- CRONULLA 20 bt NORTH QUEENSLAND 18
SHATTERED Cowboys coach Neil Henry has questioned if there is a conspiracy from the NRL to ensure the grand final is an all-Sydney affair after they were beaten in Saturday night's elimination final by Cronulla, who won the match following a seventh tackle try.
For the hapless Cowboys, it was the second year running that refereeing blunders have knocked them out of the finals, leading NRL chief executive Dave Smith to confess he was embarrassed by the performance of refeerees Matt Cecchin and Henry Perenara, which has now cast a giant cloud over the entire finals series.
Henry and club captain Johnathan Thurston cut forlorn figures after the Sharks two-point win as they struggled to comprehend how their season was over, following another inexcusable refereeing error, which was the case last year when a knock on from Manly's Kieran Foran denied them victory.
On Saturday night it came in the seventh minute when Cronulla's Beau Ryan was awarded a converted try on the seventh tackle. In the context of the match, the six points was decisive.
"How can two men out there, experienced, full-time referees, two touch judges, two blokes up in a video box not be counting?," Henry asked.
"We're all well aware that we have chances in the games after that to make that up, but it astounds me that it happened.
"How could it happen?
"It's a schoolboy error. It's something you don't see out there in QLD Cup, you don't see at the local A Grade.
"They've proven a couple of years in a row that theyre not up to it.
Beau Ryan celebrates the controversial seventh tackle try .Picture Gregg Porteous
"If you were a conspiracy theorist you'd go 'hang on, they're so Sydney-centric here that we don't really care about the boys up north.
"The press talks about the ideal grand final, Souths and Roosters, bring it on. Don't worry about Melbourne, they've won a couple and they're down there. Don't worry about North Queensland.
"Yeah, well we've just been dudded an opportunity to maybe make a dent in this competition.
"Where's our pull? We're out of sight out of mind up there.
"You get a bit bitter about it when its happened two years. Believe you me, we don't forget about Kieran Foran, we don't forget about that moment. That's etched in our brain. We trained thinking about that all year for an opportunity to get on this stage. I can't believe it."
Henry called for both Checcin and Perenara to be sacked while also revealing that Smith and members of the ARL Commission attempted to offer his apologies immediately after the match. So distraught was Thurston, that he failed to acknowledge the NRL boss.
"They're embarrassed to come in and shake hands and say 'we're embarrassed that should happen to your team." Henry said.
"I got the same talk last year."
Thurston added: "On the biggest stage they crumble."
The inept performance of Cecchin and Perenara wasn't the only drama from an enthralling battle that the Cowboys almost snatched victory in the dying seconds.
If it wasn't for the 79th minute heroics of veteran Cronulla hooker John Morris, who did just enough to force Cowboys centre Kane Linnett over the sideline as he dived for the corner, the Sharks season would be over.
Despite the try being disallowed by the video referee, the Cowboys appeared to have one final chance as the clock sat frozen on 45 seconds remaining.
"I kept asking the referee, how long to go, how long to go and he didn't know," Sharks captain Paul Gallen said.
"It wasnt the referees fault, it was one of those games where it had everything. Its about time we got some luck."
The Sharks four tries to three victory ensures they advance to the second week of the finals, but with an injury concern over star five-eighth Todd Carney, who limped from the field with a hamstring strain.
"Its not a tear," Sharks coach Shane Flanagan said.
"He'll work hard during the week and touch wood he'll be right for next week."
CRONULLA 20 (S Feki B Pomeroy B Ryan S Tagataese tries M Gordon 2 goals) bt NORTH QUEENSLAND 18 (B Tate J Taumalolo W Ulugia tries J Thurston 3 goals) at Allianz Stadium. Referee: Matt Cecchin, Henry Perenara.
5.45pm - Sharks hit the front
CRONULLA look set to progress to the second week of finals with Sosaia Feki scoring a late try to give the Sharks the lead. Gordon misses his conversion. Sharks 20-18 Cowboys.
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5.41pm - Still anyone's game
WE'RE set for a grandstand finish with Cronulla trailing the Cowboys by just two points with 10 minutes remaining as both sides start to tire.
