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Have your say: which team walks away with the win?
Iro runs length of the field to score
Kayal Iro goes the length of the field to score Cronulla’s third try of the afternoon.
It comes out of nowhere, after Ronaldo Mulitalo works extras to get the ball out of the in-goal.
Mulitalo finds Will Kennedy for the offload, and he passes out to Iro on the edge, who beats Mikaele Ravalawa and has clear air to run the 90 metres and score.
A great team effort there, and the perfect way for Cronulla to get their strike back – they had dropped off in the past 10 minutes.
Sharks 16, Rabbitohs 0 after 22 minutes
Rabbitohs defence starting to show resolve
Braydon Trindall sees South Sydney fullback Jye Gray is out of position, and puts a beautoful chip over the top.
Trindall and Nicho Hynes chase, but Gray manages to take the ball dead. A short goal line dropout from Jamie Humphreys goes the way of the Sharks, and they get a full attacking set 10 metres out from the Rabbitohs line.
Hynes puts a grubber in on the last play, but Keaon Koloamatangi scoops it up and gets a penalty.
Much better defence from South Sydney – now they’re getting in the grind.
Sharks 10, Rabbitohs 0 after 20 minutes
No try for Ravalawa on debut
A forward pass from Cronulla coming out of their own end gives the Rabbitohs their first real chance for points in this match.
Mikaele Ravalawa goes over in the corner and grounds the ball, but his right foot scrapes the touch line as he plants the ball over the line.
No try for South Sydney, but promising signs from their right edge attack.
Sharks 10, Rabbitohs 0 after 14 minutes
Nikora adds to Sharks tally
A penalty, another penalty, a set restart, and Cronulla score again.
Poor discipline from South Sydney so far, and it’s costly – it would have been surprising if the Sharks couldn’t find a way to capitalise on all that possession.
This time it’s Briton Nikora who scores straight through the middle, after he slips between Sean Keppie, Davvy Moale and Keaon Koloamatangi.
Nicho Hynes converts from in front, and Cronulla take a commanding lead early in the contest.
Sharks 10, Rabbitohs 0 after 11 minutes
Cronulla strike first through Hynes
Not even five minutes in, and the Sharks strike.
Cronulla have numbers on the right edge, Nicho Hynes throws the dummy and slips through the Rabbitohs defensive line to score.
No luck converting his own try though, the ball hits the posts and bounces off.
Now, a penalty gives the Sharks an easy leg up out of their own end. Bad start from South Sydney.
Sharks 4, Rabbitohs 0 after four minutes
Kick-off in Cronulla
Cronulla get us under way with the kick-off and Jamie Humphreys takes the catch.
He passes to Mikaele Ravalawa who has his first carry as a Rabbitohs.
South Sydney are given a penalty in their first set for a dangerous tackle on Jai Arrow from Briton Nikora – spear tackle, head first into the ground kind of tackle.
Sharks 0, Rabbitohs 0 after 2 minutes
Nico’s view: Sharks should get the job done
Rabbitohs team list
The only change to Wayne Bennett’s side today is the addition of winger Mikaele Ravalawa after he officially signed with the club for 2025. Here’s what the team looks like.
1. Jye Gray, 2. Isaiah Tass, 3. Jack Wighton, 4. Campbell Graham, 18. Mikaele Ravalawa, 6. Cody Walker (c), 7. Jamie Humphreys, 8. Sean Keppie, 9. Peter Mamouzelos, 10. Davvy Moale, 11. Keaon Koloamatangi, 12. Jai Arrow, 13. Tallis Duncan, 14. Jayden Sullivan, 15. Siliva Havili, 16. Liam Le Blanc, 17. Tevita Tatola
Winger Mikaele Ravalawa has signed with the Rabbitohs for the remainder of the 2025 season.Credit: Getty
Sharks team list
No changes to Craig Fitzgibbon’s team ahead of kick-off. Here’s how they line up today.
1. Will Kennedy, 2. Sam Stonestreet, 3. Jesse Ramien, 4. Kayal Iro, 5. Ronaldo Mulitalo, 6. Braydon Trindall, 7. Nicho Hynes, 8. Addin Fonua-Blake, 9. Blayke Brailey, 10. Oregon Kaufusi, 11. Briton Nikora, 12. Teig Wilton, 13. Cameron McInnes (c), 14. Daniel Atkinson, 15. Siosifa Talakai, 16. Braden Hamlin-Uele, 17. Tuku Hau Tapuha
Sharks halfback Nicho Hynes.Credit: Getty Images
Revenge of the footy nerds: The toy soldiers building a Bulldogs revolution
By Dan Walsh
In the belly of Belmore Oval’s grandstand, a couple of halfbacks are playing with army men.
Near enough, anyway. That’s what Toby Sexton likens his game planning and tactical tutorials with Jason Taylor to.
Toby Sexton and Jason Taylor work through a video session at Belmore Oval.Credit: Hope Saad/Bulldogs Digital
The Bulldogs No.7 and assistant coach are a pair of unabashed “nerds”, according to Sexton, and in their element as the 24-year-old prepares to truly take charge of an NRL side for the first time.
Matt Burton’s expected 4-6 week spell on the sidelines with an MCL injury puts Sexton front and centre as Canterbury’s senior half, starting against Parramatta on Sunday as Bailey Hayward plays his first NRL game at the scrumbase.
Read the full story here.
