Round 23, 2010: Sharks 18 - Roosters 12 @ Toyota Stadium

Sharks stun high-flying Roosters 18-12 - Yahoo!Xtra Blogs (blog)

Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=.../7760575/sharks-stun-highflying-roosters-1812

Sharks stun high-flying Roosters 18-12
AAP
August 13, 2010, 11:56 pm

Lowly Cronulla inflicted a Friday the 13th nightmare on the high-flying Sydney Roosters with a shock 18-12 win in Friday's NRL encounter at Toyota Stadium.

Second-half tries from pint-sized fullback Nathan Gardner and Dean Collis secured a second win over the Roosters for the Sharks this season and put a major dent in Brian Smith's side's top-four aspirations.

It also handed coach Shane Flanagan his first win as coach since replacing Ricky Stuart last month and only the Sharks' third victory in their last 15 games.

Gardner, who scored one of the tries of the season in Cronulla's 42-18 win over the Roosters in round 13, was the difference as he danced past two tackles to score under the posts 12 minutes from time after Collis had touched down after the interval.

It was also a painful night for the former Parramatta junior, with Frank-Paul Nuuausala and Braith Anasta both placed on report for high shots on the 20-year-old.

The Sharks were worthy winners, defending magnificently and holding on in the final five minutes to give their long-suffering supporters something to cheer about following another miserable season.

Tries from Anasta and Shaun Kenny-Dowell gave the Roosters a 12-6 halftime lead after they dominated the opening 40 minutes.

The determined hosts withstood a wave of attacks with some brilliant defending and stunned the visitors, who sit in third spot on the ladder, when Ben Pomeroy intercepted a Mitchell Pearce pass to score five minutes before the break.

However, the Sharks failed to hold onto the ball from the restart and let the Roosters in with two tries in the final three minutes of the half.

Todd Carney and Pearce proved to be a constant menace for the home side with their slick interplay and Daniel Conn and Anthony Minichiello were both denied by some desperate Sharks goal-line defending in the first 10 minutes.

The Roosters should have opened the scoring in the 28th minute with winger Phil Graham making his entry for one of the misses of the season.

The former Canberra man somehow managed to juggle then spill the ball with no Sharks player in sight after Carney, who booted two 40-20s, created another gilt-edged opportunity.

League: Sharks stun Roosters

Cronulla have handed Shane Flanagan his first win as an NRL coach, denting the Roosters' top four hopes in the process with a courageous 18-12 win at Toyota Stadium on Friday night.

Source:http://sportal.com.au/default.aspx/news-display/sharks-stun-roosters-96664

Sharks stun Roosters
13/08/2010 9:33 PM
John Greco

Cronulla have handed Shane Flanagan his first win as an NRL coach, denting the Roosters' top four hopes in the process with a courageous 18-12 win at Toyota Stadium on Friday night.

Down 12-6 at half-time and staring down the barrel of their seventh straight defeat, the Sharks hit back with 12 unanswered points in the second-half to stun the high-flying Roosters.

The Tri-colours almost sent the match into extra-time when they attacked the Sharks line in the final few minutes but the home side held on for just their sixth win of the year.

The Sharks' win, built on the back of a brilliant first half defensive effort, not only snaps their six-game losing streak but more significantly handed Flanagan his first top grade win in his fourth match in charge of the competition strugglers.

Sydney's claims on a top four berth now appear shaky with back-to-back losses allowing the chasing pack to close in.

The Roosters' loss was compounded with forward Frank-Paul Nuuausala and Roosters skipper Braith Anasta both placed on report for dangerous tackles on Sharks full-back Nathan Gardner.

Sydney lost both Mitchell Aubusson and Lopini Paea to injury just before kick-off but it didn't stop them from settling into their rhythm from the outset.

The Roosters created most of the early running and should have taken the lead after just four minutes only that Anthony Minichiello failed to ground Todd Carney's well-placed kick into the in-goal area.

It was a let-off for the home side but also a sign of things to come as Brian Smith's side continued to create chances only to let them go begging.

First Todd Carney made a break only for his pass to winger Sam Perrett to end up over the sideline, before centre Shaun Kenny-Dowell squandered another opportunity five minutes later.

The worst miss though came 13 minutes from half-time when the visitors created an overlap close to the line with Mitchell Pearce passing to an unmarked Phil Graham who somehow managed to drop the ball cold just a metre away from the try line.

