Nathan Gardner of the Sharks is tackled during the match. Photo / Getty Images
Cronulla looked like finding a way to lose this one at Parramatta Stadium and remain anchored to the bottom of the legal teams on the NRL table. But for the second time this season, they got up to beat the Eels in a thrilling match which hauled their season back
from the brink.
The crucial period was between the 63rd and 65th minutes. Five-eighth Kris Keating kicked into a Sharks defender and the ball ricocheted into the arms of second rower Ben Smith. With a couple of swift passes, the Eels had pieced together what looked a try. But it was denied under the new 'downtown' kick rule which meant Keating needed to go past Smith before he could pick up the ball.
Two minutes later, the Sharks scored the match-winner with a try from an unsecured Trent Barrett bomb that saw hooker Paul Aiton wrestle down the ball in goal.
Unanswered questions remain. Why did Barrett butcher what looked a certain try in the 13th minute by passing straight to opposition wing Luke Burt, who scored at the other end of the field?
Why did Taulima Tautai kick on the first tackle in the 48th minute with Isaac Gordon outside him just 15m from the Eels' line? And why did Tim Smith struggle to thread through grubbers twice on the last tackle which could have set up the Sharks for more tries?
Still, it's a win worth celebrating. The Sharks had the better of the first half, dominating on all but the scoreboard, despite limited success, completing just 67 per cent of their tackle sets. They regularly spread the ball wide with quick line speed, exhausting Eels tacklers with second phase ball.
FULL TIME SCORE
Eels: 18 (T Humble, J Robson, D Mortimer tries; L Burt 3 goals)
Sharks: 22 (A Tupou, D Collis, T Smith, P Aiton tries; N Gardner 3 goals).
Halftime: 18-10.
