Sharks deliver good mail
By Peter Badel
April 23, 2006
Sharks 24 Cowboys 22
ADAM Dykes, the man who wanted out of the Sharks, proved the hero last night as Cronulla buried a week of controversy with an incredible boilover against front-runners North Queensland.
Well done ... Ben Ross acknowledges the fans.
Pic: Brett Costello
In the upset of the season, the Sharks overturned a 22-10 half-time deficit, scoring 14 unanswered points to hand the Cowboys their first loss of 2006.
And the talisman was Dykes.
Dykes was on the verge of leaving the club over summer to join South Sydney, but ultimately stayed. Last night he delivered the goods, scoring a superb solo try before setting up another for Nigel Vagana to stun the Cowboys.
The nail-biting victory was sweet justice for Sharks coach Stuart Raper, who was subjected to vitriolic emails from Cronulla fans after the club's 42-16 hammering last week against premier Wests Tigers.
"The boys got the rewards tonight by digging deep," Raper said.
"I've said to the guys we haven't played that badly this year but a lot of people think we have been.
"We've lost some close games, but we knew if we kept persisting in what we were doing we'd win some close games.
"I'm really proud of the effort of the players this week.
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"We didn't panic, there was no crisis meetings, everything was positive about what we did in our approach.
"You need these type of victories to bring the best out in you, but it's only a good win if we can back it up next week."
Without injured halfback and skipper Brett Kimmorley, it was partner-in-crime Dykes who stepped up to the plate last night.
The clever playmaker ignited the second-half revival. In the 54th minute, he sliced through the Cowboys with a slick dummy to score to narrow the deficit to 22-16.
Five minutes later, Dykes grubber kicked 40 metres out from the Cowboys line, retrieved the ball and found centre Vagana, who raced 20 metres to level the scores.
Winger Luke Covell then landed a 65th-minute penalty goal to edge Cronulla clear - and they hung on desperately as North Queensland launched a series of fruitless raids.
Dykes, who remained at the club after failing to secure a contract elsewhere, admitted he felt compelled to step up in Kimmorley's absence.
"Noddy's such a great player. We work so well together and when he's not there you miss him with his last-play options," he said. "It wasn't a pretty win, it was gutsy, but I'm happy."
The Cowboys were left to rue some questionable decisions, most notably a try awarded to Sharks centre Phil Bailey in the 10th minute.
The former Test utility appeared to have been held up and even video referee Steve Nash couldn't adjudicate on the play.
But when Nash sent the matter back to referee Gavin Badger, he controversially awarded the Sharks' their opening four-pointer.
"I thought it would be held up, play-the-ball for sure," Cowboys coach Graham Murray said.
"I spoke to Paul Bowman (Cowboys centre). He was the player underneath and he was adamant he had his arm cradling the ball, he said there was no way he got the ball down."
But Murray refused to blame the loss on that call. He also denied North Queensland's energy-sapping defeat of Newcastle in last Sunday's blockbuster at EnergyAustralia Stadium had left the 2005 grand finalists vulnerable.
"It was a big game for us last week but we won't blame that," he said.
"They played well, they got a roll on at the right time and were better than us in a couple of areas.
"When they started coming at us in the second half they just had a bit too much momentum for us."
Sharks prop Hutch Maiava is expected to miss next Friday night's clash against Penrith with a rib injury.
CRONULLA 24 (P Bailey A Dykes L Thompson N Vagana tries; L Covell 4 goals)
NORTH QUEENSLAND 22 (L O'Donnell 2 R Jensen M Sing tries; J Thurston 3 goals).
Referee: G Badger.
Crowd: 9,025 at Toyota Park.
The Sunday Telegraph
