Cronulla ended their finals hoodoo with a gritty 20-10 win over the Sydney Roosters, eliminating their rivals from the NRL playoffs in front of a raucous home crowd.
Ronaldo Mulitalo’s two first-half tries set the tone, while prop Toby Rudolf delivered the decisive blow late in the match.
The Sharks’ defence smothered the Roosters, who coughed up costly errors despite flashes of brilliance from Sam Walker and winger Mark Nawaqanitawase.
The result sees Craig Fitzgibbon’s men advance to week two of the finals, while the Roosters face an uncertain off-season after a rollercoaster campaign.
