If anyone was hoping Cronulla would show they are back in the title hunt they would have been disappointed on Thursday night.
But a win’s a win and the ugly ones count for the same two competition points as the emphatic ones.
The 24-12 triumph over a depleted Dolphins side means they have leapt their oceanic brethren into the top eight after each team entered the contest with an 8-8 record.
Cronulla led 14-0 before the Dolphins stormed back with two late tries, including one from a “howler” of a forward pass to Herbie Farnworth which was missed by referee Adam Gee.
They should have hit the lead with six minutes on the clock but Jeremy Marshall-King waited a nanosecond too long to ground a grubber and prop Toby Rudolph saved the Sharks’ skin with a last-gasp dive.
1. Sharks out of slump but not out of the woods
After losing four of their past five matches, Cronulla found themselves in unfamiliar territory outside the top eight.
For a team that was considered title contenders in the pre-season, their campaign was going down the gurgled.
After a week off for the bye, they didn’t necessarily change too much and there was still a lack of attacking spark.
But they are now back in the playoff hunt.
Nicho Hynes had his moments, scoring the opening try and looking to run much more than he’s done in several games this year when he’s been way too passive.
Blayke Brailey capitalised on Cronulla’s dominance through the middle to carve up the Dolphins with dummy-half scoots.
He racked up more than 100 metres from just 10 runs as he pounced on opportunities to scamper from the ruck after the bigger Sharks forwards threw their weight around against their patch-up opposing pack.
Addin Fonua-Blake. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)
2. Dolphins miss Hammer’s impact
Dolphins coach Kristian Woolf took a gamble by resting his main strike weapon, Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow after his midweek Origin efforts for Queensland.
It’s tough enough to back up from the midweek rep clash at the best of times but with less than 48 hours, it is understandable to give a prized asset like the Hammer a rest.
But the Dolphins are in the midst of a huge injury toll with Jack Bostock (knee), Max Plath (knee), Tom Gilbert (shoulder), Daniel Saifiti (shoulder) and Thomas Flegler (shoulder) with Kodi Nikorima (hamstring) and Felise Kaufusi (MCL) not due back until the end of the month.
To make matters worse, evergreen prop Mark Nicholls only lasted seven minutes when he came off the bench in the first half after failing his HIA from a head knock with Will Kennedy.
3. Howler try nearly proves decisive
The first 40 minutes added up to one of the most forgettable of the season as the Sharks dominated field position and possession but could only come up with a Hynes try via a short-side raid.
They went 8-0 up from a penalty goal when a Dolphins captain’s challenge backfired and opened up a 14-point gap after Jesse Ramien crossed out wide on the back of Brailey splitting the defence up the middle.
But with 15 minutes to go, the Dolphins turned a dreary affair into a thrilling finish – first via a Max Feagai try on the back of a Jake Averillo break and a banana kick.
They drew within two when Herbie Farnworth broke free and found Kurt Donoghue in support and his dubious pass back to the English centre was allowed by referee Adam Gee, who hesitated and then incorrectly allowed play to continue.
“That pass was a metre forward. That’s a howler,” Michael Ennis said on Fox League commentary.
The Dolphins should have been up a short time later but for Rudolph denying Marshall-King and Hynes and Sione Katoa crossed in the dying stages to make the scoreline look much more flattering than it deserved to be.
Marshall-King had won the race to a grubber and was waiting for it to sit up just before the dead-ball line but he knocked it on as Rudolph came from the clouds.
“He should have done better, he should have scored but Rudolph didn’t give up on the cause, it was a special play,” former England forward James Graham said on Fox League.
4. Wilton gives Katoa nightmares
Isaiya Katoa is the NRL’s next big thing. He was brought into NSW Origin camp to get a glimpse of his representative future and he has been integral in the NRL’s newest team being well and truly in the playoff mix this season.
Cronulla coach Craig Fitzgibbon’s present for him on Thursday night was to have Teig Wilton shadow him for the entire 80 minutes.
Whenever Katoa got the ball, the Sharks second-rower was in his grille, denying him time and space to operate, and the ploy worked for the most part.
Even when Katoa looked like he was going to score when a grubber ricocheted off the posts, Wilton was there to secure the Steeden before the Redcliffe halfback.
He went too far when he clocked him off the ball early in the second half and was put on report but Fitzgibbon’s tactic provided a blueprint for coaches on how to limit the effectiveness of the rising star.
5. It’d be a shame if Phins fall short
The Dolphins have been a breath of fresh air in the 2025 regular season.
But their injuries are mounting up and sending them down the ladder.
They have dropped out of the eight after this loss and despite having a positive for-and-against differential of 150, they are now 8-9 and facing a tough task to qualify for the finals.
The Dolphins need to eek out a win over the Cowboys in Brisbane next week before getting a much-needed bye to gear up for their final assault where they face the Warriors, Roosters, Broncos and Sea Eagles in a four-week stretch which will make or break their playoff hopes.
They face the struggling Titans in the penultimate round before finishing with the rampaging Raiders so the chances of them being able to overcome this tough draw on top of their injury woes are looking pretty forlorn.
The Kick: Butcher’s open for late trading
The Sharks absolutely butchered two golden opportunities to score in the first half which could have turned a 6-0 lead into a much healthier one.
Siosifa Talakai was the first culprit when he failed to pass to winger Ronaldo Mulitalo close to the line with the Dolphins’ defence at breaking point.
Weirdly he feigned a no-look pass but it became a no-pass look.
Worse was to come when Kennedy launched a long- range kick return but after positioning Briton Nikora perfectly in support when confronted by opposing fullback Jake Averillo, he dummied and was wrapped up.
The Sharks’ safety-first mantra breeds conservatism in attack which can be costly on occasions like these two.
