Cronulla’s patchy season appears to be back on track after a 34-14 win in Newcastle on Sunday that has left the Knights in an even deeper hole.
The Sharks arrived at McDonald Jones Stadium with three wins from their first six games, having struggled to show the form and consistency that earned them a top-four position last year.
But their performance against Newcastle, which followed a 24-18 victory against Canberra in Perth the previous week, would suggest Craig Fitzgibbon’s men are starting to hit their straps.
With their next three games against Wests Tigers, Parramatta and Manly, the Sharks have an ideal chance to continue climbing the competition ladder. They now occupy the sixth rung.
Fitzgibbon, while satisfied to bank two competition points, indicated the Sharks have plenty of room for improvement, admitting that Newcastle “jumped us on energy” at the start of the game.
“I felt like, to be honest, the scoreline flattered us today,” Fitzgibbon said.
“I know we looked potent with the ball, but the actual contest – the physical stakes – they [Newcastle] were up and about. I’m sure when they get a few troops back and a few things go their way, they’ll be a handful.
“But I thought we were really connected and really clear on our plan and executed the plan well, and we had to.
“I’m really happy with that, but I thought the contest – the harder, simple stuff – I thought they [Newcastle] were stronger than the score suggested.”
In contrast, the injury-hit Knights have now slumped to four straight losses and face tough away games against the Warriors and South Sydney as their next two assignments.
Newcastle coach Adam O’Brien was bullish, however, insisting it was a vast improvement on their three previous defeats, after scoring only two tries in consecutive losses against Gold Coast, Canterbury and Wests Tigers.
He said they defended desperately and with real effort, but “it took its toll, obviously”.
“I feel disappointed,” he said. “I always want to win. We always want to win. We hate losing – especially here – but I don’t feel like we’ve let anybody down in terms of how hard we’re trying.”
The Knights threw some tough questions at Cronulla in the early exchanges but the Sharks kept coming up with answers in defence.
Eventually it was the home side who cracked first, when Sharks playmaker Nicho Hynes propped and stepped and prop Oregon Kaufusi crashed over from close range in the 12th minute. The Sharks opened a 12-point lead after fellow prop Addin Fonua-Blake scored in the 16th minute.
The Knights appeared to have equalised a few minutes later, when five-eighth Fletcher Sharpe raced away after a Bradman Best pass.
But the bunker intervened to rule no-try after finding an obstruction in the lead-up play.
The Sharks doubled down on that reprieve by spinning the ball to their right edge, where winger Sam Stonestreet scored to give the visitors and imposing 16-0 lead.
The Knights eventually found their way to the try line in the 31st minute, when they created an overlap out wide and powerful winger Greg Marzhew scored in the corner, leaving them facing a 16-4 half-time deficit.
Will Kennedy on the burst for Cronulla against the Knights.Credit: Getty Images
Cronulla were lucky to complete the first half with a full complement of 13 players after a brutal incident in the 30th minute, when Knights five-eighth Tyson Gamble suffered a bloodied nose.
Replays indicated Gamble had clashed heads with Cronulla defender Teig Wilton, who was penalised and placed on report for high contact but escaped a stint in the sin-bin.
Knights winger James Schiller was not so fortunate.
Five minutes into the second half, he produced a try-saving tackle on Mawene Hiroti but was sin-binned for a swinging arm that collected Sharks centre in the head.
The Sharks celebrate Addin Fonua-Blake’s try against Newcastle.Credit: Getty Images
With Newcastle down to 12 men, Cronulla centre Jesse Ramien intercepted a pass from Newcastle skipper Kalyn Ponga and linked with Stonestreet, who raced 50 metres to score untouched.
Three minutes, William Kennedy increased Cronulla’s lead to 28-4 by diving on a Blayke Brailey grubber kick in-goal.
The Knights finally gave the crowd of 24,248 cause to cheer in the 73rd minute, when Sharpe scored after a Marzhew break.
The Sharks responded five minutes later with a try by Hiroti after some flimsy defence.
Adding to Newcastle’s woes, Kiwi Test hooker Phoenix Crossland spent the second half on the sidelines nursing an ankle injury.
