Sharks boss laments ‘lack of physicality' in thumping loss to Warriors
The Warriors have brushed Cronulla aside in a 40-10 win that has helped create a breakaway pack of four in the race for the NRL minor premiership.
Marshalled by one-time Cronulla playmaker Luke Metcalf, the Warriors kept pace with fellow top-four contenders Canberra, Canterbury and Melbourne with victory in front of 13,727 at Shark Park on Saturday.
Metcalf will take the plaudits for the Warriors' round 14 victory, but some of the Kiwi outfit's young forward talent - namely Demetric Vaimauga and Leka Halasima - trumped the Sharks for both flair and fight.
The win for Andrew Webster's side, who led 12-10 at halftime, opens up a four-point buffer between the top four and Cronulla, who remain stuck in fifth after a second straight defeat.
'I didn't know when it was going to come, but at halftime I was like, 'boys, we love these tight games',' Webster said.
'I was rapt that we got the rewards late and I thought both our attack and defence complimented each other.'
The Sharks, meanwhile, are in real danger of slipping back into the chasing peloton.
A large number of the home side's supporters made for the exit when Warriors five-eighth Chanel Harris-Tavita crossed in the 66th minute.
Craig Fitzgibbon's men imploded after the break. A side once famed for their defensive steel, the Sharks have conceded 108 points across their past three games.
'We work hard on that (defence) and it's a simple game,' Fitzgibbon said.
'Sometimes if you don't get the simple and the hardest parts right, that's what happens to you.
'A lack of physicality in the second half cost us.'
The early warning signs were there for Cronulla as the rising Warriors started with promise and took the lead after just five minutes.
Dallin Watene-Zelezniak and Adam Pompey gave the Kiwi side an early lead before Mawene Hiroti and KL Iro both hit back for the Sharks before halftime.
Cronulla had an avenue back into the game, but they failed to take it, and in their first defensive test of the second half Fitzgibbon's side wilted.
Vaimauga created the confusion as the young forward played a no-look short ball for James Fisher-Harris close to the goal line that allowed the prop to stroll in untouched.
Vaimauga then nabbed a try of his own backing up a Metcalf break, before Halasima got in on the act by outjumping Sione Katoa and touching down in the in-goal.
Harris-Tavita scored two tries in the final quarter of an hour, the first off a show-and-go that left the Sharks defence clutching at air.
His second was an 80-metre runaway effort after intercepting a Nicho Hynes pass that will only add to the pressure on the Sharks.
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Sydney Morning Herald
6 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Sharks suffer 40-10 defeat in the Shire as Warriors surge into top two
Loading Key posts 7.34pm Warriors embarrass Cronulla with 30-point shellacking 7.20pm Sharks suffer massive loss to Warriors 7.06pm Harris-Tavita goes himself to add to Warriors tally 6.58pm Warriors take 20-point lead 6.53pm Warriors charge to 14-point lead after Vaimauga scores 6.36pm Warriors strike first in second half as Fisher-Harris scores 6.19pm Warriors ahead by two at half-time 6.11pm Iro adds to Cronulla tally Hide key posts Latest posts Pinned post from 7.34pm Warriors embarrass Cronulla with 30-point shellacking By Christian Nicolussi WARRIORS 40, SHARKS 10 Maybe this really could be the year of the New Zealand Warriors. Coach Andrew Webster's men completely outplayed Cronulla on Saturday night to triumph 40-10. The Sharks were meant to be fresh off the bye and bounce back at home after a humiliating loss to the Sydney Roosters, but they were out-enthused all night by a side that made it win No.10 for the season. Luke Metcalf, a former Cronulla half, was his usual brilliant self, setting up the Warriors' first try, and producing some excellent tackles. Who will seriously deny Metcalf in the Dally M race should he stay fit? James Fisher-Harris and Jackson Ford ran the ball hard, Adam Pompey is a seriously big dude, Kurt Capewell's no-fuss attitude is exactly what his old club Brisbane need right now, Erin Clark is a contender for buy of the year (what were the Titans and Des Hasler thinking?), while late call-up Sam Healy, son of Sharks legend Mitch Healy, was also a handful out of dummy-half. Club legend Shaun Johnson said on Fox League after full-time: 'That was as complete a performance as I've seen from a Warriors side. There have been some good wins in the club's history dating right back, but there's something about this side that does hit different. It really does.' The Warriors have the bye next week before hosting the