The Sharks are through to Week 2 of the NRL finals after defeating the North Queensland Cowboys 26-16 at Allianz Stadium tonight.
Braydon Trindall returned from a shoulder injury and gave the Cowboys nightmares with his kicking game backed up by a ‘relentless’ kick chase.
His halves partner Nicho Hynes sealed the win with a brilliant individual try on a night where he became the club’s third-highest point-scorer.
Sione Katoa scored his 100th try, becoming just the 4th Shark to reach three figures, while Siosifa Talakai was a force of nature much like Ronaldo Mulitalo, as both had several big moments.
Sharks v Cowboys – Finals Week 1, 2026
Jesse Colquhoun went within a whisker of scoring in the opening minutes, before the Sharks settled for a penalty goal, which Nicho Hynes converted to overtake Luke Covell as Cronulla’s third-highest points scorer of all time.
After spending an age attacking the Cowboys line, Sharks’ fans erupted when Addin Fonua-Blake crashed over, but on further review it was ruled a double movement.
Siosifa Talakai relieved the tension minutes later, when he planted the ball down with a fingertip still on it, and Hynes added the extras to take an 8-nil lead after 20 minutes.
Not long after, the Cowboys got back in the game from a Scott Drinkwater long ball, and the fullback converted to make it 8-6.
A brilliant scrum play saw Hynes find Kennedy in space before the Sharks fullback linked with Sione Katoa for the Tongan Fisherman’s 100th career try.
Another disallowed try came when Ronaldo Mulitalo expertly marked a high ball and found KL Iro, who dove over in the corner, but the bunker found a foot offside, which would have seen Cronulla take only a 6-point lead into the break.
Katoa cast another line in the second half, reeling in a Drinkwater pass on halfway and sprinting away to score his 101st try and one that took Cronulla out to a 16-6 lead after 50-minutes.
The Cowboys again came back into the contest; this time, Tom Dearden threw the long ball that helped them find the try line and make it 16-12.
Cronulla’s kick chase was brilliant all night, and this time it was a Hynes bomb that produced a fumble that led to an important Kennedy try that took the Sharks out to 20-12 as Hynes hit the goal post for a second time after 60-minutes.
The Sharks' number 7 then stood up, feigning to go long, before burrowing through the middle of the Cowboys defence to give his side a 26-12 advantage.
North Queensland hit back with 8 minutes remaining through Jaxon Purdue to give themselves a sniff at 26-16.
Another huge Mulitalo hit broke the Cowboys momentum as the Sharks held on for a 10-point elimination final win.
Cronulla will no will now play the loser of the Panthers and Roosters in Week 2 of finals next weekend.
