That’s a wrap!
That wraps up Saturday’s action in the NRL!
Two very entertaining games as the Parramatta Eels make it four from four with a narrow victory over the Manly Sea Eagles and the Sharks are on the board for the first time this season with a deserved victory over the Cowboys.
We’ll be back again tomorrow with the coverage of Sunday’s NRL action but until then, I’ve been Tom Young, goodnight.
Whats next for both sides?
The Cowboys are out on the road for the next game as the visit the New Zealand Warriors whilst the Cronulla Sharks will look to make it back-to-back victories as they travel to the Dragons!
Full-Time | North Queensland Cowboys 16-26 Cronulla Sharks
The hooter sounds and it’s all over!
The Cronulla Sharks get their 2020 campaign up and running with a first win of the season as Jesse Ramien’s double helps to ease the pressure on John Morris!
75’
Marsters loses the ball in the tackle and the scrum is awarded to the Sharks.
That should be enough to secure a first win of the season for the Cronulla outfit!
73’
Another interception! This time by Cronulla front rower Aaron Woods. Thankfully for the Cowboys he’s not the quickest and he’s quickly wrapped up.
The Sharks then lose the ball and concede a penalty in quick succession to give the Cowboys a chance!
69’
Johnson fires one towards Mulitalo in the corner but it’s collected by Hampton as the Cowboys survive.
Or do they? The referee has stopped an obstruction on the run of Mulitalo and awards the Sharks a penalty.
68’
Wade Graham charges down the Cowboys kick on the fifth and the visitors will start their set in the Cowboys half.
Could they put this one to bed here?
64’ | NO TRY Cowboys!
The try is ruled out!
Shane Wright went up for the ball with Marsters and is deemed to have touched the ball before the Cowboys 4 making it a knock-on and Cronulla ball!
Huge call from the TMO!
64’ | TMO Cowboys!
The Cowboys are in here!
Drinkwater again with a beauty of a kick on the fifth which is collected by Marsters to score just to the right of the upright!
The TMO will check onside/offside here.
62’
Feldt sends the kick-off out on the full and the Sharks will have the penalty on halfway.
But Johnson can’t find touch with the penalty and the Cowboys will have possession!
62’ | Missed Conversion
Johnson hits the post with the attempt at the extras to keep the Sharks lead at 10.
61’ | TRY Sharks!
The TMO has a quick check and awards the try!
Nikora gets his first of the night to take the lead back out to 10 with the kick-to-come.
61’ | TMO Sharks!
It looks like the Sharks might be in here!
Johnson bombs a high one to wards the right corner, Mulitalo gets highest to meet it and knocks the ball back towards Nikora who picks it up and touches down for the Sharks score.
The TMO will check the grounding.
58’ | Successful Conversion
Holmes makes no mistake with the extras and the Sharks lead is reduced to just six with just over 20 to go here!
56’ | TRY Cowboys!
Now the Cowboys respond with a full lengther of their own!
Katoa attempts a grubber on the 40 but its not a great one, its picked up by Kyle Feldt and he’s quick!
There’s no stopping him as he runs the length to bring the Cowboys back into this one!
53’ | Successful Conversion
He’s not missing that one! Johnson extends the lead to 12!
52’ | TRY Sharks!
What a moment this could prove to be!
The Cowboys are on the attack as Drinkwater fires a pass to Hampton who can’t hold the ball.
It’s scooped up by Shaun Johnson who knows he doesn’t have the legs to run the length but he finds Jesse Ramien on his inside and he certainly does!
He runs the length of the field to score under the posts and extend the visitors lead to 10!
50’
It’ll mean little though as Gilbert puts down the pass on the Cronulla 10.
End-to-end stuff here in Queensland!
50’
Successful captains challenge!
The Cowboys are penalised for offside at the kick and the Sharks are awarded a penalty.
But the captains challenge comes into play and overturns the call to give the hosts possession courtesy of a goalline drop out!
48’
The completion rate on the back of scoring has been awful for both sides tonight.
Nikora puts the ball down on his 20 to give the Cowboys a great opportunity to cut the deficit!
47’ | Missed Conversion
Again another tricky conversion for Johnson who drags the ball across the face of the upright.
