Sharks back to winning ways

The Cronulla Sharks have bounced back from last week's hefty defeat to Manly with a hard-fought 16-13 victory over the Newcastle Knights at Toyota Stadium on Saturday night.

Most of the points were scored in the first-half as the Knights edged their way to a 13-12 lead before two Luke Covell penalty goals proved the difference in the final wash-up to get the Sharks over the line in a sometimes frustrating affair.

The win is no doubt a welcome one in the Shire after last week's 28-point hammering at the hands of Manly had many experts wondering whether Cronulla was on yet another late season slide down the ladder.

Sharks skipper Paul Gallen was strong all night for his side, but did raise the ire of referee Tony Archer on occasions and was placed on report in the first-half for a rather innocuous high tackle on Knights winger Cooper Vuna.

The Knights, minus several experienced players, were admirable in defeat considering they lost playmaker Jarrod Mullen with a leg injury midway through the second-half which seemed to stifle their attack.

The Knights are now three points shy of eighth position following the loss.

The Sharks were denied early when second-rower Fraser Anderson was held up over the line in the 10th minute, but they would open the scoring three minutes later courtesy of a quality long Brett Kimmorley pass to Anderson, opening up space for centre David Simmons to crash over wide out.

Covell converted to give the hosts a 6-0 lead.

Newcastle's response was both swift and memorable with Mullen angling a chip-bomb towards the post for lock Zeb Taia to collect on the run for a freakish try beside the posts.

Kurt Gidley's easy conversion leveled things up at 6-all.

Kicks for tries remained the order of the night when a Kimmorley cross-field special resulted in Anderson taking the ball above a pack of players for a Cronulla four-pointer on the half-hour.

But the Mullen's left boot would again come into play for the Knights, the former Blues Origin half-back kicking towards the corner for centre Junior Sau to collect in traffic then send debutant Aku Uate racing around for a converted try to lock the scores up at 12-all.

Mullen calmly potted a 25m field goal just on half-time to give the visitors a 13-12 lead at the break.

It was a tight opening to the second-half with both sides struggling to crack the solid defensive structures of their opponents.

Some ill-discipline at marker from Newcastle five-eighth Chris Bailey enabled the Sharks to post first points of the second-stanza via a Covell penalty goal in the 56th minute, edging the home side to a 14-13 lead.

The Sharks missed a chance for some early closure when Seymour chased through a Kimmorley grubber only to bounce the ball, but they put a seal on the game three minutes from the death when Covell added another penalty goal after the Knights were called back by the video referee for a high shot on Cronulla winger Misi Taulapapa.

Cronulla Sharks 16
Tries: Simmons, Anderson
Conversions: Covell 2
Penalty goals: Covell 2

Newcastle Knights 13
Tries: Taia, Uate
Conversions: Gidley 2
Field goals: Mullen

Sportal's NRL Player of the Year:
3 - Paul Gallen (Sharks)
2 - Brett Kimmorley (Sharks)
1 - Kurt Gidley (Knights)