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Sport Nation
How ‘boring’ Cronulla got the job done
SEN • September 14th, 2025 6:02 pm
The Sharks managed to get revenge on Sydney with their one-point loss in their 2023 Elimination Final by beating the Roosters 20-10 at Shark Park on Saturday.
It’s the first time that the Sharks have managed to win a final in Week One under Craig Fitzgibbon and marks their second win in his tenure, showing their improvement in the finals arena.
The game certainly suited the Sharks early on, with the match being a defensive battle with neither side being able to score for the first quarter of the match.
But it was Mark Nawaqanitawase who broke the deadlock between the two sides as he scored his 24th try for the season with a diving effort in the corner to get the ball rolling and the Roosters the lead.
The game returned to a defensive shutout before the Sharks, through Ronaldo Mulitalo, managed to score two near-identical tries within the space of five minutes to give Cronulla an eight-point lead at halftime.
While the Roosters were able to respond with Angus Crichton crossing over, they were not able to score despite their best efforts, with the match secured through a Nicho Hynes penalty goal and a Toby Rudolph try.
On commentary for SEN League, Justin Horo noted that while they may play a ‘boring’ style of football, they won’t care if it means they can make a deep run in the finals, particularly against high-scoring sides like the Roosters.
“I declared them eight weeks ago, the most boring team to play in the finals,” Horo said.
“And by no means has it been an attacking masterclass, but it doesn’t matter.”
Cronulla will play the loser of the Brisbane and Canberra match taking place on Sunday at GIO Stadium.
