Up against the high-flying Wests Tigers, the Sharks turned up with an attitude adjustment and a job to do after consecutive losses and with try scoring hat tricks to both Teig Wilton and KL Iro, scored a dominant 52-10 victory at Ocean Protect Stadium.
Coupled with strong kicking games from Nicho Hynes and Brayden Trindall, the Sharks crossed for nine tries in their most complete performance in the past month.
Off the back of a Tigers error, the Sharks opened the scoring, and it was second rower Wilton surging through some patchy defence to give his side an early lead. Halfback Hynes slotted the goal to make it 6-0 Sharks.
It wasn’t long before the Wests Tigers showed why they are towards the top of the ladder when halfback Adam Doueihi sliced through following a scrum, winger Luke Laulilii failing to convert and the home team led 6-4.
Scoring back-to-back tries, the away side went through the Sharks’ middle defence, Samuela Fainu making a break, then offloading to centre Taylan May who crossed under the posts. Jock Madden added the extras, giving the Tigers their first lead at 10-6.
Almost replicating what the Tigers did earlier, the Sharks used an error to their advantage and a short ball from Hynes to KL Iro saw them post their second four pointer. Hynes landed the kick to regain their two-point lead.
Consistency would pay off for Cronulla when multiple set restarts gave them positive field position, and powering up the middle and under the posts was Jesse Colquhoun from a Blayke Brailey short pass. Making it three from three, Hynes stretched the lead out by eight points.
Coming out of the sheds, the Sharks maintained their intensity and added to the lead when Iro touched down for his second, a try which proved crucial with the momentum still in favour of the home team. Hynes was able to land the kick and the Sharks had a healthy 24-10 advantage.
It shaped up to be a tough night for the Tigers, who had extremely little football in the second 40, couldn’t complete their sets, with the multiple errors after the break gifting the Sharks possession and as a result in the 55th minute Wilton added to his tally, diving on a Brailey grubber for his second four-pointer of the night. When accompanied by a Hynes goal, the Sharks now held commanding 30-10 lead.
Three tries in 15 minutes, thee third to Wilton, a try wide out to Sam Stonestreet, and another to a very deserving Hynes, and the Sharks had definitely made a statement.
It was a crucial two points for the Sharks in turning their season in the right direction following a performance proved too strong a West Tigers side who lost Douhi after suffering a shoulder injury when scoring his try in the early moments.
The Sharks now have a six-day turnaround before taking on the Rabbitohs at Accor Stadium next Saturday night. Kick off to that game will be at 5.30pm.
