Despite the Sharks’ loss of gold points, Cronulla’s fans were treated to a directing masterclass by pairing Nicho Hynes and Matt Moylan.
Hynes had previously talked about the pressure he was under to move up to the final in a bigger role with Cronulla and he definitely answered that call.
Aviator Ronaldo Mulitalo also offered a near-perfect performance alongside Siosifa Talakai on the left side of the pitch.
Meanwhile, Connor Tracey had a night to forget.
Read on for Sharks player ratings from the qualifying final against the Cowboys.
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1. WILLIAM KENNEDY – 7
He found himself out of position for the Cowboys’ first try, but made up for it with a strong support effort after Mulitalo’s left break. Otherwise he was reliable and cleaned up some clever kicks from Chad Townsend.
2. CONNOR TRACEY – 4
He had a chance to give his team the lead at the end of the first half and lost the ball, otherwise he did not appear in the first half. He fired on defense to allow Murray Taulagi to score in the second half before being sent to the sin bin for a professional foul with seven minutes left in the game.
3. JESSE RAMIEN – 6
Initial mistake that proved costly, but made up for it with a series of hectic runs. He was below par by his usual standards, but was hit by the Sharks constantly attacking on the left side. Still recorded 144 linear meters and five contrast breaks.
4. SIOSIFA TALAKAI – 8
It was at the end of a clever play by Hynes and Moylan to score. He constantly charged into the Cowboys’ defensive line and recorded an impressive 200 running meters, three tackle breaks, a try and a line break.
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5. RONALDO MULITALO – 9
He made his presence known early with several impressive aerial shots and sparked a battle with the Cowboys’ right-sided attack. He flew over a Nicho Hynes pass and was clinical to find Kennedy inside for the Sharks’ third try. He constantly threatened and provided a near-perfect performance with 233 running meters, nine tackle breaks and two line breaks.
6. MATT MOYLAN – 8
He was absent for the first 20 minutes, but a brilliant trick in the 24th minute stunned the North Queensland defense and gave Hynes all the space in the world before the pair joined again last in the first half. He continued to perform well and did his job well.
7. NICHO HYNES – 9
Excellent defense of the line early and caught the Cowboys taking a nap with a firm abandon that found the sideline in clever play. He recorded an assist for Talakai’s simple four-point shot, but benefited from a clever pass from Moylan. Another cheat between Cronulla’s halves ignited the Sharks’ third half before he orchestrated another one again in the second half. Hynes had a hand in everything and was constantly scheming. A very strong performance.
8. TOBY RUDOLF – 8
Returning from a knee injury, Cronulla’s cult hero charged the Cowboys defenders in a run labeled “incredible” by Fox League’s Greg Alexander to open the scoring in front of the Sharks faithful. He delivered an inspired performance with 126 running meters and four tackle breaks.
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9. BLAYKE BRAILEY – 9
It seemed dangerous to get out of the thick half and he didn’t miss the whole game. He also made a ridiculous 58 tackles.
10. ROYCE HUNT – 5
He was solid in a short 41-minute run, but failed to make his mark on the race as Cronulla fans had seen in the past few weeks.
11. BRITON NIKORA – 7
It didn’t have much of an impact early on, but came to life with a clever kick at halftime, which saw Connor Tracey get desperate to scoring. He lost the ball in a crucial position on the pitch in extra time, but overall he was solid, going about his business in silence. Nikora recorded 47 tackles.
12. WADE GRAHAM – 7
He worked hard in the first half and went about his business quietly on the left side of the pitch. A valuable contributor.
13. DALE FINUCANE – 5
He made an early mistake in a strong position on the field for the Cowboys and didn’t seem to find his feet in the contest. However, the veteran still made 39 tackles and recorded 103 running meters.
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14. TEIG WILTON – 7
He was solid over a period of 61 minutes, recording 92 running meters and 32 tackles. I have not the wrong foot.
15. CAMERON MCINNES – 8
He continued his work as usual and loaded on a Nicho Hynes pass to equalize the score in the second half. Difficult display expected from the Cronulla utility. He scored 136 straight meters and 37 tackles.
16. BRADEN HAMLIN-UELE – 4
He was only on the pitch for 25 minutes and didn’t have much of an impact.
17. ANDREA FIFIT – 4
Another great man who was unable to make his mark in the race with minimal minutes.
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