The junior Sharks were off the pace against the Bulldogs on Saturday and paid the price, suffering heavy Round 6 defeats in their Harold Matthews and SG Ball Cup clashes at Terry Lamb Complex.
Both Cronulla teams came into their games in strong form but performed well below their best, with the Matts going down 48-12 and Ball falling 50-18.
In the under-17 fixture, Canterbury raced to a 30-0 lead at halftime. The Sharks put up a stronger fight in the second term but the damage was done.
Match: Bulldogs v Sharks
Round 6 -
home Team
Bulldogs
away Team
Sharks
Venue: Terry Lamb Complex, Sydney
"We could sit there and whinge about the bounce of the ball and referee's calls and things like that, but we did it to ourselves with a lot of errors as well. Put ourselves under a lot of pressure," Harold Matthews coach Brad Kelly said.
"They're a good team and when they get those sort of opportunities they make you pay ... We've just got to re-set, learn from it for next game and move on."
Meanwhile, the under-19 Sharks went into the break locked with the Bulldogs at 14-all before conceding six tries in the second half.
Match: Bulldogs v Sharks
Round 6 -
home Team
Bulldogs
away Team
Sharks
Venue: Terry Lamb Complex, Sydney
"That's what happens when you don't play well," SG Ball coach Dave Howlett said.
"The opposition is a good team as it was, but we just put them under no pressure at all and we were disappointing. Onwards and upwards."
Cronulla's Lisa Fiaola and Tarsha Gale teams had a bye on the weekend.
The women will join the SG Ball boys in facing the Panthers at St Marys Leagues Stadium in Round 7, with the Harold Matthews side having the week off.
Lead image and quotes courtesy of Steve Montgomery from ourfootyteam.com.au
