League great stunned as Warriors throttle Sharks

The Warriors person sent an ominous connection to the remainder of the NRL aft dismantling the Sharks successful a objective display.

After Sharks prima Nicho Hynes scored the archetypal effort of the match, the Warriors rammed location 8 of their ain to tally retired 44-12 winners successful New Zealand.

The show caught the oculus of galore watching, with Panthers large Greg Alexander declaring the Warriors a "top 4 side" connected the backmost of their sublime play.

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"It was astir error-free," helium said connected Fox League's coverage.

"When you've got a broadside that knows precisely what they're doing with the shot and they play with intent and a spot of grit defensively, if they power that overmuch of the footy they tin bushed anyone.

Dallin Watene-Zelezniak was 1 of 7 antithetic tryscorers arsenic the Warriors enactment the Sharks to the sword (Dave Rowland via Getty Images)

"They are that benignant of shot team. On the backmost of that show today, I'm putting them successful the apical four."

Dallin Watene-Zelezniak registered a double, portion Rocco Berry, Addin Fonua-Blake, Luke Metcalf, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Josh Curran and Adam Pompey besides deed the scoreboard for the Warriors.

The triumph did not travel without immoderate interest for the Warriors though, arsenic the ageless Shaun Johnson was forced disconnected the tract wrong the last 10 minutes.

Johnson assisted connected 3 of the Warriors' 8 tries for the afternoon, earlier coming up hobbling 13 minutes retired from afloat time.

The 32-year-old dished disconnected a walk and was met by the on-rushing Toby Rudolf, whose shin appeared to marque interaction with Johnson's, causing the Warriors playmaker to deed the turf.

Shaun Johnson was astatine his masterful best, registering 3 effort assists earlier going disconnected injured (Dave Rowland via Getty Images)

Johnson remained connected the tract for 5 minutes aft the clash with Rudolf earlier yet being taken disconnected erstwhile the effect was beyond doubt.

"It's a astute determination from the Warriors coaching unit getting Shaun retired of there," said Michael Ennis connected commentary astatine the time.

"He's been successful demolition mode this afternoon. His ball-playing was immaculate and the bulk of those (points) were connected the backmost of the No.7."

Cronulla started the lucifer well, with Hynes scoring the archetypal effort of the afternoon, but were soon stunned arsenic Johnson and dummy fractional Wayde Egan ran riot.

Johnson and Egan had their fingerprints connected everything, arsenic the Warriors ripped disconnected 4 tries successful a staggering 11-minute onslaught to spell into the sheds with a 22-6 lead.

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"That play aft the 20-minute mark, it truly enactment the blowtorch connected Cronulla," Ennis said.

"That was wherever Egan and Johnson did their damage, peculiarly attacking Cronulla's left-hand side."

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Sharks manager Craig Fitzgibbon's half-time speech proved to beryllium inspired initially arsenic Cronulla came retired of the gates looking the much assertive side.

Cronulla went adjacent doubly arsenic Thomas Hazelton was denied a effort aft a Bunker review, earlier Ronaldo Mulitalo was denied successful the country aft a superb try-saving effort from Johnson.

Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad of the Warriors celebrates his effort against the Sharks (Dave Rowland via Getty Images)

However, the Warriors showed their mettle nether caller manager Andrew Webster, holding dependable nether the Sharks unit earlier responding with 4 tries successful the 2nd half.

While the Warriors were impressive, the effect was different deed against the Sharks, who person struggled against top-eight opponents each play long.

"The quality betwixt these 2 sides, the shot the Warriors play and the resilience they have, you can't adjacent comparison it to the Sharks," Alexander said.

"The Sharks person got a hellhole of a agelong mode to spell earlier they're going to occupation immoderate apical 8 sides, which has been their contented successful the past 24 months."

The triumph lifted the Warriors into the apical four, 1 spot up of the Sharks. The Warriors volition enactment astatine location adjacent week erstwhile they big the Raiders, portion the Sharks volition big the Sea Eagles.

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