NYC Rd21 Match Report - Broncos v Sharks
NYC Rd21 Match Report - Broncos v Sharks
Liam Daly, Sportal
29/07/2011 7:31:54 PM
Cronulla have taken a razor-thin 35-34 Toyota Cup win over Brisbane at Suncorp Stadium with halfback Penani Manumalealii sending over an 80th-minute field-goal to seal the result.
Cronulla looked to have put the hosts away when they closed the first half with five unanswered tries to take a 16-point lead into the sheds, but the Broncos fought to the death and gave the visitors a scare when they drew level with less than five to play.
It was all Brisbane to start with as halfback Corey Norman scored twice in the opening fifteen minutes, before the Sharks found their bite in the final 20 of the first half, executing with precision and running in try after try.
And although it wasn't the whistle-to-whistle performance they would have wanted, the win cements the Sharks' place in the top four, while the Broncos are now in danger of falling from the eight.
Sharks lock Tyrone Peachey, nephew of Cronulla legend David, was a star performer, breaking the line to create his side's first try, and grabbing four-pointer of his own with a classy individual effort in the second half.
Both sides kept their lines intact through the opening 10, before NRL-blooded playmaker Norman created first points for Brisbane, bumping off and evading a series of Sharks in an athletic 30-metre run to the line.
The young Broncos worked their way straight back into Cronulla territory and after wearing the defence down with repeat sets, Norman made it an early brace with a perfectly timed run to collect and ground a well-weighted grubber from five-eighth Louis Frisby.
Cronulla were starved of possession through the opening 20 minutes, but when they finally had some ball they were straight amongst the points, thanks to Peachey, who crashed through the line, drew the fullback and put hooker Dane Malone in to score.
With momentum in their favour, the Sharks quickly levelled scores and then went past the Broncos into the lead.
The interchange forwards did the damage, as first Dylan Hill crashed through under the sticks - benefitting from a defensive misread - and then Michael Lichaa claimed the lead, selling the pass from dummy-half and diving over the line.
With only five minutes remaining in the half, Cronulla were far from done, crossing twice more through outside backs Callum Tutauha and Luke Pickerd to take a 28-12 lead into the break.
Brisbane started strongly again in the second half, and after driving into attacking territory, exciting fullback Dane Gagai had their third try, showing great strength to cross the line with defenders draped all over his body.
The Broncos pulled within six points when Bryce Hegarty scored in the left-hand corner with just over 20 minutes to play, but their progress was negated when Peachey skipped and weaved his way over in the 60th.
Broncos hooker and captain Kurt Baptiste had a short-range effort to close within six once more, and then the hosts looked to have been rewarded for fighting to the end, as centre David Faamita seized on a loose ball in the backline and went running in to score.
Brisbane had the chance to steal an unlikely win in the final minutes, but the Sharks' defence held strong, allowing them to work back down field for Manumalealii to sink the game-winning one-pointer just before the on-rushing defence could close him down.
Brisbane: 34
Tries: Norman 2, Gagai, Hegarty, Baptiste, Faamita
Goals: Wallace 5
Cronulla: 35
Tries: Malone, Hill, Lichaa, Pickerd, Tutauha, Peachey
Goals: Hijazi 5
Field-goal: Manumalealii
http://sharks.com.au/?s=article-display&id=41068