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As it happened: Sharks miss last-second field goal as Warriors prevail against Shaun Johnson's Sharks

July 19, 2019

Relive the Warriors' thrilling one-point over the Cronulla Sharks in Wellington with 1 NEWS Now’s live coverage of the NRL clash.

Warriors 19 – 18 Sharks

Fulltime - Famous last words with Woods stripping the ball but Townsend misses a last-second field goal. Warriors win! What a finish.

78 mins - The Sharks knock on, on tackle 4 in field goal range. The probably won't get the ball back either.

77 mins - Hiku does brilliantly well to tidy up a kick from Cronulla. A little over two minutes left.

76 mins - Green finds touch 5m out from Cronulla's line leaving the 12-man Sharks side with it all to do.

74 mins - The Warriors will get another chance at a field goal this set. A tackle left and Green kicks it! After last week that feels particularly sweet.

72 mins - Roger busts through and Nikorima follows up his captain's run. The Warriors will get a shot a field goal this set if they want it. CHT takes a shocking field goal that doesn't go dead but because he was the only one chasing, Moylan gets back into the field of play.

71 mins - Ah Mau with some sensational hands but Hiku knocks on, on the last and there was an opportunity to score there. CHT set the initial movement up with some nice work out of dummy half.

70 mins - The Warriors with some huge defence but Johnson does well with a long kick.

67 mins - The Warriors get a penalty and Fifita is fired up and in the middle of the push and shove. The penalty was for a late shot on Green, it wasn't on Green, excuse me. It was on Burr who was backing up on the inside in support. Fifita is off for 10 for that. The Warriors will level it up with a penalty...which CHT kicks. 18-18!

66 mins - Papali'i is down with a leg injury, he'll go off and then come back on, according to referee Perenara. Don't ask, anyway the Warriors have the ball after a Johnson knock-on.

65 mins -  Harris-Tavita is on at hooker by the way as Green kicks but Moylan defuses the bomb.

64 mins - Roger makes a half break and then Nikorima takes on the line with the next play and scores! He's stayed down after scoring, it looks like an ankle.

Injury aside, the Warriors little men being direct and taking on the Sharks forwards with speed and footwork proves effective. CHT to take the conversion...and he makes no mistake. Nikorima is getting strapped up and looks like he'll stay on.

60 mins -  Harris-Tavita is stalking down the sideline waiting to get the clearance to join the action. Lisone with a big hit on Moylan forces the mistake but they've ruled that the Warriors prop knocked on. Another interesting call, shall we say. There was some fisticuffs in the background as Beale streaked away down the right-hand touchline. 

58 mins - Cronulla committ the cardinal sin of turning the ball over after a try as Nikora knocks on. Luke returns the favour by knocking on at the base of the scrum. Horrible.

57 mins - In saying that the last pass from Nikora was definitely forward. Johnson...with a super conversion from the right-hand touchline.

56 mins - Feki looks to have scored! They'll go upstairs to see if he went out. The decision on the field is no try but he looks to have scored. He might have lost it, it's a real 50/50 though as always with these decisions. It's a try! Feki did brilliantly to stay in and get the ball down.

55 mins - A great set for the Warriors and Nikorima kicks to Feki but that's undone when the Warriors concede a penalty a tackle or two later. The rain is really coming down now and those conditions are dictating the game.

51 mins - Yet another repeat set for the Warriors with Roger showing off his kicking game by stabbing the ball into the in-goal. Sharks go long this time then they concede a penalty. Will the Warriors go for two? They will...and Luke knocks it over. Two-point ball game...

49 mins - After that whinge from yours truly, Green finds the turf with a good kick and the Warriors force a drop-out, which is short again but this time the Warriors manage to maintain possession.

47 mins - Another Warriors' set ends without a kick and then they compound that by conceding a penalty. You can only shake your head really with some of the last tackle options from the Warriors.

46 mins - The Warriors are awarded another penalty, the count is now 6-2 to the home side.

45 mins -  Hamlin-Uele shows some beautiful hands to pick up a Green grubber off his shoelaces. Super skill from a big man.

43 mins - The Warriors go so close! Luke tried to duck in on the last but was pulled up so he flung the ball back to Burr who went within centimetres with a nice hit and spin. Still, it all amounts to nothing on the scoreboard.

41 mins - We're back and the Warriors have got through their set without an error but the Sharks have made an error in their first set. Another chance for the Warriors.

Halftime - Johnson gets charged down and the Warriors get the ball, another massive chance for the Warriors. 10 secs left but they only manage to spill the ball and Capewell threatened to go the length of the field before the Warriors managed to reel him in.