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5.32pm - Sharks steady the ship
A TRY from nothing to Sam Tagataese gives the Sharks the steadier they needed as the game ticks down to the final quarter. Gordon hits the post with the conversion. Cowboys 18-16 Sharks.
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5.24pm - Taumalolo powers over
THE Cowboys hit the lead after a powerful finish from Jason Taumalolo close to the line. That's two tries in quick succession now, and the Cowboys have all the momentum. Thurston adds the extras.Cowboys 18-12 Sharks.
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5.18pm - Ulugia intercept turns tables on Sharks
THE Sharks were coming in for the kill in their attacking end but instead of extending their lead they coughed the ball up with a Carney cut-out pass intercepted by Wayne Ulugia, who ran 90 metres to score. Thurston misses the conversion. Sharks 12-12 Cowboys.
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5.14pm - Blistering run by Thurston
JOHNATHAN Thurston has ignited the opening exchanges of the second half with a blistering run that almost resulted in a try - the set of six ending with a disappointing kick from Robert Lui. Sharks 12-8 Cowboys.
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4.57pm - Sharks lead in controversial fashion
HALF-TIME: THE Sharks have taken a four-point lead into half-time, but a controversial try that appeared to have been scored on the seventh tackle is the main talking point. Sharks 12-8 Cowboys.
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4.52pm - Cowboys gasping for air
THE Cowboys get a penalty to give them some time to get their breath back after a sustained period of pressure from the Sharks goes unrewarded on the scoreboard. Sharks 12-8 Cowboys.
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4.39pm - Pomeroy gets Sharks back in the lead
BEN Pomeroy powers over the line to score after receiving an offload from fullback Michael Gordon. Gordon converts the try. Sharks 12-8 Cowboys.
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4.34pm - Sharks try shrouded in controversy
A LOOK at the video confirms that the try scored by Beau Ryan to level the scores early in the first half was off the SEVENTH tackle in the Sharks' set. Hugely controversial!
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4.27pm - Penalty nudges Cowboys to lead
BACK-to-back penalties give the Cowboys a two-point lead as Johnathan Thurston opts to kick for goal off the second one. Cowboys 8-6 Sharks.
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4.20pm - Beau hits back for Cronulla
THE Sharks don't waste any time hitting back, with Beau Ryan on the end of an overlap play, set up by a powerful run by Sam Tagataese. Gordon adds the extras. Sharks 6-6 Cowboys.
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4.13pm - Tate profits from scrum play
BRENT Tate goes in for first points for the Cowboys off a beautifully worked scrum play after Sharks winger Sosaia Feki dropped a kick to gift the visitors their chance. Thurston converts. Cowboys 6-0 Sharks.
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3.58pm - Flanagan says Sharks line-up is their best side
SPEAKING in Channel Nine's pre-game show, Shane Flanagan has revealed he believes the 17 players picked for today's game are the best 17 on the club's roster.
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3.18pm - No changes as final teams named
Sharks: Michael Gordon, Sosaia Feki, Ben Pomeroy, Jonathan Wright, Beau Ryan, Todd Carney, Jeff Robson, Andrew Fifita, John Morris, Sam Tagataese, Luke Lewis, Wade Graham, Paul Gallen.Interchange: Isaac De Gois, Chris Heighington, Jayson Bukuya, Anthony Tupou.
Cowboys: Matthew Bowen, Wayne Ulugia, Brent Tate, Kane Linnett, Antonio Winterstein, Johnathan Thurston, Robert Lui, Matthew Scott, Rory Kostjasyn, James Tamou, Gavin Cooper, Glenn Hall, Joel Riethmuller. Interchange: Jayden Hodges, Taris Sims, Scott Bolton, Jason Taumalolo.
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Will the hobbled Todd Carney shake his hamstring injury to lead the Sharks into the second week of the finals or will it be seven-in-a-row for a Cowboys outfit playing with incredible freedom in the wake of the sacking of Neil Henry.
You can find out right here with our rolling live coverage, and stay in touch with all the key stats in our Match Centre!
