The Sharks have secured home field advantage for Finals Week One after getting past a Raiders side – who played the final 20 minutes a man down following the dismissal of Seb Kris – 24-6 on Sunday.
With Cronulla leading 10-6 and the game hanging in the balance, Kris lifted Sione Katoa above the horizonal before the winger was sent head first into the PointsBet Stadium turf, leading to Kris being sent off and effectively ending Canberra's hopes of jumping the Sharks on the ladder.
It means the Sharks will host the Roosters next week, while the Raiders face a tough trip to McDonald Jones Stadium to play a Knights side on a nine-game winning run.
Seb Kris gets sent off
Having entered Round 27 tied on 32 competition points, the two sides were effectively vying for the right to play at home in the opening week of the post season and for the first hour they delivered a game which had all of the intensity you'd expect from a sudden-death encounter.
While they brought contrasting styles to the game – with the Raiders intent on completing at a high rate and then peppering Connor Tracey with bombs, but the Sharks eager to be more adventurous with ball in hand – there was very little between them prior to Kris being marched.
Canberra had got off to a dream start when Jordan Rapana jumped high and plucked the ball from above Tracey for the opener.
It was a successful captain's challenge – which changed a Jesse Ramien knock on call into a Sharks penalty for a strip – that helped change momentum in the 15th minute, with Ramien crossing on the ensuing set, after Connor Tracey dug into the line and provided the final pass.
Jesse Ramien Try
With two points in it the arm wrestle intensified as both teams completed at a high rate and traded blows through the middle of the park.
The Raiders then had several chances to add to their tally before the break, but came up short on each occasion after Rapana and Zac Woolford had claims ruled out by the Bunker and Matt Frawley pinged a field goal attempt off the upright on the last play of the half.
After firing a warning shot in the shape of a Nicho Hynes break which was contained, Cronulla hit the front minutes later through interchange forward Jack Williams, with Braydon Trindall's conversion making it 10-6 with 25 to play.
Jack Williams Try
With Kris off the field, the Sharks took immediate advantage with tries three minutes apart from Braydon Trindall and Ronaldo Mulitalo, which took them to a 20-6 lead and relieved them of scoreboard pressure.
A try to Katoa with eight to play put the icing on the cake for Cronulla in front of their home fans.
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Match Snapshot
- The Sharks have secured home field advantage for Finals Week One and locked in a sudden-death meeting with the Roosters. The Raiders face a must-win trip to play Newcastle at McDonald Jones Stadium.
- Sebastian Kris was sent off for a dangerous tackle with 20 minutes to play after lifting Sione Katoa above the horizontal in a tackle which saw the Cronulla winger land on his head.
- Connor Tracey left the field with a knee injury 10 minutes from time and didn't return, while Briton Nikora left the field for a HIA in the second half which he passed before returning to the field.
- The Sharks and Raiders have now played 49 times in the NRL era with the Raiders holding a slender 25-24 advantage.
- The Sharks have won six of their past eight games at PointsBet Stadium.
- Sharks winger Ronaldo Mulitalo has scored 12 tries in his past eight games at PointsBet Stadium.
Ronaldo Mulitalo Try
- Raiders fullback Jordan Rapana made his 200th NRL appearance.
- Sharks centre Jesse Ramien has scored a try in his past five games at PointsBet Stadium.
Play of the Game
With Sebastian Kris hardly off the field yet following his dismissal, the Sharks took immediate advantage and completely changed the feel of the game with a try to Braydon Trindall. It took the margin beyond one score for the first time in the game and knocked the air out of Canberra in the process.
What They Said
"It could have been so different. We went for a try-scoring opportunity with Jack [Wighton] in the air and then it turns up to a tackle that Sebby [Kris] gets sent off for – you do need a bit of luck in this game. I don't know if anyone knows we're in the finals, we weren't meant to be. I am that proud of these blokes, they've exceeded everybody's expectations and if we were a little bit better over the last month we would have been in the top four." – Raiders coach Ricky Stuart.
Raiders: Round 27
"We did it [earned a home final] the hard way a little bit. Going back a while, we hit the skids a bit in the mid part of the year and I'm proud of all the work we had to do to get ourselves in this position. I thought it was a cracking game for the most part, it was going end to end, set to set... obviously with the send off it then made it hard for them. For most of the game it was a pretty good audition for a semi." – Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon.
Sharks: Round 27
What's Next
The Sharks stay at home this week ahead of taking on a Roosters side who snuck into the eight with a win over the Rabbitohs in Round 27. The Raiders meanwhile prepare to head to McDonald Jones Stadium to play the in-form Knights, with the full impact of Kris' send off to be determined during the week.