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NRL: Cronulla Sharks flip the switch as Nicho Hynes bounces back to form

Despite a late rally from the Rabbitohs, the Sharks are back in the winners circle after a much-needed 26-16 victory at Optus Stadium in Perth.

Daniel Nuttall
2 min read
10:01PMAugust 05, 2023.
Updated 10:13PMAugust 05, 2023
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The Sharks bounced back against the Rabbitohs.
The Sharks bounced back against the Rabbitohs.

Despite a late rally from the Rabbitohs, the Sharks are back in the winners circle after a much-needed 26-16 victory at Optus Stadium in Perth.

The Sharks were in cruise control, leading 26-0 in the 63rd minute before Alex Johnston crossed for the Rabbitohs.

Things became much more interesting just a minute later when Lachlan Illas chased down a kick and scored.

MATCH CENTRE: Rabbitohs vs Sharks teams, SuperCoach scores, videos, updates

Isaiah Tass would cross to bring the margin to ten with five minutes to play but the Sharks held their nerve.

Nicho Hynes played his best game in some time, with running partner Braydon Trindall recording a double.

Rabbitohs star Jai Arrow is looking at a few weeks on the sideline after leaving the game due to “bad, bad back spasms.”

The Sharks started the game with intent, with Connor Tracey, replacing injured fullback Will Kennedy, went desperately close to breaking the deadlock, planting the ball down just millimetres short of the try line in the 7th minute.

Tracey reached out to score, and did well to stay in whilst being tackled, but grounded the ball short.

“He’s gone as close as you can get without scoring,” Greg Alexander said on Fox League.

The Sharks would end up scoring the game’s first try, but it wasn’t without controversy.

Winger Mawene Hiroti, a replacement for the injured Ronaldo Mulitalo, was the beneficiary of what looked a forward pass from centre Siosifa Talakai. The try was Hiroti’s first in two and a half years.

“Oh it looked forward. They won’t be calling back the pass,” Andrew Voss said.

I’ll stand by my first judgment as being one from an NFL quarterback.

“Oh it’s definitely forward,” Greg Alexander added.

The Sharks kept rolling when Sione Katoa ran forty metres to score, showing off an impressive sidestep en route.

“Mitchell wrong-footed, Mitchell went into another postcode,” Andrew Voss said.

“That’s a rugby league stepping masterclass.”

The Bunnies looked a little sloppy, especially when they had opportunities near the Sharks line.

They wouldn’t score in the first half, but the Sharks added a penalty goal and led 14-0 at the break.

The Sharks didn’t get complacent and continued their dominance in the second half, with Trindall scoring two tries to extend the lead to 26-0.

The Rabbitohs tried in vain and made a one-sided affair interesting in the final 20 minutes, but the gulf was too big to overcome.

with Martin Gabor (NCA Newswire)

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Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/nrl/nrl-cronulla-sharks-flip-the-switch-as-nicho-hynes-bounces-back-to-form/news-story/e7c82da293661a38bcf9e2114380603d