CRONULLA 14 NEWCASTLE 10
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/sport/nrl/story/0,26799,25120887-5006066,00.html
CRONULLA'S all-star back-row trio of Paul Gallen, Reni Maitua and Anthony Tupou all suffered worrying injuries in the Sharks' last-second victory over Newcastle in a trial at Cessnock Sportsground. Gallen clutched at his right knee after being tackled in the 18th minute and, after receiving on-field treatment for two minutes, was chaired off the ground by two trainers on Saturday night.
The initial diagnosis was that the rugged NSW and Australian lock had hyper-extended his knee and he was expected to have further tests Sunday or Monday.
Gallen's injury gave ex-Bulldog Maitua his first appearance in Cronulla colours but he was destined for disaster.
The controversial utility was sin-binned for a professional foul on Jarrod Mullen in the 39th minute then, in the 48th minute, he was stretchered off with a leg injury.
Maitua and Gallen could struggle to make Cronulla's NRL season-opener at home against Penrith in a fortnight. But Tupou, who was helped from the field with concussion after making a tackle in the 42nd minute, is not expected to miss that game.
It was the first appearance in Cronulla colours for Maitua and Tupou after both missed the Sharks' 40-10 loss to Gold Coast in Darwin a week earlier.
The Knights, coming off a 32-24 loss to the Storm in Melbourne last Saturday, also had their problems. But Ben Cross (concussion), Cory Paterson (corked hip) and Kurt Gidley (six stitches in head gash), who were replaced with injuries at various stages of the first half, all returned after the break.
The Sharks opened the scoring in the 11th minute when former Bulldogs hooker Corey Hughes pounced on a wayward dummy-half pass by Knights playmaker Jarrod Mullen.
The ball bounced loose in Newcastle's in-goal, Hughes was on the spot to touch down and Luke Covell converted for a 6-0 lead.
Mullen made amends three minutes later with a deft grubber which the Sharks could not control and Knights replacement prop Richie Fa'aoso tidied up to score.
Knights recruit Ben Rogers found some space to put former Shark Cameron Ciraldo over for a try in the 57th minute, giving Newcastle a 10-6 lead after Paterson missed the conversion attempt from close range.
David Simmons made it 10-10 eight minutes later when he scored from a Blake Green cross-field kick and Covell missed the conversion attempt from the sideline.
Newcastle half Scott Dureau tried to break the deadlock in the 78th minute but his field-goal attempt was blocked, then the Sharks stole the match when Simmons took Hughes's chip kick to touch down in the corner in the final seconds.
Fulltime
CRONULLA 14 (D Simmons 2 C Hughes tries L Covell goal) bt NEWCASTLE 10 (R Fa'aoso C Ciraldo tries C Paterson goal) at Cessnock Sportsground. Crowd: 3,260. Referees: S Lyons B Suttor.
