Hip drop drama as Johnson seals 20-point comeback in final seconds

One-time Sharks marquee buy Shaun Johnson has returned to the Shire and secured one of the most famous, controversial wins in Warriors history courtesy of a last-minute penalty against Royce Hunt for pushing Josh Curran in a kick chase.

The Warriors had trailed by 20 points after as many minutes, and a madcap contest featuring two contentious sin-bins for hip drops was not over until after the final siren, when the Warriors led by two points but still had their hearts in their mouths.

Cronulla pin-up Nicho Hynes had the chance to send the game into golden point with a penalty attempt of his own into a howling wind at PointsBet Stadium, but couldn’t make the distance to keep the Sharks alive.

This was a contest they’ll be talking about all week, not least because of the decisions to sin-bin first Marata Niukore on the stroke of half-time, and then Dale Finucane in the 74th minute, for hip drop tackles.

“From my point of view, there was no intention whatsoever to have a hip drop,” said Finucane after being marched for his tackle on Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad. “There was no malice or intent intended whatsoever.”

Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon was confused about both Finucane’s sin-binning and the penalty against Hunt, openly asking journalists in his post-game press conference when the offence had occurred because he had not seen a clear-cut infringement.

Shaun Johnson came back to haunt his former club in the Warriors’ come-from-behind win over Cronulla.Credit: Getty

The call against Niukore — for a one-man tackle on Siosifa Talakai from behind — in particular perplexed commentators and fans alike given it was not picked up at the time referee Ben Cummins, but was instead pulled up by the Bunker.

“I’m not a fan of going back,” Warriors coach Andrew Webster said. “That’s no criticism on anyone who is making those decisions around tonight.”

Through five tries apiece and a thoroughly entertaining contest, Johnson lined up a 40-metre penalty goal with less than a minute remaining after Curran had been pursuing a grubbering ball with scores level.

Hunt was ruled to have pushed him off the ball having made the most incidental of touches as the pair and Matt Moylan all chased the Steeden.

Dale Finucane is sent for a spell by referee Ben Cummins.Credit: Getty

Up stepped Johnson to line up a shot at goal in the most difficult conditions, having a few minutes earlier failed to find touch when Finucane was sin-binned.

“That was off its head,” a flabbergasted Johnson told Fox Sports after full-time, revealing Warriors players had joked of “telling our grandkids” about a monumental comeback if it could be pulled off.

“Whenever we used to do pre-season, [former Cronulla coach] John Morris used to make me kick goals at the end of a training session. And he’d say, ‘if you get it, training is over and done for the day’. He’d make me kick them from the sideline with all the boys watching, and I went back to that moment. What a feeling.”

Cronulla’s early lead was forged through three tries inside the opening 14 minutes, with the home side holding a comfortable 26-12 lead at half-time.

But despite being down to 12 men, the Warriors scored two tries with Niukore in the bin, the first thanks to a kick that went through the usually safe hands of Cronulla’s Ronaldo Mulitalo, with Johnson scoring from his error. From there the game went back and forth as Edward Kosi, Mulitalo and Curran traded four-pointers before Johnson stepped up with less than a minute remaining.

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