In a game where ill-discipline in the first half proved costly, the Sharks have gone down to the Sydney Roosters by 28-10 in their round five clash at Southern Cross Group Stadium.
The Sharks were left to regret a number of first half penalties late in the tackle count as the Roosters built up an 18-6 half time lead which eventually proved a mountain too high to climb in the second period as their opponents would go on to claim the points.
It was a disappointing result, coming on the back of solid defensive efforts and strong wins at each of the Sharks previous two starts.
After the Chad Townsend had opened the scoring with a penalty goal, which was matched shortly after by the visitors, it was an error from the Sharks that gifted the Roosters their first try of the night, Ryan Matterson diving over after failing to catch a Cooper Cronk kick.
Latrell Mitchell was wide with his conversion attempt, however the Roosters led 6-2 after 22 minutes of the match.
The Roosters would add to their advantage and again it came from a kick, this time Joseph Manu winning the race to a Luke Keary grubber.
Mitchell added the extras and the Roosters had a handy 12-2 lead.
The Sharks responded and after a couple of clean line breaks came to nothing, it was a long cut out pass from fullback Matt Moylan, scooped up by Valentine Holmes, who then brilliantly planted the ball down in the corner, which would bring the Cronulla side four-points closer.
From just inches inside the touch line Townsend’s kick at goal bounced off the left upright, his first miss in 18 attempts in 2018, and the score read 12-6 to the Roosters.
With only seconds remaining until the half time break the Roosters would push their lead out to 12, another try from a kick, again to Matterson after Blake Ferguson caught a Cronk cross field bomb and passed inside, and at 18-6 the Sharks had it all to do in the second stanza.
Some 10 minutes with the second half after being turned away by the Roosters at one end, the Sharks would succumb to the pressure at the other, with James Tedesco slicing through to push his teams lead out to 16 with 28 minutes of the match remaining.
Mitchell’s kick was waved away, but his side had a commanding 22-6 lead.
A penalty to the Roosters for a late tackle on Cronk pushed the score out to 24-6 and at the same time the Sharks were set to be without James Segeyaro for the remainder of the match with the hooker assisted from the field with a severe concussion.
The Sharks then enjoyed a glut of possession during the next period of the match, but found it difficult to breech the Roosters line and it took a little bit more Holmes magic for them to narrow the margin, the winger touching down mere centimetres from the dead ball line after winning the race to a Townsend grubber.
The Sharks half back couldn't find the target with his kick at goal but they had given themselves a glimmer of hope at 24-10 behind.
Another Ramien line break was cleaned up by the Roosters cover shortly after and with that any chance of a miracle Sharks revival had disappeared.
With the full-time siren sounding in the background a fourth Roosters try from a kick, this time to winger Reece Robinson, rounded out the scoring.
The Sharks will now go back the drawing board and attempt to regroup ahead of their round six match against the St George Illawarra Dragons next Friday night.
SHARKS 10
Valentine Holmes 2 tries, Chad Townsend goal
Lost to
ROOSTERS 28
Ryan Matterson 2, Joseph Manu, James Tedesco, Reece Robinson tries, Latrell Mitchell 4 goals
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