NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS 18 CRONULLA SHARKS 24
CALLUM WALKER, Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Saturday

CRONULLA just about edged North Queensland to make it to the next round of the NRLW finals.

It was nip-and-tuck throughout with both sides responding to each other’s ripostes, but the Sharks were fully worth their victory.

And it was the visitors that struck first when Cassie Staples dotted down on four minutes, but Fran Goldthorp responded almost immediately for the Cowboys to level proceedings.

Ellie Johnston forced her way over in true Ellie Johnston fashion after Makenzie Weale had taken the lead for North Queensland, and it was Cronulla that led at half-time courtesy of an Anne-Marie Kiria-Ratu effort on the half-hour.

Both sides traded big hits and errors inside the opening quarter of the second-half, but it was the Sharks that struck the killer blow on the hour with the ever-impressive Georgia Hannaway grabbing a deserved four-pointer.

Hannaway herself continued to convert with aplomb to make it 24-12, but the Cowboys did manage to have the final word through Bree Chester.

COWBOYS: 1 Jakiya Whitfeld, 2 Krystal Blackwell, 3 Abigail Roache, 4 Jasmine Peters, 5 Fran Goldthorp, 6 Kirra Dibb (C), 7 Tahlulah Tillett, 8 Lillian Yarrow, 9 Emma Manzelmann, 10 Makenzie Weale, 11 Tallisha Harden, 17 Essay Banu, 13 Bree Chester. Subs (all used): 12 China Polata, 14 Alisha Foord, 15 Lily Peacock, 16 Tiana Raftstrand-Smith

Tries: Goldthorp (8), Weale (11), Chester (70); Goals: Dibb 3/3

SHARKS: 1 Jada Taylor, 2 Cassie Staples, 3 Tiana Penitani Gray (C), 4 Grace-Lee Weekes, 5 Georgia Ravics, 6 Emma Verran, 7 Chantay Kiria-Ratu, 8 Ellie Johnston, 9 Georgia Hannaway, 10 Manilita Takapautolo, 11 Talei Holmes, 12 Jaydika Tafua, 13 Brooke Anderson. Subs (all used): 14 Tyla King, 15 Rhiannon Byers, 16 Stephanie Faulkner, 17 Anne-Marie Kiria-Ratu

Tries: Staples (4), Johnston (20), Anne-Marie Kiria-Ratu (32), Hannaway (61); Goals: Hannaway 4/5

SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-6, 6-6, 12-6, 12-12, 12-18; 12-24, 18-24

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Player of the Match
Knights: Bree Chester; Titans: Georgia Hannaway

Penalty count: 9-8; Half-time: 12-18; Referee: Kasey Badger; Attendance: