Source :- THE AGE NEWS
If you build it, they won’t come.
It may be the one of the best stadiums in the southern hemisphere, a mere 25.2 kilometres from the Sharks’ spiritual home in the Shire. But many Cronulla fans refuse to leave Cronulla.
Not even the siren song of their Mermaids cheerleaders, free public transport for ticket holders, or the chance to witness their team in a finals fixture was enough to bring them to Allianz Stadium.
An official crowd of 17,429 was posted. That’s only about 2,500 more than the capacity of Shark Park, otherwise known as Ocean Protect Stadium. Understandably, only a handful of hearty Cowboys souls made the long commute from Townsville.
The decision to shift the game here was a controversial one. Head office will hope the extra corporate cash it pockets from playing at Allianz offsets the broadcast images of a stadium less than half full.
The reasons for non-attendance remain unclear. Is it because rugby league is such a good television product? The fatigue of watching the seventh North Queensland-Cronulla post-season clash since 2013? Or just a preference for “Portaloo Park”?
Whatever the case, the Sharks got the job done without the vocal support they would normally get at their regular home.
“It’s not our decision,” Cronulla coach Craig Fitzgibbon said. “I felt like this last year – obviously the amount of sulking that went on about playing at Shark Park, I thought we weren’t any chance of getting it this year. They should have just told us earlier.
“But also, for us, we’re happy to play here. We’re in semi-finals; we want to play in a big stadium. But our members and fans pay their money all year to be able to watch their team make semi-finals and play at home, and we earned that. We didn’t get it … but that’s not up to me. I would imagine it’s a financial decision or viewing optics for the game. I’m not sure.”
A 26-16 win against their old sparring partners was achieved despite their returning maestro playing with the use of only one shoulder. Braydon Trindall took his place after three weeks on the sidelines. Despite being clearly hampered, he passed, tackled and kicked his side to a scrappy victory.
At one point in the second half, “Tricky” gave his shoulder an unnecessary test when he tried to retrieve the football from his own short kick-off. The pivot couldn’t be accused of playing in a dinner suit. When he produced a season-high 31st try assist with a pass to fullback Will Kennedy – not even Nathan Cleary comes near that figure – it was due reward for playing through the pain.
The Cowboys have been the most curious side in the NRL. They qualified for the top eight despite conceding more points than any other finalist in history. Their devil-may-care attitude is best exemplified by Scott Drinkwater. The Dragons-bound fullback is the ultimate gunslinger. One errant cut-out pass resulted in an intercept that gifted Sione Katoa his 100th NRL try. Undeterred, he threw another one that hit Zac Laybutt on the chest from 25 metres away to give his side hope.
However, it was always going to come down to the Cowboys’ application without the football. They defended stoutly when starved off possession for much of the opening half, particularly when their tryline was peppered. However, those exertions eventually took their toll. When Nico Hynes shaped to kick, but instead stepped off his left foot, their fate was sealed.
There is every chance that the Sharks could be required to return to Allianz next week. Asked whether he hoped more of their fans will follow them there, captain Cameron McInnes deadpanned: “I don’t know. If you can afford it, come. If you can’t, watch it on TV. I couldn’t care less, really.”
The Cowboys are throwing the ball around a lot in these final stages, and they’re eating up the metres too, but the Sharks defence is doing the job and finally the visitors turn it over when Soni Luke drops the ball after a Braydon Trindall tackle.
Trindall – who said at half-time his shoulder would be fine – has clearly struggled in his return from a dislocated shoulder all game but competed strongly throughout anyway.
And that’s the full-time siren. Not the prettiest win you’ll ever see but Cronulla did what they needed to and they live to fight again next week.
For the Cowboys, a brave effort for an eighth-placed team playing on the road, but errors proved costly and their season is over.
Full-time: Sharks 26, Cowboys 16
North Queensland aren’t saying quits just yet, forcing a dropout then spreading it left for Jaxson Purdue to beat two Sharks defenders to score.
They still need to score a couple of tries to keep their season alive but it’s not beyond the realms of possibility from here.
Sharks 26, Cowboys 16 with seven minutes left
The Sharks attack again after a Braidon Burns error and they go close twice, the Cowboys doing well to wrap up Addin Fonua-Blake and Braydon Trindall in successive tackles. Then on the last Nicho Hynes shapes to kick, steps off his left foot instead, slips between two defenders and scores between the posts.
That’s a big-game play for a player that cops criticism for not producing on the big stage, and the Sharks finally look comfortable on the scoreboard.
Sharks 26, Cowboys 12 with 13 minutes left
It’s blow-for-blow stuff now as the Sharks get into attacking territory thanks to a Zac Laybutt error and run the ball on the last, Braydon Trindall drifting left and linking up with Will Kennedy who slides past Tom Chester to score out wide.
Nicho Hynes hits the post with the conversion attempt.
Sharks 20, Cowboys 12 with 17 minutes left
North Queensland force a dropout when a nice Jake Clifford kick is batted over the dead-ball line by Sione Katoa, and Braydon Trindall’s short dropout is collected by Heilum Luki.
A couple of plays later they’re in – Scott Drinkwater drifts left and finds Tom Dearden, who fires a long, loooong cutout pass to the left wing to send Zac Laybutt over.
It’s back to a four-point ball game as Drinkwater converts.
Sharks 16, Cowboys 12 with 22 minutes left
“Scott Drinkwater is North Queensland’s most creative player when he jumps into the front line. They’re all-in on him – good, bad, rocks or diamonds, that’s just how he plays.”
That’s what Andrew Johns wrote about Drinkwater this week, and unfortunately for Cowboys fans he’s been more rocks than diamonds tonight. There have still been high points – a try assist, two try assists, a goal – but that’s been offset by four errors and an intercept pass that led to that last Sione Katoa try.
He remains one of the best attacking fullbacks in the game and there’s plenty of time for Drinkwater to conjure something in these last 25 minutes with his team’s season on the line. (If North Queensland lose, it’ll be Drinkwater’s final game for the club – he’s off to St George Illawarra next season.)
Sharks 16, Cowboys 6 with 26 minutes left
The Cowboys put the ball through the hands, sweeping the ball to the left just on the Sharks’ side of halfway, Scott Drinkwater sending a no-look pass towards his winger – when bang, Cronulla winger Sione Katoa throws out an arm, taps the ball up, then grabs it and runs clear.
Cowboys centre Jaxson Purdue has more speed but he can’t close the gap on Katoa and he gets to the line and grabs his second try of the night.
Nicho Hynes’ conversion attempt goes wide.
Sharks 16, Cowboys 6 with 30 minutes left
The second half is underway and the Sharks soon find themselves on the attack again, especially when they spread it wide to the right and create an overlap only for rookie Riley Jones to throw an intercept to Jake Clifford.
North Queensland get downfield and Clifford puts up a kick that is allowed to bounce by the Sharks, trickling into the in-goal before Sione Katoa is tackled over the dead-ball line.
Braydon Trindall kicks the dropout short for himself, and gets to it first, but knocks on. Cowboys scrum.
The Cowboys go right on tackle two, but Scott Drinkwater’s short ball goes forward to Heilum Luki.
Sharks 12, Cowboys 6 with 34 minutes left
