The Sharks come up with some really bad endings
There’s a lot to be said for the scramble from the Broncos, but plenty as well for the Sharks attack.
They’ve been by far the best at creating line breaks in the NRL this year, with 6.2 per game – Souths are next, on 5.6, and then it’s down to Parramatta on 5.2.
But when it comes to icing their opportunities, Cronulla drop down, with a major disparity between how many breaks they create and how many tries they score.
Indeed, they’re on 4.3 tries per game, with the Broncos on 4.1 despite creating 1.5 fewer breaks. Their efficiency is a real problem.
That was on full display tonight. On multiple occasions, the Sharks breached the Broncos’ line but couldn’t get the job done. Ronaldo Mulitalo was a major culprit, failing to get passes away cleanly when he could have done better.
It is, perhaps, harsh to criticise players who are so effective at getting into the clear for their inability to turn such opportunities into points. But in games against the best sides, efficiency is always going to matter.
Mulitalo also bombed a try by failing to catch a kick, and why it wasn’t the worst of the year – he’s dropped it over the line twice – it was the sort of thing that happens more often than it should to a player of his quality.
On the other side, Briton Nikora was giving Farnworth the runaround, but even when he beat the English centre, an arm came out for the ankle tap.
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Nicho Hynes must despair. He put on four line break assists, but it was worth just one try assist. He buzzed around the football all night, recording above his usual numbers for possessions, but nothing came off. For his part, the final play options were less than perfect too.
It was a night to forget for the usually sharp Sharks attack. Fitzgibbon must now go back and work out why his side struggled so badly to turn their generally good attacking shapes into tangible rewards.