Panthers, who are likely to rest their Origin stars, followed by the Broncos, Wests Tigers, Newcastle and Gold Coast Titans. They have never won the premiership, but do not write them off this year. The rise and rise of the Warriors, along with Canberra and Canterbury, has breathed a new life into rugby league. A team that desperately needs some life breathed into their campaign is Cronulla. Some of the scenes late in their game at Shark Park were bad. A bit like Parramatta a few years ago under then coach Brad Arthur, Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon has stuck solid with the core group of players who suddenly look a little stale. It is hard to put the finger on what they need. They did beat the Storm last month, but the Roosters loss that followed was disappointing, while the Warriors display was even worse. They did not help themselves in the first half with their discipline. The penalties also came deep inside the Warriors' half, which allowed the visitors to keep marching down field when they should have been scrapping for every metre. Injuries have not been kind with KL Iro suffering a pec injury, but not before helping himself to a first-half four-pointer, the ninth consecutive game he has got across the line this year. One thing they could do is encourage Nicho Hynes to start running the ball more. He has barely tucked the ball under the arm and taken a carry this year, and the one time he did, just before half-time, he burst down field and put the Sharks on the attack. They probably should have led at the break, only for Braden Hamlin-Uele to grab a Braydon Trindall grubber, then have the ball knocked out of his hands in a contest with Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad. They host St George Illawarra next Thursday. 7.20pm Sharks suffer massive loss to Warriors That's full-time at Shark Park, where the Warriors have secured their 10th win of the season. It was a commanding victory for the visitors in the Shire, with the Sharks suffering their second massive loss in a matter of games. Dangerous signs for Cronulla – they have the team, but they struggle to find points, and they can't stop them either. Full-time: Warriors 40, Sharks 10 7.06pm Harris-Tavita goes himself to add to Warriors tally The Warriors are embarrassing Cronulla now, with Chanel Harris-Tavita breaking through to score. The Cronulla defenders don't even bother chasing anymore. They look defeated. Still plenty of minutes left in this match, but at this rate, the Sharks are in danger of having 50 put on them. 6.56pm Nico's view: Sharks look stale 6.53pm Warriors charge to 14-point lead after Vaimauga scores The Warriors have well and truly taken control of this match, with Demitric Vaimauga crossing under the posts. It was a late offload from Erin Clark that kept the play alive, before Luke Metcalf slipped through the Sharks defensive line before passing out to Vaimauga to score. This is impressive from the Warriors, they're finding points from nothing. 6.46pm Chance goes by for Sharks as Iro loses the ball Cronulla should have another try on the board, but KL Iro loses the ball as he's crossing the line after contact from Dallin Watene-Zelezniak. That's a big opportunity gone for the Sharks, who were lucky to get the ball back so close to the New Zealand line with a scrum feed. Warriors 18, Sharks 10 with 29 minutes to go 6.36pm Warriors strike first in second half as Fisher-Harris scores James Fisher-Harris come on down. The Warriors skipper goes through untouched after slipping between Cameron McInnes and Briton Nikora to score. The Warriors caught the Sharks sleeping there – Cronulla thought Fisher-Harris was the decoy runner. Warriors 18, Sharks 10 with 37 minutes to go 6.34pm Second half under way We're into the final 40 minutes at Shark Park, with Blayke Brailey taking the kick-off for Cronulla. Jackson Ford who takes the first carry for the Warriors. Warriors 12, Sharks 10 with 40 minutes to go 6.29pm The stats after 40 minutes
Mercury
8 hours ago
- Mercury
Briton Nikora suffers sickening injury as NZ Warriors defeat Cronulla Sharks, NRL news
