So, who’s next?
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The Cronulla Sharks proved once and for all they are genuine premiership contenders with a gutsy 13-10 win over reigning premiers North Queensland on Monday night – the club’s 10th victory in a row.
The sides scored one try each with NSW five-eighth James Maloney’s boot proving the difference with three penalty goals and a field goal with six minutes remaining to seal the victory.
The win was Cronulla’s 10th in a row with the loud and proud Sharks home crowd of more than 13,000 getting the team home on a cold night in the shire.
Sharks captain Paul Gallen was one of a number of standout players for the hosts as the veteran forward ran for 200 metres and made 40 tackles against the quality Cowboys pack.
Cronulla coach Shane Flanagan said the 34-year-old was in the best form of his career.
“I think Gal’s form this year has probably been equal to any year over the last four or five years,” he said.
“He’s been outstanding. The biggest thing for me with Gal, and I know he’s sitting here but, his game is better now than it was a couple of years ago. We relied on Gal a lot three or four years ago to do the 200 metres and make the 40 tackles but we relied on him to create something as well.
“Now he’s just one of 17 who have to go out their and play his role.
“He’ll go another year. Let’s just get Origin out of the way. Gal knows where the club stands with him, he’s comfortable with it, we’re comfortable with it. Once Origin’s over we’ll get all that stuff sorted out.”
It was a first half of two halves as the Cowboys dominated the opening 20 minutes on the back of a lopsided penalty count.
North Queensland opened the scoring after five minutes when Antonio Winterstein crossed in the left corner after slick hands from Jonathan Thurston and Lachlan Coote.
Thurston extended their lead to 8-0 20 minutes later through a penalty goal. Cronulla were penalised eight times in the first 25 minutes and marched 10 metres twice for backchat.
On the half hour mark it looked like the Cowboys would get another chance to go further in front when Gerard Beale fielded a Thurston bomb five metres out from his own line but slid into touch.
From the scrum North Queensland shifted left and looked to have an extra man until Holmes swooped.
The young flyer raced 90 metres, turning Coote inside out in the process, before scoring out wide to drag Cronulla back into the contest.
A Maloney penalty goal from the next set of six leveled the score at 8-all at half-time.
Cronulla took the lead for the first time just before the hour mark thanks to another Maloney penalty goal before the Cowboys dragged themselves level with a Thurston penalty goal of their own.
Thurston had picked himself up after being hit high by a stray arm from Wade Graham, with the tackle not placed on report.
The Cowboys were gifted a chance with 15 minutes to go when Ben Barba was ruled to have knocked on fielding a kick.
North Queensland crossed the line twice in the ensuing set only for both attempts from James Tamou and Matt Scott to be ruled no try by the video referee.
Cronulla surged again, taking the lead with six minutes remaining when Maloney calmly slotted a field goal, before he gave the Sharks a 13-10 lead with a penalty goal in the dying stages.
The Sharks head into their second bye of the season this weekend still on top of the competition table.
Cronulla return to Southern Cross Group Stadium on June 25 when they host the New Zealand Warriors.
Leader Scoreboard
Cronulla Sharks 13 (Valentine Holmes try. James Maloney four goals, field goal)
defeated
North Queensland Cowboys 10 (Antonio Winterstein try. Jonathan Thurston three goals)
at Southern Cross Group Stadium, Woolooware
Crowd: 13,119
Leader man of the match: Paul Gallen (Sharks)
Sharks’ next three: Bye, Warriors (home), Eels (home)
