The Jersey Flegg Sharks have handed in a disappointing second half performance slipping to a 30-20 loss to the Newcastle Knights.
The young Sharks side led 18-6 at half time, extended their advantage shortly after the break to 14 points following a penalty goal, but from there it was all the Knights, the visitors scoring 24 unanswered points to run out 30-20 winners.
A try in the fourth minute of the match, winger Pharrel Gray touching down on the end of a clever backline movement and following the Callum Grantham conversion it was 6-0 to the Sharks early.
Hooker Xavier Cacciotti would add to his teams advantage when he burst through the Newcastle defense before dummying past the fullback to score and it was all Cronulla at 12-0 after 12 minutes
Sharks errors, then failing to kick the ball out from a penalty invited Knights into an attacking position and the visitors capitalized, a try out wide then the successful conversion narrowing the margin to six.
A Knights error from the subsequent kickoff would gift the ball back to the Sharks and showing good footwork and evasion backrower Yuri Hromow managed to get the ball across the line for his team's third try of the night.
Grantham converted from close range and 18-6 the Cronulla team was well in control
A penalty goal early in the second half pushed the score out to 20-6, however the momentum would quickly shift, partly as a result of the Sharks dropping their intensity and also due to a clever Knights kicking game with the strong southerly at their backs.
A try through the middle of the Sharks ruck and the extra two points made it 20-12, then another Newcastle try inside the final 15 minutes saw the visitors move within two.
With their tails up and playing with confidence, a fourth four-pointer, this time from a grubber kick gave the Knights their first lead of the match, before Knights winger Will Manning outjumped his Sharks opponent to put the finishing touches on a strong comeback win for the Newcastle team.
Considering their respective ladder positions, with the Sharks sitting fourth and the Knights 13th heading into the game, the loss was a disappointing one for a Cronulla team looking to consolidate their spot inside the top four.
Next up for the Sharks is a game against the Manly Sea Eagles at Four Pines Park next Sunday. Kick off for that game is scheduled for 11.45am.
