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Warriors 10 Sharks 29
Warriors - Watene-Zelezniak & Vailea tries, Walsh conversion
Sharks - Hynes, Nikora, Tracey 2 & Wilton tries, Hynes 4 conversions & field goal
Fulltime
40th minute - Warriors shift left, but Egan's dusty pass is spilt by Asi and that sums it up. Fulltime can't arrive quickly enough for the Warriors.
39th minute - Warriors feed a scrum 10 metres out from the tryline and win a penalty.
38th minute - Warriors looking for a way out of their half, but they've lost their way. Pompey dashes down the left sideline and Johnson kicks high towards the right corner, but Tracey is under it.
37th minute - Walsh kicks shallow and Wilton claims it for the Sharks, who cross halfway and kick ahead.
36th minute - TRY to Nikora
Down the right, Hynes kicks to the corner, Ramien slaps the ball back to Nikora, who smuggles an offload in the tackle. Hynes is cornered, but he finds Nikora looming inside, as Warriors sprawl everywhere.
35th minute - Walsh kicks shallow and Hynes claims it in the air.
34th minute - Sharks hot on attack again. Brailey finds Hynes in front of the posts and he drops a field goal to put the result beyond two converted tries. That surely seals the Warriors embarrassment.
33rd minute - Sharks win a penalty, after Murchie becomes entangled in the ruck.
32nd minute - Warriors trying to rumble upfield and Sironen reaches halfway. Johnson kicks high and Hynes is safe underneath.
31st minute - Sharks shift left and have the Warriors at their mercy, but Tracey's hat-trick is ruled out for a forward pass. Warriors have imploded.
30th minute - Murchie dies with the ball on the last tackle in his own half - Warriors obviously had no idea it was the last.
29th minute - Warriors have activated 18th man Bayley Sironen, after Aitken fails his HIA.
Hynes kicks high, but Pompey spills the ball and Warriors barely avoid another try.
27th minute - TRY to Tracey
Moylan offloads to Ramien and Sharks shift left, where Tracey has a try double. DWZ has left two players unmarked outside him. Hynes converts, CRO 22-10
26th minute - Walsh kicks towards halfway again and Rudolf runs it back.
25th minute - Sharks rush over halfway again with plenty of tackles.
They go right, where Ramien is contained... Hynes kicks to the goal area and DWZ has to kick dead for another dropout.
24th minute - Asi sends Vailea over halfway and Warriors have some momentum, but Moylan makes a key tackle. Johnson's high kick is easily managed by the Sharks and Ramien is back on the field.
23rd minute - Talakai kicks ahead and DWZ smothers the ball. Warriors let off the hook there.
22nd minute - Sharks go right and Hynes throws a long pass to Katoa, who is stopped short.
21st minute - Walsh drops out to halfway, Lodge meets Finucane again.
Talakai surges towards the tryline and the tackle count has restarted for the Sharks.
20th minute - Fifita steps three tacklers in midfield of Warriors half. Hynes kicks to the goal area and Pompey simply passes dead for a dropout.
19th minute - Johnson kicks on the last and it bounces dead for a seven-tackle set to Sharks.
18th minute - Lodge rumbles towards the posts, Johnson holds up a pass to Murdoch-Masila.
Asi can't handle a pass behind him, but knocked backwards. Murchie goes close, but held up.
17th minute - Sharks strip the ball from Lodge, but there are two men in the tackle, so a penalty to the Warriors.
16th minute - Sharks win a penalty and kick to halfway. They're two down, but hot on attack.
Moylan kicks to the goal area, but it bounces dead and Warriors have a seven-tackle set.
15th minute - Warriors are just metres out and shift right, where Walsh throws a long pass to DWZ, but the return pass goes loose and Fifita falls on it. Wasted opportunity.
14th minute - Ramien puts a big hit on Aitken, who spills the ball, called a knock-on.
Replays show a shoulder to the head, so Ramien is put on report and sent to the bin for 10 minutes. Warriors must capitalise.
13th minute - Hynes kicks early from the 40, but doesn't have the distance for the 20. Lodge returns to the action.
