The Sharks have kept their top four hopes alive with a thumping 40-16 win of the Knights, but it might have come at a cost, with five-eighth Braydon Trindall leaving the game with an ankle injury.

Trindall suffered the injury early in the second half, gingerly walking off the field in the 51st minute, after trying to play on for several minutes.

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MATCH CENTRE: Sharks vs Knights live score

“That’s a problem for them,” Andrew Voss said.

“The fact that he did stay out there, suggests it isn’t serious,” Fox League’s Greg Alexander said.

“We could have kept him playing,” Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon said.

“He wanted to keep playing . . . so I don’t think it’s too bad.

“But we felt like, with what’s ahead, (it was better to take him off).

“We’ll obviously clear up what it is.

“It’s a lateral sprain by the looks of it, but we won’t know until we get an MRI.”

The win moves Cronulla to fifth, leapfrogging the Warriors. It also means they are guaranteed of a top six finish and a home final in either week one or two of the finals.

Sharks winger Ronaldo Mulitalo was exceptional, scoring a hat-trick and almost crossing for a fourth late in the game.

An epic one-handed Greg Marzhew try was the lone highlight for the Knights as they jumped out to a shock 10-0 lead.

Marzhew scored the second of those tries, leaping over Sione Katoa and turning his body to stay in touch, all the while grounding the ball with one hand.

However, the Sharks scored three tries in the final 15 minutes of the first half to go into the sheds with a 18-10 lead.

BIG HITS

Sharks’ Booming Bench

While Mulitalo, Trindall, and Kennedy were standouts for the Sharkies, the club’s interchange forwards were also impressive. Sifa Talakai came from the bench to score a vital try in the 39th minute, while replacement prop Thomas Hazleton racked up 136 metres and put a dent in the Knights’ line almost every time he ran the ball.

Knights Blow Strong Start

Newcastle have been notorious slow starters in 2025 – but it wasn’t the case on Sunday as tries to Fletcher Hunt and Greg Marzhew had them ahead 10-0 after 16 minutes. In fact, for the opening 20 minutes, Newcastle had been by far the better side, completely outplaying the seemingly stagestruck Sharks. However, once Addin Fonua-Blake grabbed the home side’s first try in the 25th minute, the Knights withdrew into their shell (or is that armour?). Their lone second-half try to Elijah Salesa-Leaumoana would come when the game was far out of reach.

– with Steven Russo (Newswire)

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