Sharks rout Cowboys as winger enjoys dream debut, Ponga injured in big Bulldogs’ win

SHARKS 42 COWBOYS 6

Craig Fitzgibbon labelled Cronulla’s near record win over a woeful Cowboys as his side’s most complete of the season as local junior Sam Stonestreet, who sat on the hill as a Sharks fan, celebrated a dream debut.

Falling just short of a club record equalling 38-point win over the Cowboys, the Sharks moved back to the top of the NRL ladder with a 42-6 mauling of North Queensland at PointsBet Stadium on Sunday.

Stonestreet, 21, had a hand in forcing Scott Drinkwater into error for the Sharks’ first try inside three minutes and then scored shortly after in the same south-western corner dozens of his family and friends were standing for a first-half try.

The winger’s childhood hero, ex-Sharks sharp shooter Luke Covell, sent a video message to Stonestreet before the match as he replaced the suspended Sione Katoa in the seven-tries-to-one thumping.

Sharks winger Sam Stonestreet scored on his NRL debut.Credit: Getty

“They’re the better parts of the week and job,” Fitzgibbon said. “A local junior who grew up a Sharks fan sitting on the hill … he would have dreamed of doing that one day.

“The most important thing was he performed and the try was the icing on the cake. It was a big arvo, a childhood dream.”

Fitzgibbon agreed it was Cronulla’s most complete performance of the year as they raced to 24-0 lead at half-time and then went on with the job after the break, with Braydon Trindall and Ronaldo Mulitalo finishing with doubles.

Nicho Hynes had a perfect day with the boot, landing all seven conversion attempts, while fullback Will Kennedy won the Paul Green Medal named in honour of the late representative player and coach who had ties to both clubs.

Cowboys centre Valentine Holmes.Credit: Getty

By contrast, it was an afternoon to forget for the Cowboys, who appeared to give up the ghost when Mulitalo ran around from the wing to put the ball down untouched with his first try.

“It’s not a good feeling,” coach Todd Payten said. “In those moments I like to see who’s fighting or who’s making the effort to [make him] put the ball down further wide.”

Payten’s side led the competition after the first few weeks, but left Sydney for the second straight week with most people questioning their top eight credentials, let alone premiership hopes.

Asked whether he would consider making changes for the visit of three-time premiers Penrith, Payten said: “I will be looking at it, yeah. Absolutely.

“We’ve got to shift our attitude towards tackling and defending. If we’ve got 100 per cent of energy, I said this to the boys inside, we’re putting 65 to 70 per cent of it into our attack. It should be at least 50-50 and the good teams will go 60-40 to defence knowing they will get that energy back, whether it’s two or three sets later, or the back end of each half.

“Until we shift that mentality, we’ll still be having this conversation.”

The Paul Green Medal, named in honour of the late player and coach who had such a great history with both clubs, goes to Sharks fullback Will Kennedy. Richly deserved for the under-rated fullback.

Mercifully, the torture for the Cowboys is over. The afternoon ends with Scott Drinkwater throwing one final pass over the sideline. Quite fitting really.

It’s an afternoon to forget for any North Queensland fan with the Sharks running out massive 42-6 winners at PointsBet Stadium. And you have to say the scoreline was justified.

Sam Stonestreet, the 21-year-old Cronulla local junior on debut, scored in the same corner his family and friends were standing, cult hero Tom Hazelton bagged a rare try while Braydon Trindall and Ronaldo Mulitalo picked up doubles on a wretched afternoon for the Cowboys.

I think it’s fair to say they might be more pretenders than contenders at this stage of the season.

The Sharks? Just maybe they’re building for a big run into this competition as they go back to the top of the table. We’ll see.

Sharks 42 Cowboys 6

Tom Hazelton bagged a rare try.Credit: Getty

And guess what the Sharks winger does? He goes straight down the other end and scores his second. Not sure Reuben Cotter is rushing in to labour the point either.

It’s another sweet move to the left and Braydon Trindall links with fullback Will Kennedy before Multialo touches down unimpeded - again. Dear oh dear.

Nicho Hynes’ touchline conversion is leather perfect. What a kicking display from the Cronulla halfback today.

Sharks 42 Cowboys 6

Well, Reuben Cotter must be feeling a tad silly now.

The Cowboys co-captain has rushed in to confront Ronaldo Multialo and start a melee after the Sharks winger’s desperate tackle on Jeremiah Nanai, which stops a certain try. The Cowboys think it’s high and want the bunker to award a penalty try. It has a little bit of the Jamie Ainscough and Craig Smith areas of the 1999 grand final (a shocking moment of my youth).

But the replay shows Multialo’s contact is with the shoulder of Nanai, who just drops the ball cold.

Handbags at 10 paces thereafter. Inside the last eight minutes.

Sharks 36 Cowboys 6

Oh dear.

Chad Townsend, after setting up that Valentine Holmes try, has just given his teammate Tom Chester the biggest spray for a pass which was slightly behind him as the Cowboys went on the attack. Townsend can’t catch it and the referee has ruled a knock on. It wasn’t a good pass, it must be said.

There’s a few choice words from the crowd in the western stand for their premiership hero, too. I think they’re calling Townsend a good banker. Or something like that.

Down to the last 14 minutes.

Sharks 36 Cowboys 6

Will Kennedy on the fly.Credit: Getty

It’s taken them 63 minutes, but the Cowboys finally have their first points. And there’s a couple of former Sharks premiership heroes who have produced the goods.

Chad Townsend crabs across the field and puts a lovely kick in for Valentine Holmes, who has to wrestle Jesse Ramien over the line to score. That was pretty to watch.

But what does it really mean?

Consolation: the comfort received by a person after a loss or disappointment. I think the dictionary has nailed that try.

Holmes kicks the goal, but it’s all way too little and way too late.

Cowboys 36 Cowboys 6

In other news. At least they showed more fight than the Cowboys.

You know a sign of a team that has completely given up the ghost? When a player can score out wide and then run the ball around underneath the posts with no defender trying to make it a more difficult kick.

Ronaldo Mulitalo has done just that for the Sharks, who have their sixth try of the afternoon. It comes after a sharp play to the left side with Nicho Hynes throwing the final ball and his winger making the conversion easy by taking the ball right around under the sticks.

Embarrassing. Just plain embarrassing for North Queensland.

Hynes kicks the goal and we’ve still got 24 minutes left. How bad will it get?

Sharks 36 Cowboys 0

Todd Payten’s chewing gum is getting a fair workout in the visiting coaching box. I suspect the poor old Extra is copping the knock for this awful Cowboys performance so far.

Jeremiah Nanai has just spilled a simple ball on the right. Two minutes later Jordan McLean produces one of the most embarrassing drops you will see for a while. Cue the Benny Hill music.

The good news for them? Only 28 minutes until they can be put out of their misery.

Sharks 30 Cowboys 0

The Cowboys have been woeful.Credit: Getty