2016 NRL grand final: Melbourne Storm v Cronulla Sharks at ANZ Stadium

EMOTIONS were high as Cronulla broke their title drought — none more so than with Sharks skipper Paul Gallen, who gave a raw on-field interview. HOW THE MATCH UNFOLDED

EMOTIONS were high as the Cronulla Sharks ended 50 years of pain with a breakthrough grand final win over Melbourne Storm.

Skipper Paul Gallen was overcome as he spoke on the field just moments after helping his side hold on for the famous 14-12 win at ANZ Stadium. “Oh man, I can’t tell you how proud I am of these blokes,” Gallen said. “Three weeks ago I was in f***en hospital, I couldn’t walk, I watched the blokes beat Canberra, I was crying on the lounge I was so proud of them. “The way they did it, oh my god they’re the best blokes ever, they are so good. “I can believe it because of the hard work we have put in. To do this, this is awesome I’m so proud of them. I’m so happy, so proud of them.” BREAKTHROUGH: Super Sharks end 50-year title drought WHO STARRED, STRUGGLED: NRL grand final player ratings BUZZ ROTHFIELD: The greatest night of our lives RETIRING?: Did Rabs save his best for last grand final? SKIPPER SHINES: Gallen‘s moment of pure brilliance THE RETIREE: ‘The Menace’ saves biggest play for last EPIC EFFORT: Smith’s 72 tackles can’t save the Storm When asked about the Storm’s dramatic comeback in the last 20 minutes, Gallen said he had faith in his team. “Stay composed, stick to the system, we had a five-minute period where we had possession, we got back to doing that, Andrew Fifita, he crashed over, we held on for 10 minutes, it was awesome.”

Originally published as 2016 NRL grand final: Melbourne Storm v Cronulla Sharks at ANZ Stadium

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