The final regular season round of the Junior Reps and Tarsha Gale Cup competitions sees the Sharks travel to St Mary’s to take on the Western Sydney Academy of Sport in the Matthews and Ball and the Penrith Panthers in the Tarsha Gale Cup.
All matches will have a bearing on the finals, with the three young Sharks teams looking to end their year and enter the playoffs on a high note.
The action begins at 9.30am with the Tarsha Gale match, the Matthews Cup gets underway at 10.30am, followed by the SG Ball at midday.
See below brief match previews, team lists and links to the highlights from round 8.
SG BALL
The Sharks 18’s suffered their first loss of the 2017 season last weekend but remained on top of the competition table after being previously unbeaten through the first seven rounds.
The Ball Sharks were never able to get into top gear in a 24-18 loss to the Panthers, however this week’s match against WSAS gives them an opportunity to work through a few of their issues ahead of the important finals games to follow.
Coach Dave Howlett has named the same team which took on the Panthers and he will be looking for the likes of halves Luke Metcalf and Jaemon Salmon to lift after the last start defeat and to lead the way this weekend.
Metcalf is the SG Ball’s leading scorer with 98 points this season, while he was included this week alongside Salmon, prop James Roumanos and centre Bronson Xerri in a Junior Blues Under 18’s NSW Pathways squad this week.
The Sharks are level with three other teams on 12 competition points on the SG Ball points table, with a win on Saturday, due to their superior for-and-against, set to see them finish in the number one spot heading into the finals.
The SG Ball match kicks off at 12 noon.
SG Ball – round 9
Cronulla Sharks v Western Sydney Academy of Sport (WSAS)
Saturday, April 8
St Marys Leagues Stadium
Kick-off – 12.00pm
1 Dylan Smith
2 Jonaiah Lualua
3 Bronson Xerri
4 Ronaldo Mulitalo
5 Jensen Taumoepeau
6 Jaeman Salmon
7 Luke Metcalf
8 Fine Kula
9 Isaac Longmuir
10 James Roumanos
11 Teig Wilton
12 Tom Caughlan
13 Monty Raper
Interchange
14 Harrison Smith
15 Kai Broadhurst
16 Rhys Ward
17 Franklin Pele
18 Harrison De Meio
19 Angus Ernst
20 Jack Gould
21 Jackson Stewart
Round 8 – SG Ball Highlights – CLICK HERE (Sharks highlights 11mins 10sec into video)
MATTHEWS CUP
Following their first loss of 2017 the Matthews Cup Sharks bounced back with a 36-12 win and a strong second half performance against the Panthers last week.
The Sharks were a little bit off their best in the first period as they trailed the Penrith side, however in keeping their opponents scoreless, while scoring five tries of their own in the second half, sent a message to the other Matthews Cup contenders.
Tied in first but sitting second on for-and-against, the Sharks can secure a top-two finish with a win over WSAS who have been successful in just one game this season.
Their likely opponents in week one of the finals would be the Eels, the only team to beat the Sharks this year, with the young Cronulla team keen for another crack at the Parramatta side.
The Sharks v WSAS Matthews Cup match kicks off at 10.30am at St Marys Leagues Stadium.
Matthews Cup – round 9
Cronulla Sharks v Western Sydney Academy of Sport (WSAS)
Saturday, April 8
St Marys Leagues Stadium
Kick-off – 12.00pm
1 Zachary Issa
2 Trevor Taufa
3 Douglas Levi
4 Elliot Moaga
5 Eliah Veikoso
6 Kyle Pickering
7 Thomas De Meio
8 Isaac Masima
9 Jared Domazetovski
10 Alec Brennan
11 Rhys Dakin
12 Kai Parker
13 Damon Smith
Interchange
14 Zane Jegers
15 Laken Caldwell
16 Joseph Tuagalu
18 Billy Burke
19 Moses Lolohea
20 Dylan Falesita
Round 8 – Matthews Cup Highlights – CLICK HERE (9:55 into video)
TARSHA GALE
With the teams tightly bunched at the top of the Tarsha Gale points table, with five teams pushing for a place in the top four with just one game to go, the Sharks face a crucial match against one of those finals contenders in the Penrith Panthers.
The Sharks knocked over the previous leaders the Eels last week and will be intent on doing the same to the third-placed Panthers this weekend.
While Illawarra is lurking two points outside the top four, the Sharks superior for-and-against should see them qualify for the finals regardless of the result on Saturday.
No doubt however the girls would love to go into the playoff with wins against two of their biggest rivals under their belts.
Akira Kelly was super-impressive last weekend with three tries and three goals.
The Tarsha Gale match between the Sharks and Panthers kicks off at 9.30am.
Tarsha Gale Cup – round 9
Cronulla Sharks v Penrith Panthers
Saturday, April 8
St Marys Leagues Stadium
Kick-off - 9:30am
4. Elly Hazelton
3. Olivia Quinn
6. Tayla Preston (C)
2. Georgia Healey
1. Akira Kelly
7. Quincy Dodd
8. Talei Holmes
9. Mackenzie Beames
18. Temukisa Ioane
Interchange
5. Amy-Lee Curmi
10. Kersal Johnson
11. Marlee Lusio
13. Sophie Buller
15. Hannah Melchiorsen
17. Aliaia Veikoso
Round 8 - Tarsha Gale Cup Highlights – CLICK HERE (2:08 into video)
