Hat-trick hero's stellar try in spirited Sharks win

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A superb Will Kennedy hat-trick saw the Sharks clinch a thrilling 30-26 triumph implicit the Eels astatine CommBank Stadium connected Friday night.

The pb changed hands 7 times passim the people of the match, immoderate wayward goal-kicking from Mitchell Moses yet proving the difference.

Despite spending extended periods camped connected their ain line, the Sharks showed large resilience to clasp the Eels out.

FOLLOW LIVE: NRL circular 2 Friday

Kennedy's 3rd for the nighttime typified the Cronulla effort.

Defending heavy successful their ain fractional again, Ronaldo Mulitalo made a superb dash and ran immoderate 60m earlier helium was chased down by Gutherson connected his 30m line.

Off the play-the-ball, the Sharks rapidly moved the shot to Kennedy, who enactment connected immoderate footwork consecutive retired of Strictly Ballroom. It enactment the Sharks backmost successful front.

Earlier, the Eels flew retired of the blocks and enjoyed a 10-0 pb successful conscionable the 5th minute.

But successful the lead-up to the Eels' 2nd try, skipper Clint Gutherson was poleaxed by Jesse Ramien. The autarkic doc pulled him from the field, and the momentum instantly swung.

With Gutherson successful the sheds, the Sharks dominated possession, and took the pb done astir identical tries to Briton Nikora and Kennedy.

Mitchell Moses - playing his 200th NRL crippled - enactment the Eels backmost successful front, earlier Kennedy scored his 2nd successful the shadows of half-time to spot the Sharks instrumentality a slender 18-14 pb into the break.

As they did successful the archetypal half, the Eels flew retired of the gates successful the 2nd half, and pressured the Sharks enactment heavily.

Maika Sivo yet scored for the Eels to retake the lead, but from determination connected it was each Cronulla.

It was a pb they would ne'er springiness up. Mulitalo would widen the Sharks' pb connected the hr mark.

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Moses' 2nd for the nighttime successful the 72nd infinitesimal acceptable up a thrilling finish, but the Sharks would clasp on.

Eels manager Brad Arthur said helium couldn't responsibility his side's effort, but conceded their defence needed work.

"We scored 5 tries, truthful you can't person 5 tries enactment connected you, 30 points scored against you and beryllium blessed with the performance," helium said.

"Some large moments and important times costs us."

It's the archetypal clip since 2018 the Eels person started the season with back-to-back losses.

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