Sharks outlast Rabbitohs to claim Flegg win
A double to back-rower Dylan Coutts helped Cronulla stave off a South Sydney comeback and seal a 28-16 victory in Saturday's Round 3 Jersey Flegg Cup clash at Sharks Stadium.
The under-21 Sharks (10th place) were in total command with a 12-point lead early in the second half, only for the gallant Rabbitohs (11th) to thunder back and level the scores amid the sin-binning of Coutts heading into the final 20 minutes.
Match: Sharks v Rabbitohs
Round 3 -
home Team
Sharks
6th Position
away Team
Rabbitohs
13th Position
Venue: Sharks Stadium, Sydney
But the hosts pulled out enough to keep South Sydney at bay, earning their second win of the season with decisive tries to Pharrell Gray and Coutts.
Coutts opened the scoring in the 14th minute, tearing through the frontline and using his size to beat the fullback. Five-eighth Taj Ford added the extras.
The Rabbitohs struck the next blow, centre Daniel Wright winning the race to a well-placed grubber to touch down just before the dead-ball line on the left edge.
Cronulla retained the lead thanks to an unsuccessful conversion and quickly extended the margin as William Saunders burrowed over from dummy-half in the 33rd minute, setting up another easy two points for Ford to make it 12-4.
South Sydney threatened to hit back again in the shadows of half-time, but a try-scoring opportunity was thwarted when Sharks fullback Adrian Sandy snagged a magnificent intercept as the last line of defence to get his team out of trouble.
Sandy produced more brilliance after the break, smoothly slicing his way through a hole to claim Cronulla's third try to stretch the gap to 12 points.
On the back of several Sharks errors, the Rabbitohs kept themselves in the contest when back-rower Joshua Alhazim powered over the chalk. And with Cronulla's Coutts sin-binned for a professional foul moments later, the visitors seized the opportunity to draw level through a converted try to Jayden Wolfe.
The Rabbitohs continued to pour on the pressure – aided by more Sharks mistakes – but the black, white and blue wall held firm despite being a man down.
Back to 13 on 13, Cronulla regained the ascendency when some slick work on the left side resulted in winger Gray nabbing a try in the 67th minute. Ford calmly slotted the goal from the sideline to confirm a six-point buffer.
With the Rabbitohs unable to capitalise on a couple of golden chances, the Sharks secured the result as Coutts grounded a grubber to snare his second try.
Cronulla will shoot for a hat-trick of wins when they tackle the Bulldogs next Saturday in an NRL curtain-raiser at Sharks Stadium kicking off at 5.10pm.
