Madimack Matchups - Sharks v Cowboys
A couple of high-profile former Sharks return to PointsBet Stadium on Sunday when the Cowboys ride into the Shire.
The Sharks will be aiming to shut down Chad Townsend and Valentine Holmes, members of Cronulla's drought-breaking 2016 premiership team, as two of the NRL's in-form teams clash in a blockbuster Round 7 fixture.
See below Sharks Media's Madimack Matchups to monitor this week, with graphics including season stats for the players going head-to-head.
Madimack Matchups - Round 7
Nicho Hynes v Chad Townsend
Before Hynes' arrival at the club in 2022, it was Townsend who was the long-term Sharks halfback. Before his departure midway through the 2021 season, Townsend tallied 146 games and won a title in black, white and blue.
While he'll always hold a place in Cronulla history, the Sharks will be out to make life tough for Townsend at his old stomping ground. Central to that task is Hynes, who will look to inspire his troops and conjure up plenty of points.
Kayal Iro v Valentine Holmes
Watch rising Sharks centre Iro play from a distance and you could be forgiven for thinking Holmes had returned to Cronulla.
Granted, Iro is only three games into his NRL career, but the Cook Islands international possesses some of the same silky movements as his lookalike Holmes. Impressively, Iro hasn't missed a tackle in 35 attempts at the top level.
While they won't directly oppose each other given they both reside on the left edge, fans may well do a double-take as Iro and Holmes ply their trade.
Oregon Kaufusi v Jason Taumalolo
One of the silent assassins of the Sharks pack, Kaufusi has started all five games at prop this season and helped set a solid platform.
Kaufusi has a 95.4% tackle efficiency rate while averaging 70 run metres per match.
Rival front-rower Taumalolo is perhaps no longer the record-breaking colossus of his youth but remains an integral cog in the North Queensland machine. Against the Eels last week, he produced four tackle breaks and 99 metres – including 54 post-contact, the most of any Cowboys forward – proving he's still hard to handle.
