SF
Mako Shark
From RLW:
- It was a bitter-sweet day for retiring coach, Greg Pierce, who had played for and coached the Sharks for well over a decade. He was the subject of a special presentation before the game, but this was overshadowed by a heated half-time clash in the tunnels with referee Chris Ward.
- "He cost us 12 points in the first half with his decisions," Pierce said. "One Parramatta try (Eric Grothe's) came from a knock on while another (Steve Ella's) came after a shepherd. And Paul Taylor's scrum feeding was not in accordance with the rules. He told Perry Haddock to clean himself up or he wouldn't be feeding the scrums. Here was a fullback feeding the scrums perfectly for one side and a regular first grade half being told to clean up. I approached Ward at half-time but he wasn't very responsive. He just pushed me away."
- After the break, Cronulla won the scrums 10-3 and the penalties 10-3! With the glut of possession the Sharks fought back from 20-5 to 20-15 with two tries in a minute. Sorensen scored after McNamara found a gaping hole. Taylor's kick-off did not travel 10 metres, and a quick-thinking Greg Mullane took the tap, kicked over the defence, regathered and scored.