NRL 2024 round nine: Cronulla Sharks defeat St George Illawarra Dragons 20-10, heavy rain floods PointsBet Stadium

The Sharks stayed afloat at a flooding PointsBet Stadium to defeat the Dragons, with Shane Flanagan falling short against his former club.

Shark Park is flooded ahead of derby against the Dragons.

When they shout your name at the old Shark Park it’s safe to say you’re among the favourites of the local fan base.

And so it appears for giant bookend Tom Hazelton who was serenaded to repeated cheers of “Tommy, Tommy” after scoring the match-winning try for this team on Sunday afternoon at PointsBet Stadium.

It was 25-year-old Hazelton’s fourth try in eight games this season but Cronulla captain Cam McInnes said the 116kg Goulburn product – promoted by Sharks great Gavin Miller – remained a “country boy, no-nonsense, so humble.”

“He’s scoring tries but he’s being really physical and working really hard and those are the things that we love about big Tommy,“ McInnes said.

“He’s got a bit of X-factor about his game, too, which is great for us. We love him.”

SLOAN REPORTED

Dragons fullback Tyrell Sloan was put on report for a trip on Sione Katoa in the 65th minute.

Tyrell Sloan was placed on report. Picture: NRL Photos

Looking to bring down the runaway Sharks winger, the fullback thrust out a leg as the winger stepped inside him.

Katoa pleaded with referee Todd Smith to penalise Sloan but quickly played the ball before Hazelton rumbled over.

Thomas Hazelton was among the tries again. Picture: Matt King/Getty Images

SMASH-UP DERBY

Though the try took the Sharks eight points clear, it was defence that won Cronulla the derby, according to Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon.

“We were under a lot of pressure, the amount of six-agains, penalties. But sometimes you hold your gloves up for long enough and finally the dam will break and you’ll score,” Fitzgibbon said.

“I was pretty pleased with how we came out of that.

“But what is it, round nine? Assessing where we’re at, there’s so much can happen until the end of the year. We’re going good. We’ve been pretty consistent. We’re happy with that.”

The Sharks’ 20-10 win sees them stay top of the ladder on points difference with Melbourne Storm, whom they will play next Saturday night at AAMI Park

Jaydn Su'a looks to evade the Sharks defence. Picture: Matt King/Getty Images

FIRST HALF BLUDGER

The derby game was a passionate if largely tawdry affair - at least for the neutral onlooker.

There were high kicks, penalties, gritty defensive efforts and surprisingly high numbers of completed sets given the rainy, chilly and squally conditions.

“It was a good contest, wasn’t it?” Fitzgibbon said. “We expected that. Obviously the derby, the rivalry. Their loss last week, they were going to respond to that. Irrespective of ladder position, they’re tough.”

After 12 minutes of what Ray Warren may have called a “deadset completion-a-thon”, the Dragons attacked Cronulla’s northern try-line but Origin aspirant Zac Lomax grassed a flat pass.

A penalty and an attacking set later, Oregon Kaufusi rumbled through some ordinary Dragons’ goal-line ‘D’ to render so many first try-scorer betting stubs redundant. It was Kaufusi’s fourth try in 99 NRL games.

Mikaele Ravalawa notched two tries for the Dragons. Picture: Matt King/Getty Images

RAVALAWA DOUBLE

In greasy conditions the odds for a half-time draw shortened when Mikaele Ravalawa crossed in the corner but Zac Lomax just missed the conversion.

With 11 seconds to go until half-time Ravalawa was over for try number two following slick work inside by Ben Hunt and Sloan.

Lomax’s booming conversion from the paint made it 10-6 and largely silenced the PointsBet Stadium crowd of 9,731.

Nicholas Hynes makes a break. Picture: Matt King/Getty Images

FLANAGAN’S HYNES TEST

Dragons halfback Kyle Flanagan appeared eager to engage in a running battle with Nicho Hynes in the first half.

Following a Hynes kick, Flanagan tackled his opposite number and “went on with it”, as Warren might have said, before the pair “exchanged pleasantries”.

An earlier Flanagan bomb was caught in-goal by Hynes. The Sharks star passed to Sione Katoa who took off to catch the Dragons defensive line back-pedalling.

Referee Todd Smith ordered Katoa to stop and tap the ball once the defensive line had retreated 10 metres.

LIDDLE’S HEAD KNOCK

Dragons hooker Jacob Liddle was taken off for a head injury assessment after being on the wrong end of a mighty charge by Braden Hamlin-Uele.

Liddle was sent reeling backwards following the tackle but it was several minutes before he was hooked by the bunker.

Liddle was among his team’s best with 51 tackles and dangerous darts from dummy-half.

Shark Park was flooded ahead of derby against the Dragons.

The Sharks turned to DIY solutions to drain their ground.

HEAVY STORM FLOODS SHARK PARK AHEAD OF DRAGONS CLASH

The main entry to PointsBet Stadium is almost completely under water just hours before kick-off between the Sharks and the Dragons while sections of the playing surface are also submerged.

Heavy rain has forced the flooding of Captain Cook Drive with the entry point to the stadium heavily impacted.

Images show the main gate unable to be accessed due to the rain and sections of the playing surface under water.

It’s a case of all hands on deck at the Sharks with CEO Dino Mezzatesta heading to Bunnings early on Sunday morning, to personally purchase pressure pumps and hoses.

The Sharks have begun removing water from the field of play and the most affected areas of the in-goal.

The match was sold out on Thursday but the weather is expected to keep some of the capacity crowd away.

Originally published as NRL 2024 round nine: Cronulla Sharks defeat St George Illawarra Dragons 20-10, heavy rain floods PointsBet Stadium