Hynes gone, and Cronulla with him
Two minutes into Saturday night at Allianz Stadium, Lindsay Collins crashed over for the opening try. Nicho Hynes copped a bang on the way and never came back. The Cronulla halfback failed his head injury assessment, and from there the Sharks unravelled.
Sydney Roosters 46, Cronulla 10. Trent Robinson’s side have booked a preliminary final against the Dolphins and sit eighty minutes from a first grand final in seven years.
Cronulla lost more than a halfback. Centre Mawene Hiroti went off after 20 minutes with a knee injury after crashing into the advertising hoardings. Braydon Trindall shifted to the right edge, Niwhai Puru came on, and the reshuffled Sharks had barely drawn breath when Daniel Tupou climbed above Sione Katoa to make it 12-0 inside ten minutes.
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The half-hour that settled it
Trindall dragged Cronulla back into the contest. He slung the ball right for Katoa to finish in the corner in the 22nd minute, missed the conversion, then made amends on the next raid when Siosifa Talakai backed up a Blayke Brailey break. James Tedesco brought Talakai down, but the defence was broken and Trindall found Ronaldo Mulitalo to barge over.
Two points in it. Then Daly Cherry-Evans poked his way across for an 18-10 half-time lead, and Cronulla never got that close again.
The second half turned on small things. Trindall gifted the Roosters two seven-tackle sets. Teig Wilton had a try chalked off for a double movement after Cherry-Evans tripped him. Trindall dropped one with the line beckoning. Twenty-four points came in the final half an hour.
Mark Nawaqanitawase had been kept quiet for most of the night. The rugby-bound winger then produced a behind-the-back offload that five separate Roosters handled before Connor Watson stepped inside and charged in. Nawaqanitawase later grabbed a double of his own. Tedesco and Rob Toia crossed late. Hugo Savala landed seven of his eight conversion attempts.
What they carry into Friday
Cherry-Evans was placed on report for the trip on Wilton, which leaves Robinson one loose end. The other is Sam Walker, who had ankle surgery less than a month ago and is said to be progressing well. Angus Crichton’s return on Saturday after a long lay-off gives the pack another body.
The Dolphins wait in Brisbane on Friday. Cronulla head home with a casualty list and a scoreline nobody in the sheds will want to revisit.
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