For 18,073 days they've been waiting. Singing 'Up, Up, Cronulla', but never reaching the heights they so desperately desired.
Now the Sharks have just another nine days for a chance to end 49 years of false starts and false hope, knocking out the reigning premiers with a 32-20 victory at Allianz Stadium on Friday night to reach the 2016 grand final.
More Sport Videos
- Video duration
- 01:30
Cronulla book spot in the NRL Grand Final
- Video duration
- 01:48
Ennis: Gallen like having dad around
- Video duration
- 01:01
NRL Grand Final: By the numbers
- Video duration
- 01:56
Steve Mascord's Set of Six: grand final week
- Video duration
- 01:56
Steve Mascord's Set of Six: finals week three
- Video duration
- 01:20
Smith expecting little love in Sydney
- Video duration
- 01:28
Storm book final date with Sharks
Cronulla book spot in the NRL Grand Final
Cronulla have booked a spot in the NRL Grand Final, ousting defending champions North Queensland, 32-20.
The porch light is ready to be turned off, with only Canberra or Melbourne standing in the way of Cronulla leaving the Warriors and Titans as the only two NRL clubs without a premiership.
They looked unstoppable during their 15 straight wins this season, but the ghosts of yesteryear reared their ugly heads in the final two months of the regular season, with performances that suggested they would choke once again.
But choke they haven't, at least not yet - putting the Cowboys to the sword on a memorable night for the black, white and blue.
North Queensland were never in it, playing their grand final in a 90 minute epic against the Broncos in Townsville a week earlier.
They lacked the stamina to match it with the Sharks, who blew their opponents off the park with a dominant finals performance in front of a strong crowd of 36,717 at Allianz Stadium.
After 29 minutes the Cowboys had just 29 per cent of possession, and despite a gallant defensive effort to withstand the early onslaught, the visitors had little in the tank to muster the strength to turn the tide.
Skipper Paul Gallen has devoted his career to the club, enduring the lowest of lows during his 16 years in the Sutherland Shire.
Given the toll the ASADA saga took on both the club and Gallen, it was largely assumed he would finish his career without a premiership.
But as he said on the eve of the finals, he still yearns for the final tick of the box in what has been a stellar career.
Five-eighth James Maloney was sublime, bagging a double and stretched his phenomenal record to three grand final appearances with three different clubs (Warriors, Roosters and Sharks).
Despite both sides coming in as last-start winners, Chad Townsend and Lachlan Coote came into the game trying to erase the demons of respective horror outings in week two of the finals.
There were contrasting openings for the pair, with Townsend's first contribution coming at the expense of Coote, who dropped a wobbly kick from the Sharks halfback to present Cronulla with the first of a series of raids at the Cowboys line.
It triggered a dramatic change of fortune for Townsend, who two week's earlier was hooked from the field mid-way through the second half such were his woes against Canberra.
But this was Cronulla's night from the get-go, and not even a double movement from Andrew Fifita or Coote narrowly beating Townsend to the ball to deny him a try would change one of the most one-sided halves in recent memory.
The Cowboys were high-fiving when the Sharks opted to take the penalty goal after 17 minutes, out on their feet after a blistering start from the hosts.
It was hardly a reflection of the Sharks' dominance, but when Fifita offloaded to provide Sosaia Feki with Cronulla's first try of the night, suddenly the scoreboard resembled what had transpired in the opening quarter of the game.
An error-plagued first half for the Cowboys was compounded by Kyle Feldt's drop-out going out on the full, gifting Cronulla another two points and an 8-0 lead heading into the break.
But on the stroke of half time Townsend continued his redemption story, backing up a runaway James Maloney to stretch the lead to 14-0 despite what appeared to be a forward pass from his halves partner.
The plot thickened just moments after halftime when Townsend and Coote came together yet again, only this time Coote enjoyed the better of the exchange, after pinching the ball to claim North Queensland's first points of the night.
However Townsend didn't take long to get back in Shane Flanagan's good books, turning provider with a short ball to allow Luke Lewis to crash over from close range.
It ended any hope of a Cowboys resurgence, and if there was any doubt, James Maloney ensured it would be an unassailable lead when he collected back-to-back tries.
0 comments
New User? Sign up