The Sharks have defeated the Bulldogs 17-4 in the opening match of the NRL Auckland Nines.
A strong first half from the Sharks put them in a commanding position as they went to the half-time break leading 10-nil.
The men from the Shire opened the scoring through Fa’amanu Brown but the try couldn’t be converted, with the Sharks leading 4-nil.
With two minutes left in the first half they scored their second through Nathan Gardner. The try was scored in the left hand corner and smartly converted to give the Sharks a 10-nil lead.
With no attacking options sparking any opportunities for the Belmore based side, it was a well-timed intercept from new recruit Curtis Rona that saw the former Cowboy run 50m untouched to score. Moses Mbye couldn’t convert with the score staying at 10-4.
With just 30 seconds on the clock and the blue and whites unable to get their hands on the ball, the Sharks pushed through the middle and scored a bonus point try through Pat Politoni. The try was converted giving the Sharks a 17-4 victory as the full-time siren sounded.
SHARKS 17 (Brown, Gardner, Politoni (BP) Tries; 2 Goals) def. BULLDOGS 4 (Rona Try)
At: Eden Park, Auckland
