by Nathan Beuman
The Cronulla Sharks have gone down 44-6 to the New Zealand Warriors in their VB New South Wales Cup clash at Remondis Stadium.
Despite the late inclusion of Mahe Fonua and Junior Moors into the starting lineup, the Warriors physical forward pack was just too strong for the Sharks.
With their first real attacking opportunity of the game, the Warriors spread it out to the right, with a late offload from Dominique Peyroux finding Ngani Laumape, the winger reached out to score and get the visitors on the board after 14 minutes.
Halfback Tuimoala Lolohea was unable to add the extra points, leaving the score at 4-0.
Cronulla made the most of great field position just ten minutes later, when a short ball from Ben Roberts off the back of a scrum found fullback Kurt Mann, who sliced his way through the Warriors line, running away to score to the left of the uprights.
Ben Roberts was able to make the easy conversion, giving Cronulla a 6-4 lead 24 minutes into the game.
It was all New Zealand from that point on, with the visitors taking advantage of numbers down their left hand edge, with a cutout ball from Lolohea finding an unmarked Jarrod Tua with nine minutes remaining in the half.
Lolohea stepped up and nailed the conversion from the sideline, putting the visitors back up 10-6.
Laumape was in again for his second of the opening half just moments later, when a no look ball from Peyroux found the winger in open space, before running around to improve the conversion.
Lolohea was unable to repay the favour however, spraying the kick way right, leaving the Warriors with a handy 14-6 lead with two minutes remaining before the break.
New Zealand started the second half just in the manner they ended the first; with points, when David Fusitua somehow managed to get a ball down in the corner despite immense pressure from Jacob Gagan.
The decision to relieve Lolohea of the goal kicking duties proved genius, when Ngani Laumape nailed the sideline conversion to give NZ a 20-6 lead just three minutes into the second half.
The Warriors forwards had the visitors rolling down the field from the ensuing kickoff, when Silivia Havili burrowed his way over from dummy-half, before Laumape converted his second try in only a matter of minutes to put New Zealand up 26-6.
To make the possibility of a comeback even tougher for the Sharks, workhorse Slade Griffin was assisted from the field in the 55th minute with a knee injury.
Further compounding the loss, a series of dummies from Steve Waetford had the Sharks defence in tatters, when the fullback managed to get around Fonua and get the ball down to put the Warriors up 32-6 following another Laumape’s conversion.
Off the back of a penalty that had the Warriors in great field position once again, Havili popped a ball up to Sam Lisone , who just fell over the line in the 65th minute, putting the result beyond doubt.
Laumape continued his perfect day with the boot, knocking over the simple conversion, to put the scores at 38-6.
The Warriors eighth and final try of the afternoon came six minutes from time, when a cutout pass from Lolohea found John Palavi, who strolled between two Cronulla defenders to collect his first of the afternoon.
Laumape converted the try, ending a perfect afternoon with the boot, but more importantly sealing a 44-6 victory for the New Zealand side.
The Sharks head to Brookvale Oval next Sunday afternoon, where they will take on the Manly Sea Eagles at 12:40pm.
SHARKS 6
Kurt Mann try, Ben Roberts goal
Lost to
WARRIORS 44
