Sharks to celebrate milestone match in Friday footy clash

Author: Sharks Media
Timestamp: Thu 31 Mar 2022, 05:58 PM

On an evening when the Sharks celebrate a special milestone for Aiden Tolman, two of the better performed teams from the opening three rounds of the season will face off when Newcastle visit PointsBet Stadium on Friday night.

Tolman, who debuted for the Storm in 2008, becomes the 43rd player to reach the 300 NRL game mark, and as big as the occasion is, with a large contingent of family and friends set to be in attendance, many making the trip from the far NSW North Coast to be at the game, the match is also about the Sharks showing their strong early season form has been no fluke.

The Sharks put the cleaners through the Dragons in backing up their last gasp win over the Eels the week before, while after two victories to start their year a 12-man Knights outfit went down to the Panthers in Bathurst on Saturday but lost no admirers in the process, pushing the defending premiers deep into the second half.

In front of what is again tipped to be a bumper PointsBet Stadium crowd, Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon was expecting a considerable challenge tomorrow night.

“It will be a very difficult game,” Fitzgibbon said. “Newcastle have been performing really well this year so far and we anticipate a tough contest.

“In their three games so far, Newcastle have come out of the blocks really hard, we expect that again on Friday night, we need to be ready for that and we want to come out in the same fashion.”

In relation to team changes, two have been forced upon the Sharks, with Connor Tracey and Matt Ikuvalu unavailable after picking up injuries in the win over the Dragons last weekend.

Tracey, who suffered a groin strain, will be replaced by the versatile Siosifa Talakai, while Ikuvalu’s wing spot will be taken by Ronaldo Mulitalo, the Sharks outside back on deck after missing last week’s game due to the concussion protocols.

With Talakai moving from the forwards to the centres, Teig Wilton, one of the Sharks best through the opening two matches, returns in the back row.

However, although a player preferring to stay somewhat out of the limelight and to just do his job for the team, whether he likes it or not, the night will be highlighted by Tolman’s milestone.

After playing 53 matches at Melbourne, Tolman moved to the Bulldogs in 2011 where he would spend 10 years, playing 222 matches, before making the move to the Sharks ahead of the 2021 season. The game tomorrow night will be his 25th for the Cronulla club.

In the head-to-head team stats, from 56 matches played the Knights hold the advantage, having won on 31 occasions, the Sharks 24, with one draw. Newcastle have taken out the last four, three of those wins in games decided by six points or less, games so close in fact that in Round 6 last year Ponga scored the matching winning try in the 78th minute, then in the return bout in Round 22 it was a Jake Clifford penalty goal in the 74th minute which decided the result.

Prior to this current Knights win streak, the Sharks had won eight straight against Newcastle from 2015-2018, and at PointsBet the Cronulla team has held the upper hand of late, winning the past four straight games. The last Knights win in the Shire came in 2014.

While delving deeper into the history of games played between the two clubs, the equal biggest win Sharks occurred against the Knights, 62-0 in round 10, 2016, which was also Nerwcastle’s second biggest defeat (71-6 v Broncos in 2007).

The Sharks will be aiming for at least three wins from the opening four rounds for only the fifth time since 1999, while they are looking to win three straight matches for the first time since Rounds 11-15 last year.

As for the Knights, after three rounds they have the best completion rate and are conceding the equal fewest ruck infringements, while they come into this game on the back of a 38-20 loss to the Panthers in a match where Mitch Barnett was sent off in the first half. The Knights had been impressive in winning against the Roosters and Wests Tigers in their first two matches.

In another personal milestone, Newcastle forward Tyson Frizell, who debuted at the Sharks in 2011, will play his 200th NRL match.

Frizell played 12 games for the Sharks over two seasons, before joining the Dragons in 2013, where he played 165 matches. He joined the Knights in 2021.

And the Sharks will need to keep Knights fullback Kalyn Ponga in check, the Queensland Origin rep having scored five tries in his past three matches against Cronulla.

The Sharks have trimmed their 24-man squad down to 19, with Jack Williams and Luke Metcalf retained on an extended bench. Mawene Hiroti was forced to withdraw from the reserves list are reporting flu-like symptoms on game day.

The Sharks v Knights game is scheduled for a 6pm kick-off at PointsBet Stadium on Friday night.

The Sharks round two match against the Eels was a sellout, and with tickets selling fast, fans are encouraged to pre-purchase to avoid disappointment on the night. CLICK HERE to purchase.

Parking in the vicinity of PointsBet Stadium is severely limited, with shuttles services running from Cronulla, Woolooware and Caringbah Stations.

See following match details and the two 19-man squad lists.

Round 4 - Round 4 - Friday 1 Apr

Full Time

Sharks

Knights

Team Lists

Backs

Fullback for Sharks is number 1 William Kennedy

Fullback for Knights is number 1 Kalyn Ponga
Winger for Sharks is number 2 Sione Katoa

Winger for Knights is number 2 Dominic Young
Centre for Sharks is number 3 Jesse Ramien

Centre for Knights is number 3 Dane Gagai
Centre for Sharks is number 4 Siosifa Talakai

Centre for Knights is number 4 Bradman Best
Winger for Sharks is number 5 Ronaldo Mulitalo

Winger for Knights is number 5 Enari Tuala
Five-Eighth for Sharks is number 6 Matt Moylan

Five-Eighth for Knights is number 6 Jake Clifford
Halfback for Sharks is number 7 Nicholas Hynes

Halfback for Knights is number 7 Adam Clune

Forwards

Prop for Sharks is number 8 Toby Rudolf

Prop for Knights is number 10 Daniel Saifiti
Hooker for Sharks is number 9 Blayke Brailey

Hooker for Knights is number 9 Chris Randall
Prop for Sharks is number 10 Braden Hamlin-Uele

Prop for Knights is number 16 Leo Thompson
2nd Row for Sharks is number 11 Briton Nikora

2nd Row for Knights is number 11 Tyson Frizell
2nd Row for Sharks is number 12 Teig Wilton

2nd Row for Knights is number 12 Brodie Jones
Lock for Sharks is number 13 Dale Finucane

Lock for Knights is number 13 Kurt Mann

Interchange

Interchange for Sharks is number 14 Aiden Tolman

Interchange for Knights is number 8 Jacob Saifiti
Interchange for Sharks is number 15 Cameron McInnes

Interchange for Knights is number 14 Phoenix Crossland
Interchange for Sharks is number 16 Braydon Trindall

Interchange for Knights is number 15 Jirah Momoisea
Interchange for Sharks is number 17 Andrew Fifita

Interchange for Knights is number 17 Sauaso Sue