Injury plagued Sharks dig deep to edge Titans 26-18 in Brisbane

Only a week after upsetting Melbourne with $3 million worth of playing talent on the sidelines, Cronulla went and doubled down after losing not one, but two props, to beat the Titans in the Magic Round opener.

Paul Gallen hushes the Queensland crowd after kicking the final goal.

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Trick one for Magic Round was making a 120kg Shark disappear.

Tattoos, bad haircut, all of it gone.

And as for when Andrew Fifita comes back? Or where?

Important questions given the Sharkies now boast more wounded than a Quentin Tarantino flick.

And still in this one, they got up.

Paul Gallen hushes the Queensland crowd after kicking the final goal.

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Again.

Incredible.

Only a week after upsetting Melbourne with $3 million worth of playing talent on the sidelines, Cronulla went and doubled down after losing not one, but two starting props -- in Fifita (hamstring) and Matt Prior (left shoulder) -- during the opening to rugby league’s hyped Magic Round at Suncorp Stadium.

Better, it was the guy in everything who scored the try that sealed it.

Andrew Fifita suffered a hamstring injury early on. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

Yep, Paul Gallen.

Aka Public Enemy No.1 in Queensland.

The skipper even kicking the goal to cap his outstanding night.

“Huge effort by Gal,” Cronulla coach John Morris said afterwards.

“Played the first 50 minutes and finished the game with 200m gained, a try and -- I didn’t think I’d say this -- a goal.

“So what a way to go out at Suncorp Stadium.

“I think he was one from nine up here in a Sharks jersey and about four from 21 in all games. I was thinking, geez, should I even play him with those numbers?

“But in typical Gal fashion he got the job done.”

They all did, right?

“The boys showed some real heart, especially with the talent we had on the sidelines,” Morris added.

“We’re kind of getting used to playing without that talent at the moment.

“They just keep finding a way.”

Chad Townsend had a big game against the Titans.

CHAD RAD

Put simply, Cronulla No.7 Chad Townsend was outstanding

Passed for two tries. Kicked for a third.

Major hand in a fourth.

Like his famed hairstyle, unflappable.

And all while missing a host of team-mates including Wade Graham, Matt Moylan, Shaun Johnson and Aaron Woods.

Afterwards, Morris said that apart from having Moylan back next week, he was also hopeful to again have both Fifita -- who suffered “a minor hamstring complaint” -- and Prior, kept off as a precaution after burners “localised in his neck”.

Elsewhere, the Sharks bench were strong while rookie five-eighth Kyle Flanagan continually threatened and then booted a pressure penalty goal to put his side ahead 20-18 with five minutes to play.

The Suncorp Stadium turf is set for a massive test over the weekend.

J-MOZ FIRES

Once upon a time, twins Josh and Brett Morris almost sent the TAB broke.

Or at least put a dent in them.

And so it was again in this one for J-Moz. Not content with being the game’s first tryscorer, the Sharks centre went and scored a second, helped orchestrate a third and continually threatened to such an extent, it likely left Titans opposite Brian Kelly seeing, err, double.

LISTEN! Latrell-mania has hit fever pitch but can he be considered among the game’s best players? And Matty also recalls the day the legendary Steve Rogers knocked on the door of the Johns family home. Tune in for the Matty Johns podcast with Kenty and Hoops.

IF YOU BUILD IT ...

Congratulations to the NRL for rolling the dice on this Magic Round concept, which saw a solid opening night crowd of 17,113.

Gold Coast alone shipped 26 busloads of fans north for what finished up the highest crowd between these two sides since way back in 2008.

About the only issue was the state of the Suncorp surface, which did appear to lift at times during the game. Perhaps a case of watch this space.

Jesse Arthars is taken over the sideline by some desperate Sharks defence.

ALMOST HISTORY

Gold Coast debutant Jesse Arthars came within a bee’s appendage of history, and becoming the ultimate pub trivia question, after appearing to score with his very first touch in the NRL.

Coming into the game with 28 minutes gone, the Titans young gun appeared to have been gifted a try following a fumble by Sharks winger Aaron Gray. However replays showed the Steeden had hit Gray’s leg when he had a boot over the sideline, before Arthars scooped it up.

CRONULLA 26 (A Gray 2 J Morris 2 P Gallen tries K Flanagan 2 P Gallen goals) bt GOLD COAST 18(A Brimson D Copley T Peachey tries M Gordon 3 goals) at Suncorp Stadium. Referee: David Munro, Grant Atkins.