Roosters Outlasted by Sharks in 100th NRL Battle

The Roosters and Sharks traded blows in the opening 10 minutes of the match, with Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Lindsay Collins going head to head with Braden Hamlin-Uele and Oregon Kaufusi in the middle of the field. 

Cronulla were awarded the first point-scoring opportunity, with Roosters back rower Nat Butcher penalised for a hip-drop tackle and sent to the sin-bin in the 14th minute. Sharks skipper Nicho Hynes slotted the penalty goal to give his team a two-point lead. 

Five minutes later, the Tricolours were penalised for being offside after the ball ricocheted off the boot of a defender and into the hands of Joseph Manu.  On the resuming play, Hynes flicked an offload out the back to his halves partner Matt Moylan who escaped through a gap in the line to ground the ball uncontested. The halfback converted the try, giving Cronulla an eight point advantage. 

A sensational defensive play by Manu held the Sharks from scoring their second try of the game, as the centre made a one-on-one tackle against a forward twice his size, when the home side sent the ball to the undermanned left edge. 

Luke Keary set up the Roosters' opening try three minutes later, flicking a pass in close range of the try-line to Egan Butcher, who exploded through defence to snag his first four-pointer of the season. Sam Walker kicked the conversion to bring the Red, White and Blue within two. 

Easts progressed the full length of the field on the 30 minute mark, with a heroic penalty kick from Keary travelling almost 40 metres before floating over the sideline.

After a crafty spin that evaded the Sharks defence off dummy half, Brandon Smith clawed his way down field, approaching the try line. Two plays later, the ball found the hooker's grasp once more, with the 26-year-old reaching out through a tackle to ground the ball on the stripe. Walker converted the try, making the difference four. 

Gifted five back-to-back sets, Cronulla looked certain to sting as half-time approached. With the ball making its way left, Jaxson Paulo rushed up into the line, interrupting the flow of momentum by reaching out to bat the ball backwards, getting the Roosters out of serious trouble. 

As the rain began to fall in the first few minutes of the second half at PointsBet, the Sharks took advantage of a left edge overlap to set up Ronaldo Mulitalo one-on-one against Paulo. 

After initially being ruled a try, the referee sent the play to the bunker for confirmation, as it seemed the Sharks flyer's boot brushed the sideline. But the match review official argued there was a blade of grass between Mulitalo and the line, allowing Cronulla to level the scores in the 45th minute. Hynes' kick struck the post before bouncing away, leaving the scores locked at 12-apiece. 

In the 65th minute, Collins stepped up when his team needed it most, making an incredible tackle to shut down a Sharks attacking raid.

But three minutes later, Hynes lifted for his team, selling a massive dummy to his right to break through the line before being taken down by James Tedesco.

Finding Blayke Brailey in support, the skipper offloaded to his hooker, who raced away wrestling Walker to get the ball to the ground in-goal. Hynes had no luck with the kick once again, leaving the score at 16-12. 

A play by Collins was sent to the bunker as the forward looked to have grounded the ball on line, but the match review official denied the try, deeming he was behind the stripe, not on it. 

Smith was sent for a stint in the sin bin in the 75th minute for making a dangerous tackle, leaving the Roosters a man down for the rest of the game.

The Sharks capitalised on their one-man advantage through Briton Nikora, who crawled his way over the line to give his team a handy lead. Hynes kicked the conversion to make the margin 10. 

In the 78th minute, Victor Radley was sin-binned for a professional foul, but as the Sharks made their way into their attacking half once again, Hynes spilt the ball, concluding the Sharks' first home win of the season. 

Sydney Roosters 12 (Egan Butcher, Brandon Smith Tries; Sam Walker 2 goals) def by Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 22 (Matt Moylan, Ronaldo Mulitalo, Blake Brailey, Briton Nikora Tries; Nicho Hynes 2 goals)