Their resolve got them over the line, with the Cronulla Sharks twice coming from behind against the North Queensland Cowboys, to record a 20-14 victory at Dairy Farmers Stadium.
Last night’s win was their first against the Cowboys since 2010, though they will face some worries over fullback Nathan Gardner, who was accidentally knocked unconscious by a Brent Tate knee – resulting in Gardner missing the remainder of the game.
“He got that first hit (the tackle Bowen was put on report for) and hurt his neck and he wasn’t moving great after that and then got a knock to the head but he’ll be okay,” Sharks coach Shane Flanagan said.
Flanagan was full of praise for his side’s effort, especially their defence that thwarted the attacking raids of the Cowboys, with the likes of Johnathan Thurston and Matthew Bowen in their team.
“I’m not quite sure how many play the balls the Cowboys had in our 20m line, but to defend a team with Johnathan Thurston and Matt Bowen that many times is a tough thing to do,” he said.
“Outstanding effort, courage, kept turning up for each other and some big tackles there to be made.”
On the other side of the coin, Cowboys coach Neil Henry was disappointed with his side’s performance, lamenting the missed opportunities his side failed to capitalise on.
“Very disappointing and the other side full credit to Cronulla,” Henry said.
“We certainly had enough possession to score points, and that’s something we’re normally able to do, but we weren’t able to get across the line.”