A double from Josh Morris and a fitting farewell for Paul Gallen weren't enough to unseat halfback Chad Townsend from top spot in the Round 9 'Man of the Match' fan vote.
The Sharks were once again led by their number seven Townsend, showing outstanding composure to control the final minutes and seal the deal in the opening match of Magic Round.
The efforts of bench forwards Braden Hamlin-Uele, Jack Williams and Jayson Bukuya were superb, especially after losing both starting props in the opening 20 minutes, while centre Josh Morris was outstanding on the Sharks left.
And for Gallen, in his final game at Suncorp, finished with 200 metres gained, a try and a goal. A fitting way to pull down the curtain on what has typically been an unhappy hunting ground for the skipper.
FANS ROUND 8 MAN OF THE MATCH | Chad Townsend 38%
2nd Place – Josh Morris 36%
3rd Place – Paul Gallen 12%
Over the opening nine rounds of the season, Townsend has been voted by the fans as 'Man of the Match' on five occasions, propelling him to top spot in the 'Sharks.com.au Player of the Year' tally.
Take a look at the current standings below:
| Chad Townsend | 19 |
| Briton Nikora | 12 |
| Jayden Brailey | 5 |
| Matt Moylan | 5 |
| Shaun Johnson | 5 |
| Andrew Fifita | 2 |
| Josh Morris | 2 |
| Kyle Flanagan | 2 |
| Bronson Xerri | 1 |
| Paul Gallen | 1 |
