Sharks triumph in a bruising battle at Parramatta
Round 18, 2002: Cronulla 25 - Parramatta 24, at Parramatta.
By Rob Willis,
http://www.sharks.com.au
It was billed as the match of the round and it certainly didn't disappoint.
Parramatta were desperate after losing a controversial game the week before, while the LG Sharks were looking to continue their charge and make it five wins in succession.
A combination of Sharks aggression and Eels errors enabled the Sharks to get away to a fast start, establishing a lead they wouldn't relinquish, hanging on in a thriller to win 25-24.
"I think we probably shocked them a little bit early, by going at them and putting pressure on them," coach Chris Anderson said. "I took them a while to get into the game."
"But we did let them back into the game and we can't afford to be doing that."
The Sharks came out ready to play and after a solid Chris McKenna tackle jolted the ball loose from former Shark Adam Dykes's grasp in the first minute, the Sharks could smell some early blood.
It was just one minute later when Brett Kimmorley, again inspirational in the number seven jersey, put in a perfectly timed kick for skipper David Peachey to score under the sticks.
Then after just four minutes Jason Moody lost the football, once again handing the ball over to the Sharks in an attacking position. Young centre Paul Franze, in what is becoming something of a habit, with a one-handed offload sent winger Matt Rieck racing away to make the score 10-0.
In the 12th minute it could have been even worse for the Eels when some Sharks razzle-dazzle sent Rieck diving over in the corner but the video referee ruled he had failed to ground the ball correctly.
Parramatta were struggling to control the early onslaught.
"Chris McKenna got up on them and made a couple of really strong tackles," Anderson said. "Sometimes you hang onto the ball under pressure, sometimes you don't. And they didn't."
But the Eels, on the back of a couple of penalties, made their way into Sharks territory and put their first points on the board through a Daniel Wagon try. The conversion brought them back into the contest at 10-6 down after 15 minutes.
However another Eels error, this time by captain Nathan Cayless, saw the Sharks camp deep in Parramatta's half once more. This time it was a Matt Johns kick, skillfully regathered by lock Nick Graham, with the Sharks lock touching down to take the lead out to 14-6.
Then in the 26th minute, it was Graham, playing his 200th grade game for the club, who was in again. Graham, who also topped the tackle count in an extremely productive afternoon, dummied his way through some soft Eels defense for his second four pointer.
With the halftime siren approaching, the Eels mounted one last attack, and to the disappointment of a Sharks side who had been dominant during the first 39 minutes of the match, Andrew McFadden squeezed through to cross for a try that raised the spirits of his team going into the break.
"We played really well for probably 35 minutes in that first half," Kimmorley said. "That try at halftime hurt us and got their confidence up."
Kimmorley, who collected the television man of the match as well as being rewarded as the Player's player, was impressed by his team's victory.
"It was a bit scary at the end. But it was a good effort overall. We hung in until the end. We've got a lot of confidence in the club and it showed today."
Hang in was what the Sharks were forced to do. After 18 minutes of end to end football without a score, it was an unlikely hero in Matt Bickerstaff, who in showing fingertip control, pounced on another well weighted Kimmorley kick to score his first try in the top grade. The conversion took the score out to24-12 and the Sharks looked home.
The Eels had other ideas, a break down the flank by young back Willie Tonga resulted in a Moody try under the posts and at 24-18 with just less than 20 minutes remaining, it was a match once more.
Parramatta lifted by the 13,000 crowd threw everything they had at the Sharks, but showing composure missing from their play earlier in the year, the Sharks withstood the onslaught.
"They attacked us in defense," Peachey said. "The crowd really got behind them. Credit to our boys, they stayed relaxed under pressure and we came out the other side.
"We just had to keep plugging away at what we needed to do, which was keeping our forwards going at them, then letting Noddy run the show around the rucks."
The match looked over when a Kimmorley field goal extended the lead to seven points. Then, with less than five to go, the Sharks in trying to put the final nail in the Parramatta coffin, had a chip kick intercepted by the Eel's Brad Drew. The nuggety hooker ran 95 metres to score, evading a desperate chase by Rieck, ensuring a grandstand finish.
But the Sharks held their nerve and Parramatta, making a couple more errors, lost theirs, the Sharks holding on for an important win.
While Kimmorley rightly received many of the accolades after the match, special mention should be made of Australian representatives Jason Stevens and Chris McKenna. The big front rower was a power of strength in the middle of the park, while McKenna, playing another 80 minutes after playing a full game on Friday, was among the Sharks best.
In lower grade's action, the First Division Sharks ran out comfortable winners, 38-16, while the Jersey Flegg lost a match they maybe should have won, 16-6.
The Sharks go on the road again next week, taking on the Northern Eagles at Brookvale Oval on Sunday afternoon.
