Unbeaten runs comes to an end for Flegg Sharks
The Jersey Flegg Sharks have lost their first game of the 2023 season in going down by 36-10 to the Bulldogs in their round eight match at Belmore Sports Ground on Friday night.
The Sharks came into the contest five wins from their previous five matches, however on this occasion the home team asserted their dominance late in the opening half and went on with the job in the second period.
The young Cronulla team began strongly and was first on the board, but the Bulldogs bit back, controlling possession and field position for the remainder of the half in jumping out to a match-winning 22-4 advantage.
As expressed by Sharks coach Andrew Dallalana, it was during this period where the game was won and lost.
“It was a game where we started really well, came out the blocks well, went set for set with them early, which was exactly the way we wanted to play but from there one mishap from us and we couldn’t gain the momentum back,” Dallalana said.
“We gave away a penalty, combined that with an error and we didn’t get the ball back for 17 minutes from there and had to do a lot of defence, which drained us.
“We couldn’t get it back form there and the Dogs were very good. They put a lot of pressure on, ran hard and tackled hard and after that 17 minutes we were just off the pace,” he added.
The loss to the Bulldogs came just three weeks after the Flegg Sharks had scored a thrilling 15-14 win with a last gasp Manaia Waitere field goal.
“They had a point to prove today and we didn’t match them. They played really well, played good footy and all credit to the Dogs,” the Sharks coach reasoned.
Waitere and John-Thomas Manuofetoa were the Sharks try scorers, with the Bulldogs adding three four-pointers in the second half to their four in the opening 35-minutes.
The Flegg Sharks are next in action against the Melbourne Storm as the curtain-raider to the Sharks v Cowboys NRL match next Thursday night.
“We need to get back and have a good week at training, understand where it went wrong and go again,” Dallalana said
SHARKS 10
John-Thomas Manuofetoa, Manaia Waitere tries, Max Riolo goal
lost to
BULLDOGS 36
