Ben Barba brilliant as Cronulla Sharks cement top four spot with thrashing over Canberra Raiders

BEN Barba scored a double and ignited a brilliant Cronulla attacking display as they thrashed the Raiders in an ominous warning to their premiership rivals.

Ben Barba of the Sharks celebrates after scoring a try during the Round 7 NRL match between the Canberra Raiders and the Cronulla Sharks at GIO Stadium in Canberra, Sunday, April 17, 2016. (AAP Image/Lukas Coch) NO ARCHIVING, EDITORIAL USE ONLY

THEY’VE always had the grit and the grind — now Cronulla finally has the glamour to go with it.

On the back of a 40-16 belting of a mistake-riddled Canberra that Ricky Stuart on Sunday conceded was embarrassing, the Sharks made their own statement about their intentions for the 2016 season.

And let’s just say this: if the Broncos and Cowboys are ahead of the rest in the NRL like everyone keeps saying, then the Sharks are up there with Parramatta next in line.

And unlike the Eels, they don’t have a salary cap punishment hanging over their heads.

Sunday was their fourth win in a row and you don’t do that in this competition unless you are a fair dinkum football side.

Going into the season there was plenty of concern as to how Shane Flanagan would manage squeezing three fullbacks into his team without it all ending in tears for someone.

But on Sunday the Sharks proved again why it’s been a blessing in disguise — as Ben Barba finished with a tryscoring double while Jack Bird and Valentine Holmes also crossed in the seven tries to three demolition.

Asked if the difference this year is that the Sharks now have points in them, Flanagan agreed: “That is what I said to the boys.

“We have probably been a team over the years that we could go into a dogfight and scrap it out.

“But to be able to score 40 is a real pleasing point. We don’t do it too often.

“I would like to think we can more regularly this year.”

For Barba in particular, he just keeps getting better by the week.

After revealing last week that he contemplated quitting the game during the off-season, his two tries on Sunday brought even more flashbacks to his Dally M Medal winning year.

A stat to back that up is that Barba has now crossed in his last four games — and the last time he managed that in consecutive matches was in 2012 when he had that magical year.

“Today he was great again,” Flanagan said.

“At the back he is safe and when there is a try on he seems to nail it.

“It’s great to see that he is happy and playing good footy again.”

But as good as Barba was, there were stars for Cronulla across the board.

All their forwards out-muscled the Raiders with Paul Gallen carrying his usual load, 22 hit ups for 173 metres.

While James Maloney had a day out with an individual tally of 16 points that included a try and six goals and certainly would have sent his own message to Laurie Daley.

As would Michael Ennis’s performance with his work out of dummy half giving the Raiders as many headaches as his niggling tactics that frustrated the hell out of both opposition and the referees.

As good as the Sharks looked in attack, their defence was equally impressive.

Especially in the first half when the Raiders had a mountain of possession yet Cronulla still went to the break 12-0 ahead.

“I think we are developing,” Flanagan added. “We are getting better week after week.

“There is still a lot of improvement as well I think.

“I was really pleased today with our defence.

“We let a couple of soft tries in ... but you know, defensively I thought we were strong and ruthless and had some real intent in our game.”

It makes it five wins out of seven games this year for Cronulla with their last loss against the Sea Eagles back in round three.

Cronulla’s next mission will be Penrith next Sunday while the Raiders take on Wests Tigers at home on Saturday.

Originally published as Ben Barba brilliant as Cronulla Sharks cement top four spot with thrashing over Canberra Raiders