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Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
12
Gold Coast Titans
16
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Match Tracker

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
Gold Coast Titans
H1
10
6

    Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks Events

  • 25 mins - Try, R.Leutele
  • 32 mins - Try, J.Bukuya
  • 34 mins - Conversion, J.Maloney

    Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks and Gold Coast Titans Events

  • 6 mins - Try, T.Roberts
  • 8 mins - Conversion, A.Taylor
H2
2
10

    Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks Events

  • 62 mins - Penalty goal, J.Maloney

    Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks and Gold Coast Titans Events

  • 67 mins - Try, L.Pulu
  • 77 mins - Try, L.Pulu
  • 78 mins - Conversion, A.Taylor
ET
0
0

    Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks Events

    Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks and Gold Coast Titans Events

Scorers

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
Gold Coast Titans
Goal Scorers Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks Gold Coast Titans
Tries Leutele (1), Bukuya (1) Roberts (1), Pulu (2)
Conversions Maloney (1/2) Taylor (2/3)
Penalty Goals Maloney (1/1)
Field Goals

Team Statistics

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
Gold Coast Titans

Statistics

 Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks Gold Coast Titans
Tries 2 3
Conversions 1 2
Penalty Goals 1 0
Field Goals 0 0
Cronulla-Sutherland SharksGoal Scorers
Players R RM OF LB TA K T MT PC ER
J.Bird 8 57 3 0 0 1 10 1 2 2
J.Brailey 1 6 0 0 0 1 42 4 0 0
J.Bukuya 11 100 1 0 0 0 22 2 0 0
K.Capewell 9 66 0 0 0 0 11 1 0 1
S.Feki 11 113 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0
A.Fifita 17 158 2 0 0 0 23 0 0 1
P.Gallen 21 187 1 0 0 0 40 3 1 0
W.Graham 12 111 0 0 0 0 33 0 1 2
C.Heighington 10 105 0 0 0 0 13 1 0 0
V.Holmes 15 196 0 0 0 1 2 2 0 0
J.Latimore 8 60 1 0 0 0 12 0 1 0
R.Leutele 8 92 0 1 0 1 19 2 0 2
J.Maloney 7 92 0 1 1 6 21 5 4 2
J.Paulo 2 20 0 0 0 0 6 0 0 0
M.Prior 13 124 0 0 0 0 26 3 0 0
S.Tagataese 3 32 1 0 0 0 8 0 0 0
C.Townsend 5 39 0 0 1 13 16 1 0 1
Gold Coast TitansGoal Scorers
Players R RM OF LB TA K T MT PC ER
D.Copley 3 18 0 0 0 0 4 0 1 0
A.Don 14 186 0 1 0 0 1 2 0 0
J.Greenwood 7 57 1 0 1 0 21 0 0 1
C.Grevsmuhl 2 13 0 0 0 0 7 0 0 0
J.Hayne 13 94 2 0 1 4 11 0 0 2
K.Hurrell 16 157 1 1 0 0 10 4 1 1
R.James 15 127 1 0 0 1 54 1 3 0
K.Lawton 2 40 0 0 0 0 7 0 0 0
C.McQueen 5 27 0 0 0 0 22 1 0 1
N.Peats 2 13 0 0 0 1 56 5 0 1
K.Proctor 11 98 1 0 0 0 24 0 0 0
L.Pulu 8 69 0 1 0 0 12 0 1 0
T.Roberts 4 27 1 1 0 5 15 3 1 1
D.Sarginson 23 141 2 0 0 1 6 0 0 3
R.Simpkins 10 57 0 0 0 0 44 1 0 1
A.Taylor 6 38 1 0 0 8 25 1 0 1
J.Wallace 17 162 0 0 0 0 40 0 1 0

Match Details

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
Gold Coast Titans
START TIME
5:30PM
WEATHER
Possible shower
VENUE
Southern Cross Group Stadium
Referees
Ben Galea, Chris James, Henry Perenara, Jared Maxwell, Ricky MacFarlane, Russell Turner
UPDATED
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Cronulla Sharks' home woes drag on as Gold Coast Titans surge home thanks to controversial try

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Last season Shark Park was the fortress Cronulla built a premiership on. But at the moment it is looking anything but.

The Gold Coast Titans put in a heroic performance to win 16-12 at Southern Cross Group Stadium on Saturday night, as a contentious 76th minute try to Leivaha Pulu broke the visitors' four-game NRL losing streak.

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Jarryd Hayne returned and was influential for the Titans as they completed an unlikely comeback to continue the Sharks' poor home record this season.

The Titans were down by two points when Pulu finished off a left-side scramble - which included an offside Ryan Simpkins being ruled inactive by the bunker - to snatch victory.

Cronulla only lost one game at home last season as they finished third after the regular season before going on to win their maiden premiership. But this season has hardly been as convincing.