12th minute - Hynes kicks towards DWZ, who lets it bounce. Pompey reaches halfway.
Johnson kicks towards the posts, but Hynes has it covered easily.
11th minute - Johnson grubbers towards the posts and Moylan has it covered.
10th minute - Warriors have a clearing penalty and Johnson kicks towards halfway. Murdoch-Masila makes his first appearance.
Ninth minute - Walsh kicks off and Sharks make good metres to halfway.
Walsh rushes forward to catch a high kick from Moylan.
Seventh minute - TRY to Tracey
Sharks shift left, where Hynes holds up a pass to wrongfoot the defence, then finds Talakai, who puts Tracey over in the corner. Hynes hooks his sideline conversion left, CRO 16-10
Sixth minute - Walsh scrambles a kick dead and has to dropout from the goal-line.
Fourth minute - Warriors reach halfway, but Johnson can't gather a rough pass from Tevaga.
Third minute - Hynes kicks high towards Pompey, who avoids the sideline and Katoa.
Second minute - DWZ reaches halfway for the Warriors. Walsh finds Berry cutting back on the angle.
Johnson kicks to the corner, Pompey is tackled short, but gets an offload to Vailea, who spills it.
First minute - Walsh kicks off and Sharks try to clear their red zone. Hynes kicks early and Walsh runs it back.
Halftime
40th minute - Aitken reaches halfway and Asi kicks to touch inside the Sharks 10.
Hynes kicks ahead for Katoa, who can't gather the bounce before it finds touch, as the half ends.
39th minute - Warriors feed a defensive scrum and try to break out of their territory. Pene runs strongly.
38th minute - Sharks move left and McInnes tests the defence. Hynes finds Wilton with a skip pass, but the second-rower loses the ball trying to offload.
37th minute - Wilton charges over halfway and finds Tolman stoming off him. Sharks have a penalty for a high tackle and Egan is being examined for a head knock.
36th minute - Aitken carries into Sharks 10, Johnson runs on the last, finally DWZ kicks towards the posts, but easily covered by the Sharks.
35th minute - Hynes runs right with an overlap. Nikora cuts back infield, but Moylan drops the ball to stop the movement.
34th minute - Johnson's kick is under pressure, but it almost bounces for Vailea. Sharks recover, but driven back in a tackle.
33rd minute - Tevaga emerges from a tackle clutching his right arm. Walsh tidies up a high kick and the Warriors try to bust upfield.
32nd minute - Lodge and Fonua-Blake both taking a break. Walsh kicks off and Williams brings the ball upfield for the Sharks.
31st minute - TRY to Wilton
Sharks have another reset for their sixth consecutive set and Wilton finally takes toll, busting through Johnson's tackle. Hynes bends the conversion home, CRO 12-10
30th minute - Sharks start their fifth straight set on halfway and Talakai proves a handful to stop.
Moylan flicks a touch pass to Katoa and both are hit hard in tackles.
29th minute - Hynes kicks to the goal area, but Pompey is backtracking fast and beats Nikora to the ball, knocking it dead for another dropout.
28th minute - Hynes finds Nikora bursting off his shoulder. Brailey is wrapped up, but another reset.
27th minute - Warriors are penalised for a high tackle on Wilton.
26th minute - Walsh kicks towards halfway and Finucane is met by Lodge - great match-up. Sharks have a new set of six.
25th minute - Hynes kicks to the in-goal, where Fonua-Blake fumbles the ground ball. Warriors dropout.
24th minute - Hynes kicks off, Lodge runs it back, but Warriors spill the ball inside their 20. Sharks can strike back here.
22nd minute - TRY to Vailea
Lodge reaches halfway and offloads. Walsh breaks and finds Asi, who kicks ahead for Vailea to score.
They'll check if Vailea is onside and the try stands. Walsh slots the conversion, WAR 10-6
21st minute - Sharks not making much ground on the fifth tackle, and Hynes kicks long and dead for a seven tackle set to the Warriors.