Don't miss out on the headlines from NRL. Followed categories will be added to My News. Cronulla were blown off the park on Saturday night as the New Zealand Warriors ran riot at Sharks Stadium. If the 40-10 scoreline wasn't bad enough, the Sharks had some injury to add to the one-sided beat down. FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. In the first half second rower Briton Nikora attempted to lay a tackle on Jackson Ford but it all went horribly wrong. Nikora's head slammed into Ford's head with the Sharks player coming off second best. The 27-year-old was slow to get back to his feet as cameras zoomed in to show a nasty cut that looked more like one you'd see inside the UFC Octagon. Watch the moment Nikora is split open in the video player above The incident came shortly after the Warriors had taken a 10-0 lead inside the opening 20 minutes before the Sharks responded. Mawene Hiroti crossed first before KL Iro etched his name into the NRL record books with a try in the 33rd minute. He becomes the first player in the NRL era (since 1998) to score a try in their first nine games of the season. 'He's had a season hasn't he,' Greg Alexander said. 'KL Iro, he has been a revelation on this left hand side of the field hasn't he,' Warren Smith added. Sadly that's as good as it got for the Sharks who were completely blown away in the second half with the Warriors running in 28 unanswered points. The Warriors were in complete control of the contest, scoring five tries to leave Cronulla fans in disbelief. Cronulla's second half display left league legend Alexander stunned, failing to record a single point. 'I can't believe what has happened in the second half … but boy, everything has gone wrong,' Greg Alexander said. For the Warriors it was their fifth win in a row in Australia and moves them level with the Bulldogs at the top of the table just a few months after there were fears they'd get the spoon following a heavy loss in Las Vegas. Originally published as Cronulla Sharks forward suffers sickening injury after horror head clash
The Advertiser
8 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Warriors slaughter Sharks as NRL's top four break away
The Warriors have brushed Cronulla aside in a 40-10 win that has helped create a breakaway pack of four in the race for the NRL minor premiership. Marshalled by one-time Cronulla playmaker Luke Metcalf, the Warriors kept pace with fellow top-four contenders Canberra, Canterbury and Melbourne with victory in front of 13,727 at Shark Park on Saturday. Metcalf will take the plaudits for the Warriors' round 14 victory, but some of the Kiwi outfit's young forward talent - namely Demetric Vaimauga and Leka Halasima - trumped the Sharks for both flair and fight. The win for Andrew Webster's side, who led 12-10 at halftime, opens up a four-point buffer between the top four and Cronulla, who remain stuck in fifth after a second straight defeat. "I didn't know when it was going to come, but at halftime I was like, 'boys, we love these tight games'," Webster said. "I was rapt that we got the rewards late and I thought both our attack and defence complimented each other." The Sharks, meanwhile, are in real danger of slipping back into the chasing peloton. A large number of the home side's supporters made for the exit when Warriors five-eighth Chanel Harris-Tavita crossed in the 66th minute. Craig Fitzgibbon's men imploded after the break. A side once famed for their defensive steel, the Sharks have conceded 108 points across their past three games. "We work hard on that (defence) and it's a simple game," Fitzgibbon said. "Sometimes if you don't get the simple and the hardest parts right, that's what happens to you. "A lack of physicality in the second half cost us." The early warning signs were there for Cronulla as the rising Warriors started with promise and took the lead after just five minutes. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak and Adam Pompey gave the Kiwi side an early lead before Mawene Hiroti and KL Iro both hit back for the Sharks before halftime. Cronulla had an avenue back into the game, but they failed to take it, and in their first defensive test of the second half Fitzgibbon's side wilted. Vaimauga created the confusion as the young forward played a no-look short ball for James Fisher-Harris close to the goal line that allowed the prop to stroll in untouched. Vaimauga then nabbed a try of his own backing up a Metcalf break, before Halasima got in on the act by outjumping Sione Katoa and touching down in the in-goal. Harris-Tavita scored two tries in the final quarter of an hour, the first off a show-and-go that left the Sharks defence clutching at air. His second was an 80-metre runaway effort after intercepting a Nicho Hynes pass that will only add to the pressure on the Sharks. The Warriors have brushed Cronulla aside in a 40-10 win that has helped create a breakaway pack of four in the race for the NRL minor premiership. Marshalled by one-time Cronulla playmaker Luke Metcalf, the Warriors kept pace with fellow top-four contenders Canberra, Canterbury and Melbourne with victory in front of 13,727 at Shark Park on Saturday. Metcalf will take the plaudits for the Warriors' round 14 victory, but some of the Kiwi outfit's young forward talent - namely Demetric Vaimauga and Leka Halasima - trumped the Sharks