The Sharks lead by six here in Queensland.
47’ | TRY Sharks!
Yes he can!
Jesse Ramien draws his man before firing the flick pass to Mulitalo who, despite the best efforts of Hampton, manages to stay in play and get the ball down to bring Cronulla’s lead back out to six with the kick to come.
46’ | TMO Sharks
The Sharks might be in here.
It’s a tremendous effort from Mulitalo to get the ball down in the corner but has he stayed in the field of play?
Thats a question for the TMO as the referee sends it upstairs.
46’
A good opportunity here for the Sharks as they turn the ball over on the 30 before being awarded back-to-back set restarts.
43’ | Missed Conversion
It was a tricky conversion for Holmes who pulls his effort just wide of the upright.
The Cowboys are back in this one, the trail by just two.
42’ | TRY Cowboys!
And just like that the Cowboys are in!
Drinkwater dinks a delightful kick over the top and it bounces kindly for Justin O’Neill to collect the ball and crash over for the opening score of the second half.
Conversion to come.
Kick-off!
We’re back underway in Queensland, with the Cowboys trailing by 12-6 to the Cronulla Sharks.
Half-time | North Queensland Cowboys 6-12 Cronulla Sharks
That’s just about that for the first half.
It’s Cronulla, without a win so far this season, who lead in Queensland by 12 points to six.
It’s all to play for in the second half!
39’ | Missed drop goal
With the clock ticking down towards halftime Johnson opts for the one pointer but drags his attempt high and wide.
38’ | NO TRY Sharks!
The TMO has deemed that there was an obstruction from the dummy run of Nikora in the build up ad the score is chalked off.
The Cowboys escape!
38’ | TMO Sharks!
What a try this could be.
The ball makes its way through five pairs of hands as Mulitalo gathers possession on the right flank.
He runs the ball five metres before firing a pass back inside to Ramien who touches down for his second of the night.
The referee sends it up as a try but wants the TMO to check for obstruction.
37’
The Sharks are awarded another penalty for a tackle without the ball.
They opt to run, they’ll have six-to-go from the 20m line.
36’
The game is back underway as Cronulla are awarded a penalty for offside.
They’ll begin their set on the 40m line.
35’
We have a stoppage for an injury here as Asiata goes down hurt in the tackle.
Both sets of players call for the medics, looks a sore one.
32’
Errors aplenty here as the Sharks knock on before the Cowboys respond with a dropped ball of their own.
The Sharks then cough up possession once again. The Cowboys will have six to go in the Sharks 20.
30’ | Successful Conversion
Johnson adds the extras from the right flank to extend the visitors lead to six.
Cowboys 6-12 Sharks
29’ | TRY Sharks!
And the try is awarded.
Ronald Mulitalo gets the four-pointer for the visitors who take the lead once again.
A tricky conversion to come.
29’ | TMO Sharks
Well it took 20 minutes for the first try to come but we might have our third in 10 minutes!
Johnson plays the grubber to the corner, finding the run of Mulitalo who is first to the ball to touch down.
The Bunker will check for offside but there appears to be no issues with this one.
26’ | Successful Conversion
It’s a tricky conversion for Valentine Holmes, right on that right touchline but he makes no mistake, levelling the scores at six apiece.
25’ | TRY Cowboys
The Cowboys have responded perfectly!
Jake Clifford fires a long pass past Marsters to Feldt on the right wing who touches down the get the Cowboys on the board.
25’ | TMO Cowboys
And they may have done exactly that as the ball is worked to Feldt on the right wing and he touches down unchallenged in the corner.
The TMO will check the grounding but theres no issues with this one.
25’
The Cowboys will have an opportunity to get on the board here as they are awarded a penalty for offside.
22’ | Conversion Successful
He missed a penalty earlier in the night but Johnson no mistakes with the conversion.
The Sharks lead 6-0.
21’ | TRY Sharks!
The Sharks get the opening score of the game!
It came after a mazy run from Jayden Brailey who lost his footing just short of the posts.
Nick Kenny takes the run towards the line before losing the ball backwards but it’s scoped up by Jess Ramien expertly as he touches down for the opening score.
20’
The Cowboys have been all over the place in the last ten minutes as Scott Drinkwater puts the ball down on halfway.
