NRL 2020: Cronulla Sharks beat New Zealand Warriors 22-14 | Match Report
The NRL top eight is locked and loaded for the 2020 finals series with Cronulla Sharks securing their spot with two late tries putting and end to the Warriors dream run for 2020 in Shaun Johnson’s first game as skipper.
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Shaun Johnson returned from injury to help secure Cronulla’s place in the finals and end his former club’s season with a thrilling 22-14 win over the Warriors.
With two rounds remaining, the top eight is now locked and loaded after the Sharks secured the final place in the play-offs – ending the hopes of the Warriors, Wests Tigers, Sea Eagles and Titans.
Manly star Joel Thompson even tweeted his support for the Warriors in a bid to keep his side’s chances alive – but Cronulla spoiled the party.
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Johnson had missed three games with groin and hamstring injuries but was brilliant on his return to ensure the Sharks will play in their sixth consecutive finals series.
He set up the opening two tries of the game with delicate kicks to wingers Sione Katoa and Ronaldo Mulitalo, before having a hand in the match-winning try with six minutes to go.
“It was great to have him (Johnson) back. I gave him the captaincy because I think he’s had a super consistent year. He was a little bit rusty at times, but he set up two tries with two really nice kicks,” Sharks coach John Morris said.
“He was good around the group and was up for a big game against his former club. I thought he was really good.”
Storm 36 Cowboys 20: Full match report here
FAST FINISH
The player the Warriors wanted to sign earlier this season, Toby Rudolph, ended the New Zealanders’ season when he crashed over for the match-winning try with six minutes left on the clock.
It was the young forward’s first ever NRL try, which also happened to be the Cronulla’s most important four-pointer of the season.
Rudolph had all but signed with the Auckland-based club earlier this year before changing his mind and re-signing for another year with the Sharks.
“He’s been massive for us. With ‘Tobes’ (Rudolph) I’m not too sure how far down the line he went with the Warriors there. It was around the time the game was suspended and there was a lot of uncertainty what contracts would look like,” Morris said.
“There was a period there that we thought we may have lost him, but he had some family issues and he didn’t want to leave Sydney.
“He knew I didn’t want to let go of him and it was always my intention to keep him and it’s fantastic that he chose to stay at the club.”
With Cronulla set to play the Raiders and Roosters in the final two rounds, there was a massive sigh of relief across the shire as the Sharks pulled-off a much-needed victory.
“Rugby league is about character building, but as the old saying goes, sometimes it’s not about character building but character revealing. It was a true test of our character,” Morris said.
“The challenge for us was to find a solution and turn our game around. There was a lot of pressure on us and we knew what was riding on the game. We knew what the Warriors were playing for.
“We wanted the two competition points and that’s what we go – and we’ve been rewarded with finals footy. It was an unbelievable effort.”
BRAVE WARRIORS
The Warriors’ season may have come to an end on Sunday night, but they haven’t lost any admirers along the way.
The side has been away from home for months on end, are without a number of key players, have had loan players come and go, as well a mid-season coaching change.
Jack Murchie was one of the standouts for the visitors and was rewarded with his third NRL try on the stroke of half-time when he steamed onto a Roger Tuivasa-Sheck offload to score.
The Warriors scored one of the classiest tries of the year when centre Peta Hiku bounced off a couple of defenders before producing a stunning flick pass to winger Adam Pompey to score.
When Warriors youngster Chanel Harris-Tavita landed a 42-metre penalty goal with 18 minutes left, it looked like the visitors were going to claim a stunning victory, but they fell apart in the closing stages.
“I’m very proud of this organisation. I feel like we’ve become a team over the past eight weeks. It has showed in the way we played,” Warriors coach Todd Payten said.
“We’ve had performances that we should be proud of.
“We didn’t start well (against the Sharks) and we didn’t find any rhythm. We didn’t do what we aimed to do.
“To our credit, we found a way to get ourselves back in the contest, but we got what we deserved. It was disappointing and the boys are disappointed in the change rooms.
“There are a couple weeks left and we need to make sure we don’t give away the good work we’ve done.”
SHARKS 22 (Tries: Katoa, Mulitalo 2, Rudolf & Goals: Johnson 3/5) WARRIORS 14 (Tries: Murchie, Pompey & Goals: Harris-Tavita 3/3) at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium, Sydney.
COWBOYS REFUSE TO GO QUIETLY AS MCGUIRE SENT FOR VERBAL ABUSE
—Chris Honnery
A birthday double for Cameron Munster has guaranteed a top two finish for Melbourne just a fortnight out from the finals with a 36-20 win over North Queensland.
Playing in front of a sold out Sunshine Coast Stadium of 4056 fans, Munster celebrated his 26th birthday in style by scoring his third career double as Melbourne moved six points clear of the Roosters on the premiership ladder.
A second half fightback from the Cowboys revealed a small chink in Melbourne’s defensive armour and coach Craig Bellamy lamented his side’s drop in concentration.
“I was a little bit disappointed about how many points the Cowboys put on us,” Bellamy said.
“There was a couple of lapses there and I thought we lacked some urgency at stages in our defence.
“It’s that time of year you want to start finetuning things and I don’t think we did that tonight.
“Having said that, we’ve come off a big month.”
Despite a first half of poor goal line defence, Cowboys coach Josh Hannay was impressed that his side was able to put 20 points on the second-placed Storm.
“To the eye, it might look like we were throwing the footy around but there’s actually a method to the way we played,” Hannay
“We’ve been encouraging that style of play and a less structured approach.
“With the kind of players we have, we certainly have the ability to play an attractive brand of football.”
A GAME OF TWO HALVES
North Queensland’s first half defence was simply not good enough against the second-placed Melbourne side and had 31 missed tackles in the first 40 minutes.
Melbourne made them pay for their poor defence by putting on four tries to lead 24-4 at the break.
“The club needs to work really hard on their defensive aspects of the game,” Hannay said.
“A lot of that comes down to attitude.
“For young guys, that can be the part of the game they least like, the defensive side.”
The Cowboys looked a very different side in the second stanza, missing just eight tackles and looked a lot more dangerous in attack.
Valentine Holmes, Esan Marsters and Jake Clifford showed glimpses of their potential to outscore their opponents 16-12.
Marsters played one of his better games to finish with 149 running metres, a try and a try assist.
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MCGUIRE’S MOUTHFUL
Everyone was left wondering, what did Josh McGuire say to Grant Atkins?
The Cowboys firebrand was on the end of a first half send off for dissent after backchatting with the referee.
North Queensland were in possession at the time before a few choice words from McGuire saw him sent to the bin for 10 minutes and Melbourne gifted with possession close to the try line.
It proved costly for the Cowboys – who were leading 4-nil at the time – and the Storm were able to put on two tries against a 12-man Cowboys defensive line.
Errors have haunted the Cowboys in 2020 and it’s one area they need to fix.
OLD BOYS
Among those at the sold out Sunshine Coast Stadium on Sunday afternoon were a number of Melbourne’s Queensland-based old boys.
The likes of Michael Crocker, Stephen Kearney, Matt Geyer and Marcus Bai were sitting on the northern hill to cheer on their former club.
STORM 36 (Tries: Asofa-Solomona, Fa’asuamaleaui, Addo-Carr, Munster 2, Hughes & Goals: Smith 6/6) COWBOYS 20 (Tries: Tabuai-Fidow, Marsters, Feldt, Holmes & Goals: Holmes 2/4) at Sunshine Coast Stadium, Sunshine Coast.
Originally published as NRL 2020: Cronulla Sharks beat New Zealand Warriors 22-14 | Match Report