Sharks rout Cowboys as winger enjoys dream debut, Ponga injured in big Bulldogs’ win

The Paul Green Medal, named in honour of the late player and coach who had such a great history with both clubs, goes to Sharks fullback Will Kennedy. Richly deserved for the under-rated fullback.

Mercifully, the torture for the Cowboys is over. The afternoon ends with Scott Drinkwater throwing one final pass over the sideline. Quite fitting really.

It’s an afternoon to forget for any North Queensland fan with the Sharks running out massive 42-6 winners at PointsBet Stadium. And you have to say the scoreline was justified.

Sam Stonestreet, the 21-year-old Cronulla local junior on debut, scored in the same corner his family and friends were standing, cult hero Tom Hazelton bagged a rare try while Braydon Trindall and Ronaldo Mulitalo picked up doubles on a wretched afternoon for the Cowboys.

I think it’s fair to say they might be more pretenders than contenders at this stage of the season.

The Sharks? Just maybe they’re building for a big run into this competition as they go back to the top of the table. We’ll see.

Sharks 42 Cowboys 6

Well, Reuben Cotter must be feeling a tad silly now.

The Cowboys co-captain has rushed in to confront Ronaldo Multialo and start a melee after the Sharks winger’s desperate tackle on Jeremiah Nanai, which stops a certain try. The Cowboys think it’s high and want the bunker to award a penalty try. It has a little bit of the Jamie Ainscough and Craig Smith areas of the 1999 grand final (a shocking moment of my youth).

But the replay shows Multialo’s contact is with the shoulder of Nanai, who just drops the ball cold.

Handbags at 10 paces thereafter. Inside the last eight minutes.

Sharks 36 Cowboys 6

Oh dear.

Chad Townsend, after setting up that Valentine Holmes try, has just given his teammate Tom Chester the biggest spray for a pass which was slightly behind him as the Cowboys went on the attack. Townsend can’t catch it and the referee has ruled a knock on. It wasn’t a good pass, it must be said.

There’s a few choice words from the crowd in the western stand for their premiership hero, too. I think they’re calling Townsend a good banker. Or something like that.

Down to the last 14 minutes.

Sharks 36 Cowboys 6

In other news. At least they showed more fight than the Cowboys.

You know a sign of a team that has completely given up the ghost? When a player can score out wide and then run the ball around underneath the posts with no defender trying to make it a more difficult kick.

Ronaldo Mulitalo has done just that for the Sharks, who have their sixth try of the afternoon. It comes after a sharp play to the left side with Nicho Hynes throwing the final ball and his winger making the conversion easy by taking the ball right around under the sticks.

Embarrassing. Just plain embarrassing for North Queensland.

Hynes kicks the goal and we’ve still got 24 minutes left. How bad will it get?

Sharks 36 Cowboys 0