THE Shellharbour City Sharks have sent a message to the rest of Group 7 competition, dismantling the Jamberoo Superoos 34-6 at Ron Costello Oval on Sunday.
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The Sharks, who have now beaten two premiership contenders in consecutive weeks following last round’s win against Gerringong, scored 28 first half points to set up the win.
The Sharks, in skipper Hans Schuseter’s 250th game, opened scoring within first three minutes, on back of Jamberoo penalty.
Matt Carroll broke the line, only to be stopped by a ball and all tackle by Superoos fullback Mark Asquith.
Next play, the ball was spread wide and Sharks’ Jake Goody scored to right of sticks.
Carroll converted for 6-nil.
Superoos hit back nearly straight away - set up by combination of Jono Dallas, Jake Clarke and Ben Barnard, with the latter being brought down by Sharks fullback Jason Gray.
Next play, ball ended in hands of five-eighth Josh Kent, who kicked into corner, only for Dean Whatling to pounce and score.
Whatling converted his own try 6-nil after five minutes.
The try-fest continued when hosts got their second three minutes later.
Carroll again broke line but this time had too much pace for Asquith to score in right corner.
Carroll missed his own conversion, 10-6.
Sharks were then denied third try five minutes later, when Carroll cut-out pass to Ian Catania called forward.
But three minutes later, they get their third anyway – Abe Attalah threw a basketball pass to winger Michael McKinley, who is unmarked in scored right on touchline.
Carroll missed second kick of afternoon, to make it 14-6.
Jamberoo hooker Cameron Bradender, on his run-on debut for Roos, was then taken from field for concussion, causing a re-shuffle in the Roos side.
The onslaught from hosts continued when Catania and winger Jamie Manukonga combined out wide – where the latter somehow maneuverered his way across line.
Carroll seemed to have left his kicking boots at home, as he missed another kick – leaving it at 18-6.
Sharks made it five tries within opening 25 minutes – when Carroll hit replacement fullback Brendan Kelly, as Gray left the field injured, to score on left edge.
Carroll nailed the kick, to make it 24-6.
Carroll continued sensational first half four minutes later – hitting Catania with bullet-like cut-out pass, who scored despite pressure from two defenders.
Carroll failed to covert, as hosts led 28-6 towards end of first half.
In just their second attacking raid of first half, the Superoos nearly scored in carbon-copy version of first try but ball went dead before Whatling can get his hands on it.
Just before half-time, a strong backline move by Roos opened up the Sharks defence but Mark Asquith couldn’t find Barnard with the pass – to leave it at 28-6 at the break.
Following the break, Jamberoo seemed to have address their main issue – an 8-1 penalty count against them – starting the half with a lot more directness with their play.
Despite that, they can’t find first points – thanks to Sharks strong cover defence which took winger Barnard into touch with the try-line beckoning.
Corey Grigg illustrated Jamberoo’s urgency soon after, as he made a try-saving tackle on Ryan McCracken.
Contrastingly to first half, second half was a war of attrition and sloppy, with a number of ball-handling errors from both sides – highlighted by Dane Sablowski dropping a Carroll grubber with no defenders between him and the try-line.
The second half deadlock was broken by Schuster, who scooted out of dummy-half, to score next to the posts.
Carroll nailed the kick and the hosts led 34-6 with 11 to go.
In the final 10, Mark Asquith broke the line and with only his opposite number Kelly to beat, chipped but is taken out after the ball has left his foot – giving the Roos their fourth penalty of the day, compared to 13 for the Sharks at the time (final count (13-6).
As the final siren sounded, the Roos looked destined to score a late consolation try but Abe Atallah had other ideas, as the match ended 34-6.
In the win, the Sharks were best served by Matt Carroll, Jake Goody, Han Schuster and Ryan McCarcken, while Luke Asquith, Jake Clarke, Aaron and Corey Grigg and Dean Whatling did what they could for the visitors.