Despite a promising opening half, headlined by a stunning one-handed finish from Greg Marzhew, the nib Newcastle Knights have been run down in a 40-16 defeat to the Cronulla Sharks at Sharks Stadium.
Gaining the early ascendency, the Knights surged into a 10-0 lead before the Sharks roared back to ultimately claim the victory in front of their home fans.
How it played out:
The Knights caught the Sharks cold early, and within six minutes Phoenix Crossland’s towering bomb was grabbed mid-air by Fletcher Hunt, who burst through a couple of would-be tackles and grounded the ball under enormous pressure, giving Newcastle a 6-0 lead.
Just minutes later, Bradman Best fed Greg Marzhew on the wing - who leaned out to plant an incredible one-handed try in the corner, extending the Knights' lead to 10-0.
Cronulla responded before half-time with a flurry, hitting back with three tries to seize momentum and lead 18-10 at the break.
The second stanza remained tense, but the Sharks managed to maintain the rage, crossing for three more four pointers in what became a dominant home display.
The Knights managed to fight to the very end, with Elijah Salesa-Leaumoana crossing for his first ever NRL try in the shadows of full-time.
What’s next:
With just one game left in the regular season, the Knights will next head to Western Sydney to wrap up the year with a Round 27 showdown against Parramatta at Commbank Stadium.
