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Chad Townsend has kicked a golden-point field goal to snap Cronulla’s losing streak with a 13-12 win over St George Illawarra at Kogarah Jubilee Stadium.
In Friday night’s earlier match, teenage sensation Reece Walsh helped lead the Warriors to a 30-26 triumph over the Wests Tigers in Gosford.
In a dramatic night in Kogarah, three players were sin-binned and eight placed on report as the NRL’s crackdown on foul play continued.
Cronulla winger Mawene Hiroti also went from the Sharks’ villain to the club’s hero to help them claim their first win since John Morris was sacked as coach.
After the Sharks dominated the first half but could only score one try through Connor Tracey, the match swung when Hiroti hit Cody Ramsey high right on half-time.
Ramsey was ruled out of the match after failing his HIA, while Hiroti was sent to the sin-bin after chasing down the Dragons fullback and collecting him around the head.
The incident allowed the Dragons to level the scores just after the break, before Max Feagai scored a second to have them four points up with Josh Dugan also in the sin-bin for a high shot.
But that was only the start of the drama.
Cronulla looked to have the match won when Matt Moylan put Will Kennedy over while still down to 12 players, with the Sharks again dominating the ball.
But a Teig Wilton crusher tackle on Paul Vaughan allowed the Dragons to level the scores at 12-12.
And after both sides failed at field goal attempts, Hiroti was again in the thick of the action.
With 45 seconds to play, the Sharks winger dropped a pass from a 20-metre tap, handing the Dragons the perfect chance to win the match.
Corey Norman again missed a field goal, sending the match to golden point.
It was then Hiroti’s chance to be the hero.
The 22-year-old burst down-field from inside his own 20-metre zone on the fourth tackle, putting Cronulla on the attack.
And while Townsend had a field goal charged down for a second time, he finally landed it on the third attempt to stop the Sharks losing streak at six.
Cronulla could still count the costs on Saturday, with Blayke Brailey (crusher tackle) and Briton Nikora (high tackle) also on report.
Meanwhile, Vaughan’s sin-binning was arguably the most controversial of the night.
With the Dragons on the back foot in the second half, Vaughan was stunned when marched by referee Ben Cummins for taking Will Chambers high.
Chambers was falling in a tackle but the contact was still direct with the chin.
The loss leaves the Dragons susceptible to the chasing pack, after going into the round in sixth and two points clear of those behind them.
Walsh guides Warriors to victory
AAP: Darren Pateman
)Walsh continued his breakout season by spearheading the Warriors to a thrilling victory over the Wests Tigers.
The Warriors twice went down to 12 players and three times fell behind the Tigers on a cold night in Gosford, but were electrified by a scintillating display from the 18-year-old.
Making just his second start at fullback, Walsh scored a try and set up three others, while racking up 118 running metres with the ball.
It was yet another dagger in the hearts of frustrated Brisbane fans, who have been forced to watch Walsh and Sydney Roosters rookie Sam Walker star for other teams after both were part of the Broncos program.
The Warriors won despite almost throwing the match because of poor discipline, losing Ben Murdoch-Masila and Eliesa Katoa to the sin-bin at different stages of the second half.
The victory, however, may have come at a cost for the Warriors, with Jazz Tevaga (twice) and Jack Murchie put on report for high tackles, while Katoa was cited for a dangerous tackle.
The trio were joined on report by Tigers veteran James Tamou (crusher tackle).
Scores were locked with 20 minutes remaining in the contest when Adam Doueihi kicked the Tigers ahead following Murchie’s indiscretion, with Katoa marched soon after for lifting past the horizontal.
But it was an opportunity lost for the Tigers, with Warriors hooker Wayde Egan finishing off a Kodi Nikorima grubber kick before Walsh sealed the victory with a cut-out pass for Marcelo Montoya.
The Tigers had a chance to steal the win at the death, but were eventually held out by a desperate Warriors side who temporarily jump into the top eight.
The loss leaves the Tigers without consecutive victories for almost a year.
Walsh was involved from the outset when he failed to clean up a Joey Leilua grubber kick that allowed Luke Garner to post the opening points for the Tigers in just the fifth minute.
But it did not take him long to make amends after he fired off a two-man cut-out pass for Montoya five minutes later, only for Garner to run off a Moses Mbye short-ball to reclaim the lead.
From there it was all the Warriors, with Roger Tuivasa-Sheck — moved to the wing for Walsh — burning the Tigers defence to send Murchie away for a 65-metre effort.
It ignited a 12-minute blitz that included Walsh — undeterred by almost getting intercepted by Tommy Talau — floating another cut-out pass over the winger for Tuivasa-Sheck to score.
Walsh then scored a try in the 37th minute when he sliced through the Tigers’ defence to guide his team to an eight-point lead at half-time.
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The Tigers bounced back with two match-turning David Nofoaluma plays after the break.
Celebrating his 150th match, the Tigers winger pounced on a horror Montoya error to cut the deficit to two points, before his 60-metre intercept ended in the sin-binning of Murdoch-Masila.
AAP
