Cronulla’s capitulation to Parramatta has locked them into sudden-death finals football and hosting rights in week one of the NRL post-season.
An afternoon of high drama at CommBank Stadium saw the Sharks produce arguably their worst half of the season in an eventual 38-18 loss to the 13th-placed Eels.
Cronulla had started the day eyeing off a potential top-four spot if they could finish the regular season with wins over Parramatta and Melbourne next Saturday night.
Instead, KL Iro and Ronaldo Mulitalo were both put on report for high tackles, and prop Tom Hazleton was sin-binned and cited for an ugly hip-drop on Ronald Volkman.
Star front-rower Addin Fonua-Blake, meanwhile, was denied a critical late try by the bunker that would have had Nicho Hynes lining up a goal next to the posts, rather than from out wide, which he did, and missed a minute later.
In any case, the Eels deserved the gutsiest of wins, which was secured when Tallyn Da Silva dived over twice in the final minutes, prompting a rare outburst by Craig Fitzgibbon in the Cronulla coach’s box. The Sharks defeat means they can now finish no higher than fifth on the ladder.
Barring a 70-point for-and-against swing between them and Souths or Newcastle, they’ll fall no lower than fifth either, meaning Cronulla will host an elimination final against the eighth-placed finishers – which could still be either the Cowboys or Rabbitohs.
The Sharks have been steadfast in wanting to host any finals at their traditional suburban home ground Ocean Protect Stadium, which has a limited capacity of around 14,500.
The NRL, however, governs and runs all finals matches and in a pre-season edict, told clubs that “the ARLC reserves the right sole discretion, to determine venues considered most suitable to host NRL and NRLW finals series matches.”
No decision will be made on finals venues until fixtures are locked in at the completion of round 27. Sharks fans should be far more concerned with their floundering side’s form in any case.
On Sunday afternoon, with far less to play for, Parramatta had them beaten at every turn, from the very first one too. Apa Twidle scored within just 90 seconds, while Will Penisini was on hand to finish off a long-range Brian Kelly intercept minutes later.
Sione Katoa was denied the Sharks’ first try in the 22nd minute when he was ruled to have passed the ball forward to himself as he danced up, down and all around the eastern touchline. But he was strolling over a moment later in any case from a well-worked short-side play by Hynes and Will Kennedy.
But when Paulo was rolling through Teig Wilton on the Sharks try line, Moses was right there in support and Parramatta held a deserved 14-point lead once more.
Volkman – surely a contender for most improved player in the NRL – extended it further again when he burned Hynes and stepped a couple more Sharks defenders with a brilliant solo try in the shadows of half-time.
Blayke Brailey gave the Sharks hope when he chased his own 40-20 attempt for a fortuitous 57th minute try.
Katoa’s second made the comeback a real possibility six minutes later, though only after Fonua-Blake was dubiously denied by the bunker. But when Hazleton felled Volkman, the Sharks were reduced to 12 and Tallyn Da Silva landed the killer blow.
Dan Walsh is a sports reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via X or email.From our partners
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