Sharks keep cool after temperature scare to secure first win of season
Cronulla overcame a pre-match temperature scare and a mountain of errors to get off the mark in 2020 with a see-sawing 26-16 victory over the Cowboys in Townsville.
A faulty thermometer was apparently to blame for a series of readings that saw half-a-dozen players fail their initial temperature checks, which are required as part of the NRL's coronavirus precautions. Aaron Woods, Matt Moylan and Shaun Johnson were among the stars who failed before eventually being cleared.
Ronaldo Mulitalo celebrates a try.Credit:AAP
The Cowboys were missing star forward Jason Taumalolo and the in-form Coen Hess. They would have loved to have them on deck as they went close on a night when little seemed to go their way, including more injuries in the pack as the night progressed.
Valentine Holmes was taking on his former club and had some promising touches once again as he continues to build back into the NRL after trying to make it in the NFL. It was scrappy from both teams at times but five tries against three was enough for Cronulla to earn the two points they desperately needed.
North Queensland picked up where they left off last week against the Titans and put the Sharks under immense pressure through the opening 10 minutes. The home side had all the ball and Scott Drinkwater and Holmes both looked likely when they took on the line.
But the Sharks were able to find the answers to force an error and give themselves a chance at the other end. It seems even more important not to concede early now the game has sped up and they passed a crucial early test.
Johnson missed a penalty that would have edged them ahead, while Holmes was called on for some defensive work to clear dangerous kicks that threatened to turn into the opening try of the evening.
Now it was the visitors pounding away, with Drinkwater coming up with a crucial error that gave the Sharks a chance to claim first blood. Jesse Ramien showed great hands to pick up the crumbs of what was almost an accidental offload from Will Kennedy to give his side a 6-0 lead after 20 minutes.
But a run of penalties was starting to hurt them and a dire read from Sione Katoa on the left wing didn't help. Kyle Feldt strolled over untouched after the Cowboys exploited a regulation three-on-three on a very skinny short side to level proceedings at 6-6.
The counter was classy. Ronaldo Mulitalo hit the afterburners to catch Holmes napping and spear through to help himself to Johnson's grubber. The conversion was good and the margin was back out to six with 10 minutes left in the first half.
Mitch Dunn failed an HIA and left the Cowboys a man down for the remainder, before John Asiata gave them an even bigger scare with a knee complaint that would see him fail to finish the contest.
North Queensland struck just two minutes into the second half through Justin O'Neill but Mulitalo crossed for a double soon after to keep the lead to six, with Josh Dugan starting to look worse for wear with a black eye and a leg injury that required some assistance from the trainer.
Ramien and Feldt traded tries and neither side could really take a stranglehold on the contest. Katoa was having a tough night and it was his poor hands that gifted Feldt the try that kept them in touch trailing 22-16. But Briton Nikora would give the Sharks a decent buffer with a try 20 minutes from full-time.
Esan Marsters looked to have changed momentum once again but, after being sent up as a try, the video referee found a Cowboys knock-on from Drinkwater's kick and Cronulla breathed a huge sigh of relief as they recorded their first win of 2020.