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AAP
Sport
Margie McDonald

12-man Sharks beat odds to down Warriors

Despite having William Kennedy (r) sent off early, Cronulla beat the Warriors convincingly. (AAP)

Cronulla have defied the odds and record books to register a 29-10 NRL win over the Warriors while being a man down after fullback Will Kennedy was sent off early.

Indeed, Craig Fitzgibbon's side scored four tries while having one less player in Sunday's clash at PointsBet Stadium.

The win allowed the Sharks to leapfrog Parramatta and climb back into the top-four.

They lost their star No.1 in the 16th minute when dismissed for a dangerous high tackle after he stuck his left arm out as his opposite number Reece Walsh stepped off his left foot about 15 metres out from the Sharks line.

Walsh jumped straight to his feet but referee Todd Smith wasn't swayed. Kennedy became the third NRL player sent-off this season after Mitch Barnett (Newcastle) in round three and Karl Lawton (Manly) in round eight.

Neither the Knights nor the Sea Eagles were able to win those matches, and in fact it has been 14 years - Manly in 2008 against the Raiders - since a team has won with 12 men.

The Sharks' win was even more courageous after they were reduced to 11 men with Jesse Ramien sin-binned for a shoulder into opposing centre Euan Aitken's head in the second half. Aitken failed the subsequent concussion test.

The lead changed three times in the opening 40 minutes to underline the momentum shifts.

After being reduced to 12 men in the 16th minute the Sharks conceded a try in the next set, with Dallin Watene-Zelezniak scooting over in the right corner.

A second try for the Warriors came four minutes later to centre Viliami Vailea after a Walsh 30-metre bust.

That gave the Warriors the lead for the first time at 10-6 after Sharks playmaker Nicho Hynes had opened the scoring in the seventh minute.

It seemed the floodgates were about to open. But steely defence, swift ball movement in attack, and some smart plays kept the Sharks on top. The Sharks had five forced drop-outs.

The crowd didn't let the referee forget the Kennedy incident yelling 'Off! Off!' whenever Smith blew the whistle for a tackle infringement.

Hynes reverted to fullback in defence, but slipped back into the attacking line as a second five-eighth.

And after four sets on the Warriors line the pressure valve was released with the Sharks scoring their second try through back-rower Teig Wilton to regain the lead at 12-10.

That remained the half-time score but not for long.

The Sharks went in againsix minutes after the break through winger Connor Tracey, who was enjoying his first game back in five weeks (groin strain).

Even while down to 11 men for 10 minutes - after Ramien's tackle - the Warriors couldn't post points. They were held scoreless in the second half.

Ramien was back on the field in the 63rd minute and the Sharks scored three minutes later - Tracey getting a double.

Ramien had the ultimate revenge, scoring the Sharks fifth try.

For the Warriors, it was as humiliating as the 70-10 loss to Melbourne on Anzac Day. The two-man advantage gave them no impetus - maybe it caused them a bit more panic.

They missed 45 tackles and made nine errors.

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