Match Centre

Full Time at GIO Stadium. The defending premiers put on a performance to declare themselves a force to remain a top NRL team.

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 42-16

The Raiders are still trying to score points. They're still giving effort. On fifth they run the ball down their left edge and it comes to nothing but a hand over.

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 42-16

Bird receives the ball at first receiver, he angles his run infield, he beats three players to go over the try line but the Bunker rules an obstruction. It appears Bird was wrongly denied a try.

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 42-10

PENALTY to CRONULLA. On halfway, they've relaxed slightly but still look like scoring points.

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 42-10

Sharks keep the pressure on. They force the Raiders to start a set from their goal line.

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 36-10

Leilua comes from the field and play is stopped as Shannon Boyd looks jittery. We're back underway and Boyd is in back play.

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 36-10

Sezer has the responsiblity of providing a good fifth tackle option. He appeared uncertain and runs. Another Canberra player is forced to kick and it rolls dead in-goal. Poor play.

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 30-10

Whitehead forces an offload with three players tackling him. Leutele is first to the ball and it's play on Sharks.

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 30-10

PENALTY to CANBERRA. This takes them up to the halfway line.

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 30-10

Townsend kicks long from outside the 40m line. It flirts with the sideline on the bounce, Raiders fans think it bounced out on the full, the referees don't call it that way.

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 30-10

Leilua plays the ball and appears he will stay on the field. Austin surprises everyone by kicking on tackle three and Lee covers up and just makes the field of play.

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 30-10

Play stopped again after three tackles. Leilua extends himself for a try in the corner and is not getting up to play the ball. He's in pain and replays don't show why.

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 30-10

Papalii is up and we're restarting play. He's one of the first to hit the ball up.

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 30-10

PENALTY to CANBERRA. Papalii looked certain to score, Brailey stops him. The referee warns the Sharks about a sin bin if penalties continue. Play is stopped as Papalii is rolling on the ground injured.

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 30-10

PENALTY to CANBERRA. This one comes from 10m out and at the back end of the set. Raiders have another set to find points.

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 30-10

Back-to-back penalties for Canberra. That gifts them all the way up the field.

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 30-10

Bird makes a sensational offload in a tackle to keep the Raiders backpedalling. The Sharks run on fifth to try and take advantage of the troubled defence and they make it up to the Raiders 10m line before knocking the ball on.

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 30-10

Bird lands centimetres short of the line after stepping a few players at right centre. Maloney earns a repeat set as he forced Rapana into a goal line dropout. Josh Hodgson is limping badly in back play.

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 20-10

Sezer kicks high on fifth tackle from halfway. The ball finds grass from 30m out. Hodgson takes the ball and is whistled for being offside. Cronulla penalty and the Raiders have fallen apart.

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 20-10

Cronulla again make their way into the Raiders half, Cotric is tested with another high kick and he remains confident taking the kicks under pressure.

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 20-10

Just 31m from the Raiders set. Edrick Lee playing for the first time at his former club winds up from the in-goal and returns the kick.

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 14-10

The Sharks enter the Canberra red zone again by fifth tackle. Cotric is tested by a Townsend bomb and delivers.

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 14-10

Maloney is pressured on the fifth tackle kick at halfway. Soliola makes dangerous contact with Maloney's legs whilst in the air kicking. Penalty to Cronulla just five metres out, as the penalty is given where Maloney's kick drops. Sharks elect to kick for two points from in front of the posts.

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 12-10

Austin finishes a solid first set from Canberra with a kick to the corner for Feki.

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 12-10

Ricky Stuart was calm in an interview at half time. He wishes his players didn't make simple play the ball errors. How will the players respond? We're underway for the second half. The Raiders start the first set.

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 12-10

With a 63% completion rate for the Raiders, they should consider themselves lucky to be down two points at half time. They can thank Austin's special for that. Wighton leads the metre count with 127m. The next eight leading metre players are all Sharks players, with Fifita (90m) and Gallen (90m) topping the away side.

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 12-10

Cronulla apply some pressure all set. A Maloney kick finds grass in the in goal, the Raiders scramble and force the ball dead to prevent further points before half time. That's the siren to end the half.

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 12-10

PENALTY to CANBERRA. The Raiders get immediately out of their half on their first set after points.

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 12-10

PENALTY to CRONULLA. That's poor from Canberra. The Sharks were limited to 33m and reached tackle five. The Raiders held on too long in the tackle.

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 8-4

On tackle five the Raiders run. The ball comes loose from a Raiders play and Austin is tackled. It might have meant to be another set of six for Canberra. The first four tackles were untidy.

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 8-4

Joey Leilua winds up for his best run of the night. He's been quiet so far. Sharks gain 57m and Hodgson's bomb to Feki is dropped. Canberra scrum feed 10m out.

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 8-4

Cronulla reach halfway on tackle five and kick low to Rapana in the corner.

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 8-4

Paulo knocks down and runs over Brailey. He earns a penalty and Canberra tap and go.

Canberra Raiders 4-2

Brailey from dummy half looks dangerous, almost scores. His pressure forces a penalty. Six more tackles for the Sharks. They want a try, not a tied scoreboard.

Canberra Raiders 4-2

Maloney is given the ball to kick for a penalty goal.

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PENALTY to CRONULLA. Gallen backs his way to under the posts and there's a grapple effort on Gallen's face by Hodgson.

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Papalii lands a big shot on Paul Gallen. That's an origin quality hit. The Sharks gain 53m in the set and pin Nick Cotric in the corner.

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Play is stopped. Luke Lewis has run into Whitehead and Papalii and he's hurting. Replays don't give us an indication of anything serious. We're back underway, Lewis plays the ball.

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PENALTY TO CANBERRA. That's gets them over the halfway line.

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Gallen and Graham trapped on halfway by the strong defence. Wighton gets tested with a high kick and he completes a catch under pressure.

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Canberra get their first set attacking the Cronulla try line. The Raiders look sharp and composed but the Sharks were up to the defensive task. Hodgson's grubber kick gets no result, hand over.

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Another Austin kick, this time from 20m out. He dabs it behind the posts and Bird has forced the ball dead. Goal line dropout coming. The Raiders have made a strong start.

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Townsend is forced to kick before fifth tackle from inside the 30m. Trying to relieve pressure but the Raiders continue to make great ground.

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Austin sends an unpredictable spiralling bomb to Feki. Feki misses the catch, Bird covers up and brings the ball out from the in goal.

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Great defensive start from the Raiders. They restrict the Sharks to within their red zone come fifth tackle. Maloney kicks long.

Both teams are on. Once the referee blows the whistle we're underway. Blake Austin to kick off.

Alan Tongue sets off a giant horn and the viking clap. It never fails to send chills down the spine! Here comes the green machine.

The Sharks are coming on the field. The conditions are great for fast football.

Stay tuned for kick off. We're just minutes away from the teams returning to the field.

Welcome all to the live update of this round two clash between the Canberra Raiders and Cronulla Sharks at GIO Stadium.

Canberra will struggle if Cronulla keep the Raiders to 20 points or less. Canberra have lost 39 straight matches when they don't score 20 points or more. The home side's point total is the all important stat, as they've won 36 of their past 41 matches when scoring 21 points or more.

The Sharks will hope their recent history in the nation's capital continues to go in their favour. Since 2005 the Sharks have a record of 10 wins and 3 losses at GIO Stadium, with the latest being a 16-14 win from the quarter-finals last season.