20th minute - Hynes kicks off and Lodge runs it back. Walsh tests Hynes, now positioned at fullback.
18th minute - TRY to Watene-Zelezniak
Warriors shift left, then come back right, where Walsh throws a skip pass to the winger to score in the corner. Walsh leaves his conversion left of the posts, CRO 6-4
17th minute - Warriors shift left and Kennedy almost decapitates Walsh with a high tackle. That has to be a card.
Kennedy is sent off, so Sharks will be down to 12 for the next 63 minutes.
16th minute - Sharks off the hook there, but Finucane spills a pass in a tackle, so the Warriors have another chance.
15th minute - Set reset for the Warriors only metres out. Tevaga throws a flat ball to Lodge, who knocks on.
14th minute - Lodge runs the dropout back to the 30.
13th minute - Tevaga reaches halfway for the Warriors. Johnson kicks to the goal area and Katoa has to knock the ball dead for a dropout.
12th minute - Sharks are over halfway on the third tackle and Rudolf straightens up the middle. Hynes' high kick bounces to Vailea and Warriors have a clearing penalty.
11th minute - Warriors struggling to make progress upfield and Johnson will kick from his own 40.
10th minute - Walsh kicks off and Talakai handles early for the Sharks. Finucane reaches halfway and Hynes kicks high to Walsh.
Eighth minute - TRY to Hynes
Lodge hits Finucane with a big tackle on the 30, but Sharks break from their own half and Hynes sprints away to score. Egan is his closest pursuer.
Hynes bends the conversion between the posts, CRO 6-0
Seventh minute - Fonua-Blake rumbles over halfway and Johnson rolls a kick into touch near the corner flag.
Sixth minute - Nikora is held up near the right corner and Sharks shift left, but Kennedy dies with the ball on the last.
Fifth minute - Talakai runs over the top of Johnson, who grins at his old teammate. Tevaga is penalised for a high shot on Wilton.
Sharks have good field position to attack.
Fourth minute - Darting run from Egan and Fonua-Blake looks for an offload. Walsh's high kick bounces and Kennedy eventually brings it back.
Third minute - Katoa gets the set off to a good start and Sharks reach halfway on the fourth tackle. Hynes kicks high and Pompey leaps high to claim it.
Second minute - Lodge carries twice, Berry is barely stopped metres out and Johnson kicks high, but claimed by Katoa.
First minute - Hynes kicks off for the Sharks, and Lodge and Fonua-Blake carry early for the Warriors. Johnson draws a penalty on halfway.
*****
Kia ora, good evening and welcome to Newshub's live coverage of the NRL clash between NZ Warriors and Cronulla Sharks at Sydney's PointsBet Stadium.
After their horrendous showing against Melbourne Storm on Anzac Day, the Warriors showed some courage to hang in the contest against Canberra Raiders and eventually snatch a Golden Point victory.
That performance showed they have heart, but they need to build on that against one of the competition's most exciting and physical teams.
Winger Dallin Watene-Zeleznaik has made a miracle recovery from concussion to return for this encounter.
TAB Odds: Sharks $1.16, Warriors $5.05
Warriors: 1-Reece Walsh, 2-Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, 3-Viliami Vailea, 4-Rocco Berry, 5-Adam Pompey, 6-Daejarn Asi, 7-Shaun Johnson, 8-Addin Fonua-Blake (C), 9-Wayde Egan, 10-Matt Lodge, 11-Euan Aitken, 12-Eliesa Katoa, 13-Jazz Tevaga
Interchange: 14-Jack Murchie, 15-Ben Murdoch-Masila, 16-Bunty Afoa, 17-Aaron Pene, 18-Bayley Sironen, 20-Taniela Otukolo
Sharks: 1-William Kennedy, 2-Sione Katoa, 3-Jesse Ramien, 4-Siosifa Talakai, 5-Connor Tracey, 6-Matt Moylan, 7-Nicholas Hynes, 8-Toby Rudolf, 9-Blayke Brailey, 10-Aiden Tolman, 11-Briton Nikora, 12-Teig Wilton, 13-Dale Finucane
Interchange: 14-Jack Williams, 15-Cameron McInnes, 16-Wade Graham, 17-Royce Hunt
Walsh free to focus on performance after squashing rumours of early Warriors exit
NZ Warriors phenom Reece Walsh feels significantly lighter in the shoulders, after setting the record straight on his future with the NRL club.
