Results NSW Cup 2009 – Quarter-Finals – Cronulla Sharks v North Sydney Bears

North Sydney Bears win 35-8.

Sharks tries to Daniel Rauicava, Ben Orcher.

On an unusually hot September afternoon, the Cronulla Sharks were eliminated from the 2009 NSW Cup competition, in a game where the temperature had it’s effect on tempers.  Numerous fights broke out, and players from both sides were sin-binned.

In the first-half, the Cronulla Sharks showed a superior ability to score tries, with two tries scored and a strong effort by Ryan Verlinden being held-up by the Bears defence.

The Sharks momentum was sometimes broken by stoppages in play due to fighting.  The old-school tactic of ‘putting on a stink’ to disturb the attacking teams momentum was used quite effectively by the Bears.

A highlight for the Cronulla Sharks in the first-half was the skill and composure of young fullback Ben Orcher.  He never failed to successfully defuse any high-balls, unlike the Bears’ fullback, and he showed the most class of any player on the field.

Although the second-half started well for the Sharks, with them crossing the Bears try-line again but being held-up again, the turning point came when Norths again resorted to rough but effective tactics.  With their long-kicking game being frustrated by Ben Orcher, they resorted to short kicks over the Cronulla Sharks defensive line.

One Bears kick saw Ben Orcher being tackled in the air, and clearly wounded by the experience.  He wasn’t replaced, but moved out onto the wing, where he had little involvement in the rest of the game.  Although the Sharks received a penalty from the Norths tactic, it took the Cronulla Sharks best Toyota Cup player in both 2008 and 2009 out of the game.

From then on the Cronulla Sharks exhibited woeful defence.  Unlike the previous week when their defence on their line was their weakness, in this game the defence in the middle of the field and the middle of the line was full of holes and weak points.  Norths ran straight through this, and ended up inflicting a big defeat on the Cronulla Sharks.