A Ronaldo Mulitalo hat-trick fired Cronulla to a 40-16 victory over a spirited Knights side at Sharks Stadium on Sunday afternoon, keeping their top-four hopes alive with one round to play.
After trailing 10-0, a Mulitalo masterclass ensured the Sharks celebrated Members Round with a win in their final home game of the regular season.
Cronulla five-eighth Braydon Trindall exited the field with an ankle injury in the second half, but coach Craig Fitzgibbon indicated it was precautionary.
Match: Sharks v Knights
Round 26 -
home Team
Sharks
5th Position
away Team
Knights
16th Position
Venue: Sharks Stadium, Sydney
For the Sharks to finish fourth and book a qualifying final against minor premiers Canberra in the nation's capital, they need the Broncos to lose to the Storm and must then defeat the Bulldogs at Accor Stadium on Saturday night.
The Sharks were slow out of the blocks coming off a bye, with Knights centre Fletcher Hunt opening the scoring in the fifth minute when he latched onto a bomb near the posts. Halfback Jack Cogger converted, giving Newcastle a 6-0 lead.
Capitalising on strong field position, the Knights snatched a second after 16 minutes thanks to a spectacular diving finish from winger Greg Marzhew.
Prop Addin Fonua-Blake surged his way over for Cronulla's first points of the afternoon with less than 15 minutes remaining in the first half. The Sharks quickly followed up with the first of Mulitalo's three tries in the 30th minute, beating the Knights on the left edge with a slick exchange of passing.
Addin Fonua-Blake Try
Cronulla carried a wave of momentum into the sheds as interchange forward Sifa Talakai barged through a gap to touch down on the stroke of half-time. Sharks halfback Nicho Hynes landed his third goal to extend the margin to 18-10.
Beginning the second half with a bang, Mulitalo went over after a looping pass from fullback Will Kennedy. Hynes converted for a 14-point advantage.
Trindall was subbed off in the 52nd minute, but it didn't slow Cronulla's roll as Mawene Hiroti crossed following a brilliant offload from second-rower Billy Burns.
Then came the moment of the match. Mulitalo claimed his treble after making a 40-metre bust downfield and linking up with Kennedy, who turned the defence inside out before passing back and watching his winger power to the line.
Ronaldo Mulitalo 3rd Try
Hynes' sixth conversion handed the Sharks a 24-point buffer, which Newcastle ate into when forward Elijah Salesa-Leaumoana scored with three minutes to go.
But it was fittingly the home side who had the last say as front-rower Braden Hamlin-Uele barrelled over the stripe for his second try of the season.
Braden Hamlin-Uele Try
