return may not be enough after 80 minutes of madness in the Hunter that have made them the top eight’s hunted.