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Opening losses to Brisbane and fierce local rivals St George Illawarra was followed by a one-point win over struggling Newcastle in which they just about fell over the line.

It was a strange performance from the Sharks, who looked in control for most of the game before the Gold Coast lifted in the final 15 minutes to surge home and score a gutsy four-point victory.

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Cronulla coach Shane Flanagan said his side's home form was a concern.

"It's frustrating, especially for our fans that come here every week," he said.

"We haven't been good at home. We need to address it. It's disappointing because this has been a fortress for us and we need to get back there. If we change our attitude we will.

"It is [a tough one to take], especially after the last two weeks. Probably our first couple of sets explains why. We turned the ball over. [We had] no respect for the ball. The Gold Coast have competed all year. We know that, we knew that coming down here today. It's disappointing because we're a better football team than we showed today.

"[It was] game management, no respect for the football. As I said, [the Titans] will never give up. We said it during the week, Gal said it before the game."

Cronulla were without Luke Lewis who was rested as a precaution due to hamstring tightness. That saw Jayson Bukuya start the game, with Sam Tagataese coming onto the bench for just his second appearance of the season.

It was a spirited performance from the Titans, who were boosted by the return of Jarryd Hayne with the star fullback having not played since suffering an ankle injury against Newcastle in round two. Gold Coast also welcomed back Konrad Hurrell and Kevin Proctor, while Tyrone Roberts shifted from fullback in place of Kane Elgey who missed out with a hamstring injury.

Titans coach Neil Henry was delighted with the effort of his team, who were down to one player on the bench at one stage in the second half after they lost Chris Grevsmuhl (dislocated shoulder), Chris McQueen (head knocks) and Dale Copley (rib injury).

"I think anyone who watched that game [saw it was] a testament to the character the team has got," he said.

"It's there and it's tangible. To come down here and win, which is traditionally a tough place to get a result, full credit to the team.

"The boys have had some gutsy efforts this year but to get back into a game and close out a game and hang on to a game, we hadn't experienced. We've had three games I think where we've led late and lost them all.

"Credit to the boys, there's a belief there. Certainly having a few experienced heads back out there that really helped."

Hayne was impressive on his return from a six-week lay off, with a number of classy touches in a man-of-the-match showing. Henry was pleased with the performance, warning there was plenty more to come.

Cronulla had not conceded a try for 169 minutes heading into the game, but the Titans only needed six minutes to end that statistic. Gold Coast made the most of an Andrew Fifita error which gifted them field position, with Roberts ghosting past Paul Gallen and Chad Townsend to put the Titans in front.

The Sharks were not at their fluent best but, after five consecutive sets, they finally cracked the Titans' line. A shift to the left saw Ricky Leutele slide over in the corner to reduce the deficit to 6-4.

Gold Coast lost Grevsmuhl to a shoulder injury just before the half hour mark after Townsend landed awkwardly on the back-rowers' outstretched arm.

Cronulla took the lead seven minutes before half-time thanks to a penalty try. Townsend, who signed a three-year contract extension with the club on Friday, ran to the line and put a grubber kick into the in-goal. Bukuya stormed through and looked almost certain to score, only for Copley to wrap his arms around the Sharks forward as he stretched for the ball.

James Maloney's conversion gave Cronulla a 10-6 lead but the Titans could have been level at the break, only for Dan Sarginson to drop a bullet pass from Hayne down the short side that had Sharks winger Kurt Capewell beaten with the line wide open.

Gold Coast were down to a one-man bench shortly after half-time when they lost McQueen to a second head-injury assessment and Copley to a back injury.

A Maloney penalty goal extended Cronulla's lead to 12-6 with 19 minutes remaining before the Titans began their charge.

Proctor led a short-side raid and put Hurrell through a hole with a delightful flat pass. Valentine Holmes came up with a one-on-one try-saving tackle but from the next play Hayne jumped out of dummy-half to put Leivaha Pulu over the line, with Holmes unable to come up with a second try-saver.

Taylor had the chance to get the Gold Coast level but his conversion attempt from wide out missed to the left.

The Titans began to surge over the top of Cronulla, with Capewell coming up with a try-saving tackle on Anthony Don on his opposite wing.

Gold Coast then took the lead with four minutes remaining. Pulu crashed over for his second when Townsend failed to clean up a kick in behind before the ball was flicked back off the ground by Joe Greenwood for Pulu to score.

Taylor showed nerves of steel to slot the conversion from the sideline to extend Gold Coast's lead to four points.

The Sharks had one more chance when they gained possession from the kick-off. But Don produced a miraculous play, scooping up a dangerous Maloney grubber kick before racing 30 metres across his dead ball line and crashing through a number of Sharks defenders to get back into the field of play and all-but secure a famous victory for the Titans.

St George & Sutherland Shire Leader

Originally published on The Sydney Morning Herald as Cronulla Sharks' home woes drag on as Gold Coast Titans surge home thanks to controversial try.

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