Gutsy Sharks shock Melbourne to enter top four

Perth Now

17-05-2025

Cronulla have pulled off one of the gutsiest wins of Craig Fitzgibbon's tenure, shocking Melbourne 31-26 despite spending most the night with just two players on the bench.
In what was easily the Sharks' best victory of the year, they lost their right edge of Jesse Ramien (eye) and Samuel Stonestreet (ankle) to injury in the first 21 minutes on Saturday night.
But a makeshift pairing of forward Siosifa Talakai and utility Daniel Atkinson stood up, combining for two tries and doing enough to repel the Storm's attack at Shark Park.
Cronulla prop Addin Fonua-Blake was also immense, scoring a try, running 229 metres and making 109 of them in post contact.
The game twice threatened to boil over in the final 20 seconds, when Talakai was penalised for a late hit and Ryan Papenhuyzen placed on report after the siren.
But when referee Adam Gee finally stopped play, the Sharks were into the top four for the first time in 2025 and level on points with Melbourne.
Still, this victory was anything but simple, with Xavier Coates scoring a hat-trick for the Storm as they threatened multiple comebacks.
Cronulla had full control of the match at 25-12 up at halftime, piling more points on Melbourne in the opening 40 minutes of a game than any team have since 2003.
Talakai and Atkinson had a role to play in part of that, with the former firing a perfect flick pass out the back while in contact for his outside man to score.
But the Storm were able to hit back in the blink of an eye after halftime, getting back to 25-22 by the 46th minute when Coates and Nick Meaney both crossed.
Coates used his pace to get on the outside of Atkinson for his try, while Meaney's came after Will Kennedy failed to contested a Papenhuyzen bomb and the ball bounced free.
The Sharks then took back control of the game when Talakai produced lovely quick hands to send Atkinson over, again showing more brilliance in a position he hasn't played regularly in years.
Yet there was another twist still to come.
After Nicho Hynes missed a penalty goal to send Cronulla 11 clear, Melbourne went down field and Coates finished his hat-trick when he leapt high above Atkinson to score.
The Sharks ultimately did enough to deny a Storm bomb at the death when a late penalty gave Melbourne one last attacking chance from 40 metres out.
Cronulla have now won five of their last seven, with the run made even more impressive by the fact this was their first game back at home since March.
Hynes and Braydon Trindall are showing signs of connecting well in attack, while Jayden Brailey is running more and more out of dummy-half.
Kennedy had his moments under the high ball, but the Dally M leader is still inserting himself in attack and helped lay on a Ronaldo Mulitalo try with a bat-on pass.