Flegg Sharks open their account
The Jersey Flegg Sharks have recorded their first win of the 2025 season with a victory over the Newcastle Knights in their round two match at Henson Park.
Played in temperatures topping 30 degrees, the Sharks were far from perfect however they did more than enough in scoring seven tries in the 38-22 triumph.
Following a loss to the Panthers in round one it was a strong bounce back from the young Sharks side.
In the early exchanges the Knights were their own worst enemies, penalties and set restarts allowing the Cronulla side to mount pressure and just eight minutes into the contest debutant centre Joe Nadenic showed good strength to touch down out wide.
The Sharks would double their score when Ritchie Whalebone finished off a sweeping backline movement and when a second conversion attempt was waved away the score was 8-0.
Dominating possession and field position the Sharks pressed forward again and it was Nadenic, brushing away from his opposition centre to score his second.
The early onslaught continued when Ashton Simmons sliced through, this time Taj Ford was able to add the extras and it was 18-0 Sharks with half time approaching.
Unfortunately, the Sharks would drop their intensity and the Newcastle side took advantage, two relatively soft tries, the first through the middle of the ruck, the second after a missed tackle out wide and all of a sudden there was just six points separating the teams at 18-12.
With half time siren sounding in the background Ford would kick a penalty goal, sending his team to the break up by 20-12.
The second half began in similar fashion to the first with the Sharks attacking their opponents line and it was Simmons to cross for a second, the five eighth displaying good speed and footwork to wide out.
The Ford conversion made it 24-12, before another penalty goal pushed the margin out to 14 points at 26-12.
The Knights weren't quite finished in scoring their third, another softish try allowed by the Sharks when their dummy half dived over, but that would be as close as they would get.
A bizarre try to Sharks interchange forward Lachlan Araullo from the ensuing kickoff, when the Knights fumbled the ball in their in goal and failed to pick it up, a determined Araullo winning the race to touch down, then a 75th minute try to rampaging prop Felix Faatili, both four pointers converted by Ford, completing the Sharks scoring.
The Knights would score a long range try on the full-time siren to put a measure of respectability into the scoreline.
With a one win, one loss record, the Flegg Sharks now return home for a round three match against Souths at Sharks Stadium next Saturday.
SHARKS 38
Simmons 2, Nadenic 2, Faatili, Whalebone, Araullo tries, Ford 5 goals
beat
NEWCASTLE 22
