NRL round 15: Cronulla Sharks defeat St George Illawarra Dragons 30-18
After a couple of uninspiring weeks, along with a first half that left plenty to be desired, the Sharks responded to their doubters with an emphatic second half performance to silence the Dragons.
Talk about your neighbours from hell!
Cronulla’s recent domination of local rivals St George Illawarra continued on Thursday night as the Sharks defeated the Dragons 30-18 at Sharks Stadium.
Cronulla has now won 10 straight against the ‘Red V’, well and truly consigning their status as the Dragons’ ‘little brother’ to the annals of history.
That said, they had to work for the win, battling back from an 18-6 halftime deficit to ultimately overrun their opponents and maintain fifth spot on the ladder.
Hooker Blayke Brailey was heroic for the Sharks, complementing his 52 tackles with two line-break assists and a try assist, while five-eighth Braydon Trindall and winger Sione Katoa both grabbed two tries each.
Desperate to atone for their 50-point loss to the Dolphins the previous Friday, the Dragons looked on course to spring an upset after Jack De Belin took advantage of Jesse Ramien’s 32nd-minute sin bin to put his side ahead by two converted tries at the break.
However, after returning to their full complement early in the second term, the home side planted their fin on the accelerator, scoring three unanswered tries in eight minutes to take a 22-18 lead with a quarter of the game remaining.
From that point on, the Dragons showed very little resistance, and Craig Fitzgibbon’s side was able to seal victory via a penalty goal to Nicho Hynes and a 55-metre try to Katoa.
NIKORA AND FITZGIBBON CELEBRATE MILESTONES
There were celebrations all around for Sharks backrower Briton Nikora, who marked his 150th NRL game with a try in the 48th minute.
His teammates joined the celebrations as well, performing a Haka for him after the game. Meanwhile, Craig Fitzgibbon chalked up a milestone of his own by equalling his father Allan’s tally of 92 games as head coach of the Sharks.
Originally published as NRL round 15: Cronulla Sharks defeat St George Illawarra Dragons 30-18
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