Fonua-Blake battles injury as Hynes proves difference in Sharks-Knights thriller

Cronulla won the contest but lost star front-rower Addin Fonua-Blake, twice, in a tense and gritty 20-18 triumph over Newcastle on Friday night.

While Nicho Hynes’ desperate defence and sharpshooting from the tee proved the difference when the Knights outscored the Sharks by four tries to three, Fonua-Blake’s battles with a pectoral injury were cause for ample concern at Shark Park.

Fonua-Blake – Cronulla’s highest-paid forward and recent NSW Origin series winner – came from the field after just 23 minutes at Shark Park, disappeared up the tunnel for treatment on a pectoral injury.

He returned to the Sharks bench and the fray at the 66th minute, but cut his second stint short nine minutes later when he left the field clutching at his chest.

Newcastle threatened to run the home side down despite defending their line for much of the second-half, and set up a grandstand finish when Greg Marzhew scored his second try to finish a play featuring several kicks and slips by Cronulla defenders trying to smother the 78th-minute play.

Kalyn Ponga’s sideline conversion was the only goal he slotted from four attempts but the Sharks managed to close out the contest in a desperate final 90 seconds.

A 35th-minute penalty goal from Hynes, and his perfect three shots at goal, ended up being all that separated the two sides and shored up Cronulla’s top four spot.

A desperate try-saving tackle from the much-maligned million-dollar half also proved critical as Newcastle came storming home.

When Knights back-rower Francis Manuleleua streaked away from a bomb Cronulla refused to make a play at in the 70th minute, only Hynes’ desperate sprinting, try-saving effort and eventual cover arriving from Will Kennedy denied Newcastle’s late salvo, forcing a knock-on from Manuleleua as he slid around the in-goal.

Until that point, the second stanza had been all Cronulla. But they only had one Ronaldo Mulitalo try to show for their dominance, which Braydon Trindall put on a platter with a lovely looping long ball.

The lack of points after the break was in direct contrast to a free-flowing opening 40, when again, Hynes’ goal-kicking was all that separated the two sides.

Ponga sped straight past KL Iro to open the scoring, before Will Kennedy answered soon enough though when a bomb fell his way, and suggestions of a disruptor penalty against Mulitalo against Dom Young were dismissed by the Bunker.

Marzhew was then on the end of a picture-perfect tip-on from Bradman Best, but the tit-for-tat rolled on when Sione Katoa strolled through a hefty gap left by Fletcher Sharpe on his own line, an effort Dylan Lucas matched right on half-time.