Scrum down, Cronulla ball.
17’
Despite being under the cosh for the opening ten minutes it’s the Sharks who are looking the most likely as things stand.
Still no points on the board as we approach the 20 minute mark.
15’ | Penalty miss Sharks
The Sharks opt for the two pointer but Shaun Johnson hits the post.
Unbelievably the Sharks 7 almost regathers possession from his own kick but the Cowboys manage to beat him to it and the chance goes a begging.
14’ | NO TRY Sharks
The Bunker deems that there was an illegal challenge from Feldt but says that Dugan was to far away from the ball for the try to be awarded.
The Sharks are awarded a penalty.
14’ | TMO Sharks
There’s a TMO check here for a potential penalty try as Feldt takes out Josh Dugan as he looks to get on the end of the grubber.
The referee says no try but the TMO will take a look at it.
11’
The visitors are awarded a much needed penalty to take them over halfway.
It’s been all Cowboys so far but it’s the Sharks who’ll have the opportunity to open the scoring here.
10’
And somehow the Sharks survive!
The Cowboys have had 76% of the possession through the opening 10 minutes but have failed to turn that possession into points.
9’
And another penalty for the Cowboys!
The Sharks need to be careful here.
7’
The Sharks defence are under the cosh at the minute as they knock the ball dead for a goal line drop out.
6’
The errors are totting up for the Sharks early as they give away yet another penalty for an illegal steal.
The Cowboys will begin their latest set on the Sharks 20.
5'
The Cowboys have come out of the blocks fast and have another early look at the Sharks line but the visitors stand firm.
They’ll begin this set on their own 5m line.
2’
The Cowboys are awarded the first penalty of the night as the Sharks defence are caught offside.
They will begin the set on halfway.
We’re underway!
We’re underway here in Queensland as the Sharks take the first possession of the night.
Five minute warning!
Kick-off is fast approaching here at the 1300SMiles Stadium.
The Cowboys are looking to make it three from four whilst the Sharks will be hoping to get off the mark having lost their opening three.
Attentions switch to Queensland
All eyes are on Queensland now for this matchup between the Cowboys and the Sharks.
Confirmation that all six of the Sharks players who failed their initial temperature check have now passed and been cleared to play.
All over in Parramatta!
It’s all over in Parramatta as the Eels pick up their fourth consecutive win of the season as they edge the Sea Eagles 19-16 in a thriller!
How to watch North Queensland Cowboys vs Cronulla Sharks
If you want to watch the game on TV, your options are: Sky Sports Arena.
If you want to directly stream it: Sky Go
If you want to follow it online, VAVEL UK is your best option!
Cronulla Sharks: Team News
There was an earlier scare as six Cronulla Sharks players failed their initial temperature check, however all six have now been cleared to play.
This means there are no changes to the 17-man squad that the Sharks declared earlier in the week.
Matt Moylan takes his places in the halves in the absense of Chad Townsend, who misses out with a hamstring twinge, Will Kennedy continues at fullback.
NQ Cowboys: Team News
There’s been a late change to the Cowboys pack tonight as second rower Coen Hess has been ruled out of tonight’s match with an ankle injury.
Gavin Cooper takes his place in the side with Shane Wright upgraded to a spot on the bench.
Sharks to get on the board?
It’s been a very different start for the Sharks, the Cronulla side have lost all three of their opening games so far as the pressure continues to mount on John Morris.
With matches against fellow strugglers St George and Canterbury to come, they will know that they need to start picking up the points, and fast.
Cowboys to make it three from four?
The North Queensland Cowboys will be looking to continue their good form, having blown out the Titans on this ground last time out.
Ben Hampton was at the double for the Cowboys in the 36-6 win, he’s likely to be a key man for his side tonight.
Kick-off time
This North Queensland Cowboys vs Cronulla Sharks match will be play at the 1300SMiles Stadium in Queensland, Australia. The kick-off is scheduled for 10:35 BST
Welcome to VAVEL.com’s LIVE coverage of this 2020 NRL match between the North Queensland Cowboys and the Cronulla Sharks!
My name is Tom Young and I’ll be your host for this game. We will provide you with pre-game analysis, roster updates and news as it happens live here on VAVEL.