The Sharks' finals hopes have taken a major hit after suffering a third straight loss against the Cowboys 30-18 at Queensland Country Bank Stadium.
The game started well for the Sharks when debutant Marewa Samson earned her team a penalty with a great first run in the NRLW, and Captain Tiana Penitani-Gray took full advantage, slicing through the Cowboys’ defence on a left-side play to score in the corner.
Sharks’ half Georgia Hannaway slotted the difficult conversion from the sideline to give her side a 6-0 lead.
North Queensland errors gifted Cronulla plenty of chances in the opening stages, but the black, white and blue couldn’t make them count, and when the tide turned for the Cowboys, they ran in three tries within 6 minutes.
First, Mackenzie Weale burst through the Sharks defence to score, then in the next set Alisha Ford pounced on a ricocheting ball from a bomb, followed by Weale grabbing a second try, again straight through the middle to take a 16-6 lead after 24 minutes.
Finally, Cronulla broke the Cowboys' momentum, and it was Hannaway again involved; she stepped past the rushing defence to score a much-needed four-pointer, but the five-eighth couldn’t convert her own try, so they’d go into the sheds trailing 16-10.
It wouldn’t take the Sharks long after the break, though; Hannaway and Penitani Gray once more wreaking havoc, this time Tiana set up her winger Milla Elaro in the corner for the 21-year-old’s second try in her second NRLW game.
A missed goal would see the Sharks still behind by two points, which would make things even trickier when the Cowboys crossed through their captain Bree Chester, and converted the try to make it 22-14 in the 46th minute.
Cronulla’s left edge continued to hum and got them back in the game; a clever chip over the top from Hannaway landed perfectly in the lap of a sprinting Milla Elaro, who ran in for her second of the game, but another missed conversion from the sideline had the Sharks trailing by 4 points despite having 4 tries each.
Cronulla’s comeback was cruelly stunted by a Jaydika Tafua sin bin for a hip drop tackle, and from there North Queensland would race up-field and score another try from a kick, taking the game to 26-18 with less than 10 minutes remaining.
To rub salt in, arguably the Sharks' best on ground, Hannaway, limped from the field with a leg injury, and the Cowboys ran in another try to finish the game 30-18 victors.
Cronulla now turns its attention to the Parramatta Eels at Ocean Protect Stadium next Sunday night at 6:15pm.
Cowboys v Sharks - Round 7, 2026
