Tarsha Sharks brave but beaten by Raiders

The Sharks Tarsha Gale team were defeated by the Canberra Raiders in the nation’s capital on Saturday, losing to the home team 22-6.

The Sharks hung on early, however errors and penalties proved costly for the team, resulting in two back-to-back opposition tries. The team was able to regroup and create attacking opportunities, but were unable to convert them into points before halftime, leaving them trailing 12-0.

The Shark’s faced a similar sequence of events in the second half, conceding another two tries in quick concession.

However, in a display of character, the U19 girls were able to hang on for the remainder of the match, with Sharks forward, Ariarna Harden, crossing the line to put points on the board late in the game.

With illness and a family issue affecting the Tarsha Gale coaching staff, Cronulla Sharks Inaugural NRLW coach Tony Herman stood in at the game on Saturday, commending the team’s display of effort and resilience, despite tough circumstances.

“It was a really good effort, they worked really hard for one another, they pushed up a lot, they played some good footy at times and I thought they did really well,” Herman said.

“They turned over a lot of ball, so they had to defend well and they did. On their line they had some really big bodies coming at them and the girls kept putting their bodies in front.

“It was very, very impressive,” Herman added.

Despite the disappointing result, Herman is pleased with the development of the girls and expressed optimism for the future of the club’s female teams.

“We have a lot of girls who haven’t played a lot of rugby league, whereas they’re playing against a lot of teams who have. Some girls have played six-seven years and we have girls who haven’t even played six-seven games,” he said.

“As a club we are really, really happy with their progression and every game they play they’re getting better, so I think it's looking good for the future.”

With only two round games left, Tarsha Gale will look to finish the season strong, with the team set to go up against the Bulldog’s at the Sharks Academy Field at Cronulla High School this Sunday. Kick off is at 10am.

SHARKS 6
Ariarna Harden try, Olivia Herman goal
lost to
RAIDERS 22

Photos courtesy Steve Montgomery - ourfootyteam.com