Cronulla have returned to the top of the table of the table after clinching a dramatic win over the Canterbury Bulldogs.Â
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Sharks nail biting win over Bulldogs
The Cronulla Sharks have returned to the top of the table after clinching a dramatic win
A James Maloney sideline conversion struck a cruel blow for the Bulldogs as the NSW five-eighth extended the Sharks' winning streak to nine games.Â
Canterbury appeared set to claim an unlikely win having held out for 79 minutes, before the title challengers showed why they've now emerged as one of the favourites. The Bulldogs appeared desperate to limit the battles around the ruck and spread the ball early in the tackle count whenever possible. It stretched the Sharks defence, tired those with big workloads and that's how from a seemingly routine kick chase midway through the first half, the Sharks' defence came undone.Â
Will Hopoate's tackle bust opened up the field for the fullback before being brought down by his opposite, Ben Barba. A try saving tackle it may have been, but it only delayed the inevitable as Josh Reynolds crossed over for the first try of the match with similar to ease. Cronulla had only themselves to blame again for Canterbury's second. Michael Ennis had given the Bulldogs fans plenty celebrate in his six seasons in the blue and white jumper and provided one more despite switching clubs. The Sharks hooker failed to cover a tame Moses Mbye short kick, spilling the ball in his in-goals allowing Michael Lichaa to double the tally to 12 points.Â
Another Canterbury old boy gave the home fans something to cheer about minutes later as Barba made a horrible mess of a try attempt, knocking on over the line while trying to ground the ball with one hand. That generosity ended with Chad Townsend however who finally hit back for the Sharks with brute-force strength, out-wrestling Sam Kasiano to crash over the line.Â
Jack Bird showed why he perhaps should have been included in the NSW squad when he brought the Sharks back into the contest. After dancing around two defenders, Bird made made a flick-pass to Holmes to cross over for an easy finish. If Kasiano could have done better to deny Townsend earlier, he answered his critics with a trademark brutish run to score Canterbury's third try. The big forward barged through three tacklers to score next to the post to make it 18-10 by half-time.
Cronulla hit back with Barba atoning for his earlier blunder. A brilliant inside-ball from Wade Graham put the fullback through the line and a quick burst of pace left Hopoate in his tracks en-route to the try line to bring it back to 18-14. The Sharks thought they drew level two minutes later when Ricky Leutele looked to have planted the ball on the ground before the bunker spotted it fell agonisingly short.Â
It put the Bulldogs against the ropes and despite packing plenty of punch, they were against a team that had forgotten how to lose.Â
Despite everything the Sharks threw at them, the Bulldogs stood firm until the last play of the match. Leutele gave the bunker no reason to doubt when he finished a slick move in the 79th minute to draw level on the stroke of full-time before Maloney nailed the conversion.Â