The Cronulla Sharks produced a stunning second-half revival to defeat the St George Illawarra Dragons 34-12 in a wild local derby at Ocean Protect Stadium, known as the Bermuda Triangle. The win continues the Sharks' mid-season resurgence, though concerns have emerged over a pec injury to Dragons forward Jaydn Su'A.
First Half Struggles
The Sharks were dismal in the opening 40 minutes, completing just 61 per cent of their sets and trailing 12-6 at halftime. A hospital pass from fullback Will Kennedy led to a Sam Stonestreet error, which the Dragons capitalised on to score. The Dragons looked poised for back-to-back wins after their drought-breaking victory over Brisbane last week.
Second Half Turnaround
Cronulla snapped out of their slumber in the second half, scoring two tries in as many minutes to regain the lead. Kennedy redeemed himself with a spectacular dive to score, earning a 9.8 from the Romanian judge. The Sharks' fans, quiet at halftime while queuing for Hard Rated cans, found their voice when Stonestreet raced away from a scrum to score his revenge try.
Key Performers
Addin Fonua-Blake was immense for the hosts, putting in a powerhouse stint to retain his Blues spot. Briton Nikora and the bench forwards were relentless. Ronaldo Mulitalo continued his dream home form with another double, backing up last week's win over Manly despite the absence of injured stars Nicho Hynes and Blayke Brailey.
Injury Concern
Dragons back-rower Jaydn Su'A, playing his first game since round seven after a suspension and calf injury, left the field late with a pec injury. He will likely require scans. The Eels-bound forward's injury compounds a disappointing loss for the Dragons.
Analysis
The Dragons showed encouraging signs in the first half, with a strong kick return leading to a Valentine Holmes try and quick hands down the left setting up their second. However, they failed to capitalise on the Sharks' six errors in the opening 20 minutes. In the second half, the Dragons dropped the ball, allowing the home side to make five line-breaks to none. The Couchman brothers continued to shine in the middle third, but the Dragons' spine needs to take more risks out wide to close out games.
