Cronulla Sharks vs North Queensland Cowboys Verdict
Neither side brings any momentum or form into this sudden-death finals clash. The Sharks have lost four of their last five and the Cowboys have a 3-4 record in their last seven games.
Over 47.5 total points is the main play - these two sides combined for 62 points in a finals game back in 2022, while a whopping 80 points were scored when they met earlier this season in Round 8 - and another open game at Allianz could be in prospect here.
- Sharks & Cowboys saw 80 points when they played in R8 earlier this season
- Cowboys concede an average of 27.1 points per game this season
- Cowboys have conceded 50, 32, 82, 36, 38 & 40 points in their last six defeats
- Sharks have scored the third-most points this season for an average of 28 per game
- Ronaldo Mulitalo has scored 1+ try in his last seven appearances vs Cowboys
- Heilum Luki has scored 11 tries from 24 games this season, including four in his last six & in R8 vs Sharks
Head To Head
Cronulla have been dominant in this matchup, winning 14 of the last 17 meetings - but it was the Cowboys who won a shootout earlier this year in Townsville, while North Queensland have also won two of the last three finals matches between the sides in Sydney.
Cronulla Sharks Form
Cronulla won nine of their 10 games from Round 11 to Round 22 and appeared to be carrying strong momentum into the finals.
With 11 defeats from their last 15 finals games, the Sharks are under huge pressure to avoid another swift September exit.
However, that form has fallen off a cliff over the last month or so, costing the Sharks a top four spot and now they're in real danger of crashing out of the finals at the first time of asking.
It was such a huge opportunity for Cronulla, with their final five games coming against sides that ultimately missed out on the finals. But they couldn't seize their advantage, losing to the likes of the Dragons, Raiders, Eels and Storm.
With 11 defeats from their last 15 finals games, the Sharks are under huge pressure to avoid another swift September exit.
North Queensland Cowboys Form
It's been another wildly inconsistent season for the Cowboys, but this time they've fallen on the right side of the eight and will get the chance to see if they can make an impact in the finals.
North Queensland have proven they can beat anyone in the NRL, most notably toppling Penrith in Round 17.
But the problem is they can also lose to anyone and their defence is simply not up to scratch - conceding 50 points to the Raiders at home last week is another testament to that.
But hey, if you score more points than your opponent you win - that's what the Cowboys did against the Sharks in Round 8 for a 46-34 victory and they will be looking to turn this game into another shooutout.
Sharks vs Cowboys Team News
Massive in for the Sharks as Braydon Trindall returns from injury.
Nicho Hynes, Blayke Brailey, KL Iro and Teig Wilton are also back after being rested last week.
Griffin Neame (toe), back-rower Jeremiah Nanai (knee) and winger Zac Laybutt (concussion) are all back for the Cowboys, while Reuben Cotter avoided suspension and is free to start in the forwards.