The Cronulla Sharks won an NRL finals nail-biter at Canberra Stadium on Saturday night, beating the Canberra Raiders 16-14 thanks to two James Maloney penalties.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Sharks only led for six minutes of the game, but those six minutes propelled them into a preliminary final while the Raiders will play either the Canterbury Bulldogs or Penrith Panthers next weekend.
There were injuries, turning points and heartbreaking decisions. Here are the talking points:
WE'RE COMING BACK AGAIN
Canberra stadium was packed for the match Photo: Jay Cronan
The second biggest crowd in Raiders history watch an NRL finals cliffhanger at Canberra Stadium, and they'll be back for a second crack in a week. The Raiders' heartbreaking loss to the Sharks will see them play the winner of the Canterbury Bulldogs battle against the Penrith Panthers next weekend. The good news is they earnt a double chance in the play-offs and finishing second on the ladder means they get a home fixture two weeks in a row. There were 25,592 fans at Canberra Stadium on a dreary day in the capital. Tickets sold out in less than two days and officials had to release 1200 standing-room tickets to cater for demand. But when the Sharks held on for a tense win, it was like someone had popped the balloon at full-time with all the anticipation and excitement fading into disappointment. The Raiders weren't quite at their peak against the Sharks. But they are by no means a spent force.
JOSH HODGSON DOUBT, BLAKE AUSTIN HOPE
Josh Hodgson. Photo: Jay Cronan
Canberra Raiders hooker and Dally M Medal contender Josh Hodgson went down in agony at the start of the second half and green hearts immediately sank. The star No. 9 had his legs swept from underneath him by sliding teammate Aidan Sezer and was left rolling on the ground in pain. Hodgson has been the club's best player this year and is the most influential mann in their line-up. Two Raiders medical staff had to carry Hodgson from the ground after his legs were swept from underneath him by teammate Aidan Sezer. It could go down as a defining moment in Canberra's season of hope. It is hoped Hodgson's ankle problem won't end his season and there was even talk that he might go back on the field against the Sharks. But the Raiders will have to wait to see how he recovers to see if he's any chance of playing any further part in the year. Hodgson's injury will be somewhat offset by the likely return of Blake Austin, who is desperate to play after breaking his hand three weeks ago.
THE PENALTY HEARTBREAKER
The Sharks hit the lead for the first time in the game with just six minutes to go, booting a penalty from 20 metres out in front of the posts after an on-the-ground high tackle. Sharks livewire Ben Barba was through a gap and looked to use his pace to burn the Canberra defence. Josh Papalii came across and shut down the move, but Elliott Whitehead came to offer help and collected Barba around the head while he was lying on the ground. It was a shattering moment after the Raiders led for most of the match and looked to be the better side. The Sharks rallied in the second half and used their speed to run around the Raiders' big men.
THE TURNING POINT?
Matt Prior of the Sharks makes a break on his way to score a try. Photo: Mark Kolbe
The Sharks forced their way into the contest just before half-time when they finally got some attacking possession, and their late rally changed the momentum of the game. Matt Prior walked through a massive hole in the middle of the fielde and only had to beat Jack Wighton to get across the line. Wighton put a big hit on, but it wasn't enough to stop the Sharks prop. The Raiders dominated the first 38 minutes of the game and enjoyed almost 70 per cent of possession and territory to have the visitors reeling. But the Cronulla defence held strong to keep the score at 12-6 and when Prior scored the gap was just six points at the end of the first half. Cronulla coach Shane Flanagan hooked starting halfback Chad Townsend in the second half and it seemed to give the Sharks spark. It was a massive call given the Sharks lost Paul Gallen (back) before kick-off and Wade Graham (concussion) in the first half.
BUNKER COMMONSENSE...FINALLY
The NRL's bunker has been blasted this year for some controversial decisions, but they got it right twice in the first half of the Raiders' clash against the Sharks. Perhaps the most poignant was when Jordan Rapana scooped up a loose ball and ran almost 80 metres to score Canberra's second try. There was some push and shove 20 metres behind Rapana as Joey Leilua and Ben Barba jostled for position. Leilua looked to muscle Barba out of the play and the Cronulla fullback took a dive most soccer players would have been proud of to try to get the attention of the referees. The on-field referees sent the decision to the bunker and, for once, commonsense prevailed that the Leilua-Barba contest had absolutely no impact on the play and Rapana's try. If only there were more decisions like it.
AT A GLANCE
CRONULLA SHARKS 16 (Matt Prior, Valentine Holmes tries; James Maloney 2 conversions, 2 penalties) bt CANBERRA RAIDERS 14 (Josh Hodgson, Jordan Rapana tries; Jarrod Croker 2 conversions, penalty) at Canberra Stadium on Saturday night. Referees: Matt Cecchin and Alan Shortall. Crowd: 25,592.