And as so is often the case after surviving all those close calls it was the Sharks who opened the scoring seven minutes before the break.

The Roosters appeared to be launching another attack from just inside their own half when Pearce's cross-field pass was plucked out of the air by Ben Pomeroy who raced 45 metres to score to the delight of almost 9000 fans in the stadium.

Winger Luke Covell, who was playing his 150th game for the club, added the extras from out wide for a 6-0 lead.

But the home side's advantage lasted less than three minutes with a handling from the restart resulting in Anatsa barging over.

It was a cruel blow to the Sharks just before the break after defending so stoutly but it got worse right on half-time when the Roosters crossed again.

There appeared nothing doing when Graham cut back inside his marker just inside Sharks territory but a sweeping move across field that involved five players ended with Kenny-Dowall scoring. Carney's conversion made it 12-6 at the break.

The Roosters continued to dominate after the restart and thought they had extended their lead 10 minutes into the second stanza when Sam Perrett dived over under the posts.

But video referee Paul Simpkins ruled that Pearce had knocked on in the lead letting the home side off the hook.
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The Sharks made the most of the let-off five minutes later when the hot-and-cold Tim Smith showed some of his undoubted talent firing a brilliant pass for Dean Collis to score. Covell made no mistake to lock it up at 12-12.

Suddenly it was the Sharks who had the momentum and they almost took the lead when Collis swooped on a loose ball in the in-goal area after a towering bomb by Smith only for Simpkins to correctly rule a knock on against winger Blake Ferguson.

It was a warning the Roosters failed to heed as livewire full-back Gardner capitalised on some tired defence close to the line to slice through under the posts.

Covell extended the lead to 18-12 and the withstood some late pressure to hold on for a memorable win.

Cronulla Sharks 18
Tries: Pomeroy, Collis, Gardner
Goals: Covell 3

Sydney Roosters 12
Tries: Anasta, Kenny-Dowall
Goals: Carney 2

That was amazing. Gardner is close to taking over as my all time favourite Shark.

But what about those one-on-one tackles. Snowden, Barrett and others.

Not sure I like Freddy commentating a Roosters game.. Cannot wait to hear him when they ****ing lose.

Yeaaaaaah! ****.

I saw Freddie as I was on my way down from the coach's box with Joey Grima to the sidelines. Never realised how short he was.

dhoodle said:

Not sure I like Freddy commentating a Roosters game.. Cannot wait to hear him when they ****ing lose.

Yeaaaaaah! ****.

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I'm hearing ya!!!

yeah im watching it just got home from the game and i thought i heard freddy on TV cheering when the roosters scored on halftime?

fancyman said:

its like coming out of the dark ages or some one turned the porch light on.

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christ mate. we won one game.... not the premiership, we are a LONG way off that

Fricken automatic Windows restart!

Still can't believe Pom got a fingertip intercept, now I've seen everything. He is playing super. Cordoba was another one who did some awesome goal line defence.

If we learned to defend before half time we'd be in the top 8.

Also wanted to say well done to IronShark, driving JAWS67 around the ground before the game, with Glenn Wheeler in the passenger's seat. Nice work!

Yeah but the jaws67 mobile didnt come around past the southern stand, we were waiting.

Just got back from the game.

Well what can I say......It was friggin unreal.

So happy to sing the song again.

So I'm still singing the song.......http://www.4eva.com/audio/up_up_cronulla.wav

yup just got home also, top game, loved all the cheering and playing the song twice

bigger crowd would have been nice though.

loved having irons jaws car out there, had a really good family feeling tonight, plus glenn wheeler back, is he back for good? cause the other guy does my head in!!!

gregr said:

yup just got home also, top game, loved all the cheering and playing the song twice

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it got repeated about 5 times before I left.

Special mention to Luke Covell - excellent 150th game!!!:worthy:

what a great night, never been prouder of the boys, braith anasta on the other hand needs someone to knock him senseless again :dougy:

****ing great pass by Smith for the Collis try.

PMQ_Tony said:

****ing great pass by Smith for the Collis try.

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Was it ever! apart from that 5 min spell, the Sharks have been very very good value.

Tony Great pass, But huge deficiences in defence.

its all about tim smith! thanks sharks

dhoodle said:

Was it ever! apart from that 5 min spell, the Sharks have been very very good value.

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Their defence has been awesome tonight as well. Each one of em putting their body on the line.

Didnt Gallen cop some crap in the tackles