Well, despite enjoying a mountain of possession, 58 per cent, and territory the Warriors trail at the break. Though admittedly one of the Sharks' tries was controversial to say the least. Anyway, we'll be back in just over 10 minutes.

38 mins - No kick on the last after Nikorima shifted the ball to Hiku. Another head scratcher that move, putting it politely.

37 mins - Moylan does brilliantly to get out of his in-goal after a nice kick from Green.

34 mins - Luke puts in a nice kick to earn the Warriors a repeat set. They've had 60 per cent possession but they won't get the ball this time after the Sharks go short with the drop-out and Beale knocks it on.

32 mins - Johnson can't thread a kick through the Warriors' defensive line. The ball goes out of play and because the Warriors didn't play at it, they'll get possession inside the Sharks' half.

30 mins - A penalty this time to the Warriors, they've been camped down this end for a while now and must make it count for something...but they knock it on.

28 mins - The Warriors will get another go after Cronulla knocked on trying to catch the kick. It was a pretty average set it must be said.

27 mins - A Blair pass was knocked down by a Shark giving the Warriors another set and a big chance in good field possession.

25 mins - Burr is on the field and earns a penalty with one of his first hit ups.

24 mins - Luke knocks over the conversion. He played a key role in that try with some nice footwork out of dummy half.

23 mins - Blake Green, what a try! Where did that speed come from? The halfback came onto a nice short pass from Luke and went around Moylan like he wasn't there. Incredible.

21 mins - Johnson with a poor kick this time, straight into the bread basket of Luke.

18 mins - A poor kick from Green, it was far too short, allows the Cronulla to regain possession 20m out from their line. There's a farcical knock on from Fifita after he run over Papali'i, who had been called offside. Blair then stripped the Tongan prop of the ball. 

16 mins - Gallen does very well to trap the ball football style and then dive on it after Nikorima put in a grubber looking for a repeat set.

13 mins - There would also have been some doubt about whether Xerri's initial knock up was against the rules. regardless, Johnson has converted.

12 mins - Cronulla have scored an unbelievable try! The ref has given it, it featured a volleyball style assist after Xerri couldn't control an offload from Moylan. Some doubt about whether Xerri's palm on to Townsend was forward. 

10 mins - Johnson converts as the small Wellington crowd booed, interestingly.

8 mins - Johnson with the try assist! A nice little short ball from the former Warrior and Nikora goes over virtually untouched. They've struck up quite the combination those two.

6 mins - Green's grubber is too heavy and Johnson fires a ball after the 20m restart. Feki does well to take it. Cronulla get the penalty now...

5 mins - The Warriors get another penalty in the next set.

4 mins - Woods turns the ball over and then the Warriors get a penalty, they're going to take the two...and we're still waiting on a tee for Luke to take the kick. We got there eventually and he makes no mistake.

2 mins - Both sides getting through their first sets, Nikorima with a nice kick to finish the set for the home side.

1 mins - The Warriors kick off and Gallen takes the first hit up, followed by Fifita.

7:58pm - There's been another blow for the Warriors with debutant Adam Pompey replacing David Fusitu'a which means both first choice wingers are out. Plenty of work to be made up in the absence of those two.

7:55pm - We're minutes away from a kick off on a wet old night in the capital.

Preview: Shaun Johnson finally gets a crack at his old club and teammates in a clash with huge finals implications for both clubs.

A win for the 12 th -placed Warriors would see them leapfrog the Sharks into ninth, a point outside the top eight.

The Sharks, who have lost their last four matches, are boosted by the returns of Paul Gallen and Matt Moylan.

Ken Maumalo has been ruled out with concussion in a big blow for the Warriors, with Blake Ayshford replacing him.

Cronulla has won the last four meetings between the clubs.

Teams:

WARRIORS: Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (c), Adam Pompey, Peta Hiku, Gerard Beale, Blake Ayshford, Kodi Nikorima, Blake Green, Agnastius Paasi, Issac Luke, Leeson Ah Mau, Adam Blair, Isaiah Papali'i, Jazz Tevaga. Interchange: Lachlan Burr, Sam Lisone, Bunty Afoa, Chanel Harris-Tavita.

SHARKS: Matt Moylan, Sosaia Feki, Bronson Xerri, Kurt Capewell, Ronaldo Mulitalo, Shaun Johnson, Chad Townsend, Andrew Fifita, Jayden Brailey, Aaron Woods, Briton Nikora, Scott Sorensen, Paul Gallen (c). Interchange: Blayke Brailey, Jack Williams, Braden Hamlin-Uele, Matt Prior.

Referees: Henry Perenara, Phil Henderson.

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