Madimack 'Power Players' - Round 7

It was fast, it was physical, and it was a gritty win at home for the Sharks in round seven. A solid performance on both sides of the ball saw a come from behind victory scored by the boys in black, white and blue.

Let’s take a look at the Madimack ‘Power Players’ from the clash.

NICHO HYNES

The man of the moment for the Sharks. Nicho Hynes.

Off the back of signing a lifetime deal until the end of 2029, Hynes stepped up to prove his worth when it mattered most in Friday night’s clash.

Hynes did all the damage in the backend of the match, picking up 105 running metres, four tackle busts, two line breaks and a try assist in the second half alone. His second half blitz capped off when he broke down the Roosters left edge to send Blayke Brailey over the line to break a 12-12 deadlock with 10 minutes remaining.

Hynes finished the night with 190 run metres, two line break assists, two line breaks, one try assist and 551 kick metres to his name.

BLAYKE BRAILEY

Blayke Brailey put in his best performance of the year in round seven.

Showcasing his running ability with 83 metres on the night, the crafty hooker dismantled the Roosters through the ruck.

Backing up Hynes, Brailey’s 69th minute try broke the 12-12 deadlock before a beautiful piece of vision saw him put Briton Nikora over to seal the Shark’s first win at home this season.

Topping the tackle count with 45 tackles, Brailey was as solid as ever in defence. His tackle technique on point against the Roosters big men.

OREGON KAUFUSI

Promoted to the starting side for Friday night’s clash, Oregon Kaufusi put in arguably his best game in Sharks’ colours.

In his forty-one minutes in the middle, Kaufusi ripped in to the Roosters pack, running for 137 metres, 52 of those post-contact, with five tackle breaks added to the sheet.

On the other side of the ball Kaufusi hit hard in defence, making 19 tackles at a tackle efficiency of 95%.

With Toby Rudolf set for an extended period on the sideline, expect Oregon to step in and fill the void with more of these types of performances.

SIFA TALAKAI

Siosifa Talakai is becoming a bit of a regular feature in this article. Once again stepping up against the Chooks with massive metres.

Talakai’s skillset did all of the talking on Friday night, containing his opposite in Joey Manu in defence and providing the right option in attack throughout the clash.

Talakai finished the night with an enormous 212 run metres, 92 of those post-contact, with four tackle breaks, one line break assist and a try assist to round out his stat line.

NEXT UP

The next assignment for the Shark’s will be the Bulldogs on Saturday night at Accor Stadium, where they’ll look to continue on their winning run.

You can grab tickets to the clash here.