THE Shellharbour Sharks are the first side into the 2018 Group Seven grand final after they smashed the Kiama Knights 46-14 at Ron Costello Oval on Sunday.
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Before the first whistle, there was a minute silence before the game for Shellharbour Sharks life member Noel Hockey.
Once play did start, it opened at a frantic pace.
The Knights open the day’s scoring in the second minute, after a Jack Kavanagh knock on, when Luke Sutton barged over from close range.
Cameron Vazzoler converted for 6-nil.
The visitors lead was short lived, as the hosts then went on a rampage.
Harold Snell charged onto a short ball from Sam Clune, to score to the left of the sticks, before skipper Matt Carroll added the extras for 6-all after five minutes.
After holding the Knights out from their own line, the Sharks scored their second try, again involving Clune.
This time the five-eighth sliced through the line, attracted Tom Atkins and sent his fullback Tam Ulukita over under the posts.
Carroll converted for 12-6.
The hosts made it three straight just moments later when Carroll dived over, after an Atkins error on his own line the play before.
He converted his own try, as the Sharks led 18-6 after 20 minutes.
The Sharks continued their scoring spree four minutes later, when Kavanagh powered over.
Carroll landed his fourth conversion of the afternoon and the lead was 18.
The scoring dried up after that 18 minute onslaught, as the hosts led 24-6 at the break.
Following the interval, the Sharks extended their lead, when forward Max Wolfson spotted a hole and ran straight to the line to score.
Carroll landed another conversion, as the score moved to 30-6.
After conceding 30 unanswered points, the Knights finally had their second in the 58th minute when half Vazzoler dived over to score.
He couldn’t convert his own try, as the score was 30-10.
After catching an intercept two plays before, Kiama winger Jay Delaney was then sin-binned for unnecessary contact in the ruck.
The hosts took full advantage of the extra man, when Wayde Aitken charged onto a ball and reached over to score with 16 to play.
Carroll continued his perfect day with the boot, as he made it 36-10.
The Sharks were then reduced to 12 players too, when Kaine Edwards was caught offside, after a quick tap by James Brown.
Following a break down the right side by Abe Atallah, the Sharks scored again through prop Matt Coltman.
Carroll again nailed his conversion, to make it 42-10 with eight to play.
The Knights then scored their third, when Ethan Ford put Delaney over, with a couple of minutes to play before Brooker acrobatically scored in the last play of the game – as the score finished 46-14.
In the win, the Sharks were led by Clune, Snell, Ezi Harper and Kavanagh, while Daniel Martin, Kieran Poole, Atkins and Luke Sutton did all they could for the Knights.