Sharks flying into finals with big win over Manly
Cronulla will travel to Melbourne next week full of confidence after a dominant 40-20 victory over Manly on Sunday afternoon.
The Sharks stunned the capacity crowd at 4 Pines Park running in seven tries to four to deny the Sea Eagles a home final next weekend.
Instead, Manly will now play Canterbury at Accor Stadium and they will have to regroup quickly if they are to replicate last week's 34-22 victory over the Bulldogs.
Sunday was Cronulla's best performance in weeks and their first over a current top-eight team since Round 11. It was the perfect tune up to next week's clash with the Storm, a team they defeated without Nicho Hynes or Braydon Trindall in Round 10.
The halfback was much improved in his second game back from a broken leg and looks set to hit top gear throughout the finals.
Back rowers Briton Nikora and Teig Wilton were outstanding on Sunday, the pair running for a combined 297 metres, four line breaks and Nikora crossing for a double.
The Sharks defence was outstanding, the side missing just 17 tackles, with Manly missing 43 throughout the game.
Cronulla's win was tempered slightly by a knee injury to Tom Hazelton and an ankle injury to Jesse Ramien, with both players leaving the match in the second half.
The Sharks entered half time with a 16-8 lead, courtesy of tries to Sione Katoa, Ronaldo Mulitalo and Jack Williams, having weathered an early Manly storm to take the upper hand in the final 20 minutes of the first half.
Katoa opened the scoring, before the Sea Eagles struck back with tries to Tommy Talau and Clayton Faulalo to claim an 8-4 lead.
From there, however, the Sharks flexed their muscle and the injection of Tom Hazleton and Williams helped swing the game in their favour.
Desperate goal-line defence kept the hosts in the game, but the weight of pressure eventually proved too great and Hazelton and Williams combined to extend Cronulla's lead three minutes before half-time.
Manly had a handful of chances to hit back after the break, however it was the visitors who were the first to strike when Mulitalo finished off a long-range effort to make it 22-8.
Another break put the Sharks back on the attack moments later and they capitalised when Dan Atkinson grounded a grubber inches before the dead-ball line 14 seconds after he entered the field.
Haumole Olakau'atu provided the Sea Eagles with a glimmer of hope with a 57th minute tackle, however Cronulla quickly regained the ascendancy and ran in two more tries before Tolu Koula claimed a late four-pointer for Manly.