for both flair and fight. The win for Andrew Webster's side, who led 12-10 at halftime, opens up a four-point buffer between the top four and Cronulla, who remain stuck in fifth after a second straight defeat. "I didn't know when it was going to come, but at halftime I was like, 'boys, we love these tight games'," Webster said. "I was rapt that we got the rewards late and I thought both our attack and defence complimented each other." The Sharks, meanwhile, are in real danger of slipping back into the chasing peloton. A large number of the home side's supporters made for the exit when Warriors five-eighth Chanel Harris-Tavita crossed in the 66th minute. Craig Fitzgibbon's men imploded after the break. A side once famed for their defensive steel, the Sharks have conceded 108 points across their past three games. "We work hard on that (defence) and it's a simple game," Fitzgibbon said. "Sometimes if you don't get the simple and the hardest parts right, that's what happens to you. "A lack of physicality in the second half cost us." The early warning signs were there for Cronulla as the rising Warriors started with promise and took the lead after just five minutes. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak and Adam Pompey gave the Kiwi side an early lead before Mawene Hiroti and KL Iro both hit back for the Sharks before halftime. Cronulla had an avenue back into the game, but they failed to take it, and in their first defensive test of the second half Fitzgibbon's side wilted. Vaimauga created the confusion as the young forward played a no-look short ball for James Fisher-Harris close to the goal line that allowed the prop to stroll in untouched. Vaimauga then nabbed a try of his own backing up a Metcalf break, before Halasima got in on the act by outjumping Sione Katoa and touching down in the in-goal. Harris-Tavita scored two tries in the final quarter of an hour, the first off a show-and-go that left the Sharks defence clutching at air. His second was an 80-metre runaway effort after intercepting a Nicho Hynes pass that will only add to the pressure on the Sharks. The Warriors have brushed Cronulla aside in a 40-10 win that has helped create a breakaway pack of four in the race for the NRL minor premiership. Marshalled by one-time Cronulla playmaker Luke Metcalf, the Warriors kept pace with fellow top-four contenders Canberra, Canterbury and Melbourne with victory in front of 13,727 at Shark Park on Saturday. Metcalf will take the plaudits for the Warriors' round 14 victory, but some of the Kiwi outfit's young forward talent - namely Demetric Vaimauga and Leka Halasima - trumped the Sharks for both flair and fight. The win for Andrew Webster's side, who led 12-10 at halftime, opens up a four-point buffer between the top four and Cronulla, who remain stuck in fifth after a second straight defeat. "I didn't know when it was going to come, but at halftime I was like, 'boys, we love these tight games'," Webster said. "I was rapt that we got the rewards late and I thought both our attack and defence complimented each other." The Sharks, meanwhile, are in real danger of slipping back into the chasing peloton. A large number of the home side's supporters made for the exit when Warriors five-eighth Chanel Harris-Tavita crossed in the 66th minute. Craig Fitzgibbon's men imploded after the break. A side once famed for their defensive steel, the Sharks have conceded 108 points across their past three games. "We work hard on that (defence) and it's a simple game," Fitzgibbon said. "Sometimes if you don't get the simple and the hardest parts right, that's what happens to you. "A lack of physicality in the second half cost us." The early warning signs were there for Cronulla as the rising Warriors started with promise and took the lead after just five minutes. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak and Adam Pompey gave the Kiwi side an early lead before Mawene Hiroti and KL Iro both hit back for the Sharks before halftime. Cronulla had an avenue back into the game, but they failed to take it, and in their first defensive test of the second half Fitzgibbon's side wilted. Vaimauga created the confusion as the young forward played a no-look short ball for James Fisher-Harris close to the goal line that allowed the prop to stroll in untouched. Vaimauga then nabbed a try of his own backing up a Metcalf break, before Halasima got in on the act by outjumping Sione Katoa and touching down in the in-goal. Harris-Tavita scored two tries in the final quarter of an hour, the first off a show-and-go that left the Sharks defence clutching at air. His second was an 80-metre runaway effort after intercepting a Nicho Hynes pass that will only add to the pressure on the Sharks.