Earlier this week, Walsh told FOX Sports that rumours he intended to join expansion club Redcliffe Dolphins had "spiralled out of control" and that he was "100 percent" committed to travelling to New Zealand next year to honour the remainder of his deal.
The teenager took the initiative for his own benefit, and that of his teammates and coaching staff, squashing long-percolating suggestions he was eager to leave the club to remain closer to his family.
"To be honest, that's why I did go out and talk to a journo - just to get that off my back, and get it off my the boys' minds here at training too and the coaching staff," Walsh said.
"Heaps of people are talking and I feel like, it wasn't so much starting to stress them out, but a bit of a red flag was getting put up there.
"If it's not coming from my mouth, don't believe it."
With that nagging weight lifted off his back, Walsh says he's now free to focus his undivided attention on improving his game, which he insists hasn't met his own lofty standards in recent weeks.
That suggestion may surprise Warriors fans. The Queenslander has been one of the more consistent performers on a frustratingly inconsistent team, but Walsh is far from satisfied with what he's put on the park this season.
Walsh insists he needs to be more aggressive with his attack, which starts with better onfield communication.
"Just my involvements - I haven't made as much of an impact as I can," he said. "I feel like I've just got to keep putting myself in good positions and I've just got to keep talking to my halves - I probably haven't been speaking to them as much lately.
"It's got to come back on myself demanding the ball and wanting the ball in those opportunities (to attack)."
Surprisingly, Walsh is yet to register a try for the Warriors this season, which he quickly dismisses as a non-factor in his self-confessed sub-par form.
"That stuff will come, if I keep putting myself in good positions and get the footy more.
"We've still got a while to go in the season, and if I can start putting myself in good situations, demand the ball and get the ball, I feel like it will be better for the team."
Perhaps the most notable improvement to Walsh's game this season has been his defence, which has evolved to the point where it's now one of his strengths.
Coach Nathan Brown speaks of his fullback's progression into an "all-round footballer", and Walsh's determination to shore up that aspect has paid clear dividends.
"That's probably been my goal the first nine rounds of the comp - trying to get my defence right," Walsh admitted. "Being an all round player, not just attack.
"I feel like my defence has improved a lot. I've still got a lot more to learn, but I've been pretty pleased with it of late.
"I just want to start getting my attack back on the roll."
Aiding him in that regard has been the return of club stalwart Shaun Johnson, who has adequately filled Roger Tuivasa-Sheck's role as Walsh's mentor, although he's taken full advantage of all resources on offer - no matter the position.
"We've got one of the best halfbacks in the game at our club now," he noted. "If I can learn as much off Shauny and not just him - some of the heads like Wayde [Egan] and Chanel [Harris-Tavita].
"I can always take a leaf out of their book, and even lean on some of the more experienced front rowers like Addin [Fonua-Blake] and [Matt] Lodge - they're smart footballers, so see stuff as well.
"I just try and take a page out of everyone's book, and put it into my game."
After proving they could win ugly in their Golden Point win over Canberra Raiders last weekend, Walsh says there's been a newfound buzz at training, which they aim to put into practice against dangerous Cronulla Sharks, who boast one of the NRL's most potent offensive revelations in centre Siosifa Talakai.
"Last week was a bit of a weird one… it wasn't our strongest performance, but we got the job done in the end.
"This week's been solely focused on ourselves, and getting much better as a team and starting to flow more as a team. Put out on the field what we out in at training - that's the big goal for us this week.
"I still don't think we've put in a solid 80-minute performance this year, so if we can keep working towards that goal, we'll just keep getting better.
"It's going to be a massive challenge for us this week. We're coming up against a back five that are one of the best in the comp for tacklebreaks.
"It's going to be a good gauge to see where they're at."
