In front of a sell-out crowd at Leichhardt Oval, young gun Ronaldo Mulitalo has announced himself to not only Sharks fans, but to the rugby league world, with a man-of-the-match performance in the victory over the Wests Tigers.
Mulitalo played with aggression, enthusiasm and skill in a brilliant display on right wing, catching everything kicked at him, returning the ball with vigour and defending stoutly.
In just his eighth NRL game, Mulitalo’s efforts were recognised, with an overwhelming 62 per cent of Fan Poll respondents choosing him as the Sharks best in the 25-8 victory.
After just being shaded for top honours the previous week in their narrow loss to the Raiders, in a short space of time Mulitalo has emerged as a fan favourite but also as an important member of the Sharks NRL squad.
Second in the Fan Poll from the Tigers game was five eighth Shaun Johnson, the Kiwi dispelling any fears as to his fitness with a solid performance in the Sharks win.
Johnson also kicked four crucial goals in the swirling winds, earning 12 per cent of the fan vote on the day.
And seeing more football with Johnson back in the side after he had missed the Canberra match, another of the younger brigade in Briton Nikora stepped up and was outstanding for the Sharks.
Nikora scored a smart try and was a handful for the defence with almost every touch in displaying the form which saw him earn selection in the New Zealand team in 2019.
FANS ROUND 25 MAN OF THE MATCH – Ronaldo Mulitalo – 62%
2nd Place – Shaun Johnson – 12%
3rd Place – Briton Nikora – 7%
