Another Nicho Hynes masterclass and a double to Ronaldo Mulitalo led the Sharks to a 44-6 win over the Cowboys at PointsBet Stadium last night.
Mulitalo took his try tally at the Sharks’ home ground to 19 in 18 games as Cronulla’s outside backs ran riot in a seven-tries-to-one demolition.
On the back of an early error by Cowboys winger Kyle Feldt it was the home side striking through Siosifa Talakai in just the second minute before Hynes added a penalty goal nine minutes later to make it 8-0.
The Sharks had a second in the 14th minute when edge back-rower Briton Nikora’s grubber kick rebounded into the in-goal and Jesse Ramien pounced forn his fourth try of the season. With Hynes’ conversion the score had blown out to 14-0.
With 15 minutes to go in the half the Sharks turned up the heat defensively on the back of a Hynes kick, forcing the Cowboys to kick from just 15 metres out from their own line and grabbing a try on the next set.
Winger Sione Katoa was the beneficiary of some slick hands by Hynes and Will Kennedy and the Sharks had racked up a 20-0 lead.
The Cowboys got on the board in the 34th minute when Tom Dearden exploded through a gap from 40 metres out and linked with Feldt, who produced a huge fend on Mulitalo to cross for his fourth try of the season.
Four minutes into the second half the Sharks went left and another peach of a pass from Kennedy found Talakai who sent it on to Mulitalo for the home side’s fourth try and the margin was out to 18.
Sharks back-rower Jack Williams then made a line break and was taken high by Cowboys No.1 Scott Drinkwater, the resulting penalty gifting Hynes two more points to make it 26-6.
Cowboys prop Coen Hess’ 150th NRL game turned sour in the 55th minute when he was sin binned for tripping and the Sharks cashed in when Talakai produced another quality tap-on for Mulitalo to cross again.
Two minutes after Mulitalo scored the Sharks were in again when Drinkwater made a meal of a Hynes kick and the Cronulla supremo picked up the scraps and touched down for a 38-6 lead.
Five-eighth Matt Moylan then laid on a try for Teig Wilton as the Sharks piled more pain on the Cowboys, who also lost their skipper Chad Townsend to a suspected calf injury.
The Sharks lost Nikora and prop Braden Hamlin-Uele to suspected knee injuries in the only dampener on a dominant performance.
Source: NRL.Com