Another game, another win for the Cronulla Sharks.
The Sharks extended their incredible club record winning streak to 15 games with a comprehensive 36-4 win over Newcastle on Sunday.
It was another perfect afternoon for Cronulla in front of a bumper crowd of 16,882 at Southern Cross Group Stadium.
Cronulla were dominant for most of the afternoon against the bottom of the table Knights. Along with their 62-0 drubbing of Newcastle in round 10, the big win saw the Sharks take their season aggregate to a combined 98-4 over the Novocastrians.
Cronulla coach Shane Flanagan left out NSW five-eighth James Maloney after picking up a groin strain against his former side the Sydney Roosters last Monday night, with Fa’amanu Brown deputising in the halves.
Valentine Holmes scored four tries when the sides met in round 10 and could have had another in the opening two minutes only for the video referee to disallow his effort for a double movement.
Holmes, celebrating his 21st birthday, scooped up a loose Knights’ pass and ran 90 metres only to be caught in a desperate tackle just short of the line.
Cronulla took the lead after six minutes when Jack Bird strolled over untouched from a simple shift to the right on Newcastle’s goal line.
Newcastle looked certain to answer with a try of their own after 15 minutes, only for Pat Mata’utia to slip close to the line after Sosaia Feki had gifted possession back to the Knights when he dropped a high kick.
The Sharks extended their lead to 10-0 on 25 minutes thanks to a perfect Ben Barba cut out pass that put Feki in the corner.
Cronulla could have been further in front six minutes later only for a controversial video referee decision which disallowed a try to Barba for obstruction after Michael Ennis was ruled to stop Chris Adams from getting to Barba before the Sharks fullback ran 50 metres to score in the corner.
The Sharks extended their lead to 14-0 three minutes after half-time when Barba finished off a length of the field move.
Holmes made a half break on his own 20 metre line and found Bird with an offload, with the Sharks centre finding Barba in support on halfway as he twisted Knights fullback Dane Gagai inside out to score out wide.
Gerard Beale was next to score for Cronulla after 50 minutes when he showed neat footwork to cross next to the posts. But the try was again set up by a long range effort from Holmes who intercepted a Trent Hodkinson pass almost on his own line before being caught 20 metres away from the Knights’ try line.
Cronulla all but sealed victory three minutes later when Bird scored his second, highlighted by a gorgeous dummy to Holmes before accelerating away to score untouched in the corner.
Barba could have had a second try soon after only to put his foot on the touchline when grounding the ball in the corner.
But even that couldn’t stop Cronulla, as the Sharks the won scrum against feed and shifted the ball quickly to Holmes to score his 14th of the season.
Holmes had his 15th minutes later before the Knights scored a consolation through Nathan Ross.
Leader Scoreboard
Cronulla Sharks 36 (Jack Bird two, Valentine Holmes two, Ben Barba two, Sosaia Feki, Gerard Beale tries. Chad Townsend two goals)
defeated
Newcastle Knights 4 (Nathan Ross try)
at Southern Cross Group Stadium, Woolooware
Crowd: 16,882
Leader man of the match: Ben Barba (Sharks)
Sharks’ next three: Titans (away), Raiders (home), Dragons (away)
