Manly’s hopes of a fairytale NRL finals berth are on life support after an insipid 48-12 loss to Cronulla, who appear genuine premiership contenders.
The Sea Eagles suffered their worst defeat of the Kieran Foran era as Sharks halves Nicho Hynes and Braydon Trindall lit up Brookvale Oval.
The 10th-placed Sea Eagles (9-10) have a losing record for the first time since round six and must win at least four of their last five regular-season games to play finals.
They are four competition points out of the top eight and face top-eight sides Newcastle, the Dolphins and Warriors on the run home.
It’s been quite the fall from grace for the Sea Eagles, who rose from the doldrums and won eight of 10 games immediately after Foran replaced Anthony Seibold.
Manly have since lost five of six, and for the first time since club legend Foran became coach in March, they were never in the contest on Sunday.
The Sea Eagles’ playmakers gave away four seven-tackle sets with poor kicks.
Reuben Garrick sprayed the kick-off out on the full after the Sharks’ fourth try and put the visitors in place for Sione Katoa to score their fifth only minutes before the half.
Tom Trbojevic’s replacement Lehi Hopoate had an afternoon to forget at fullback, notably spilling a regulation Hynes kick directly ahead of the Sharks’ third try.
The fourth-placed Sharks have won eight from their last nine games and look ready to take the leap from good to great in Craig Fitzgibbon’s fifth season as coach.
So long a lightning rod for criticism, halfback Hynes is playing as well as he has since winning the Dally M Medal in 2022.
He embarrassed the Manly middle barging over for the Sharks’ fourth try and sent a bullet-like pass for Ronaldo Mulitalo’s second try just after the break.
Hynes dummied through rookie five-eighth Joey Walsh, who had a difficult day, and then passed inside for Sifa Talakai to score in the second half.
He also kicked a career-best 26th consecutive goal and finished the afternoon with three line breaks.
Trindall’s suspect ball to Teig Wilton gave Cronulla their opening try, before the five-eighth floated a lovely cut-out pass for Mulitalo’s first.
He kicked past Hopoate for KL Iro to cross with 15 minutes to play.
Just before halftime, the Sea Eagles lost second-rower Ben Trbojevic to his second game-ending head knock in as many appearances.
Earlier, the makings were all there for another devastating Gold Coast loss, but coach Josh Hannay has credited the Titans’ ongoing evolution for their slashing 38-18 win over St George Illawarra.
With the Dragons celebrating co-captain Clint Gutherson’s 250th NRL game on Sunday afternoon, the permanent signing of coach Dean Young and Old Boys’ Day to boot, the visitors had to overcome an early deficit to secure consecutive wins for the first time in the Hannay era.
Gold Coast’s 20-point win allowed them to leapfrog three other clubs, and out of the competition’s bottom four for the first time since their round-eight bye, and all but confirmed the Dragons’ maiden wooden spoon.
“When you’re coming into an environment like this, it felt like we were walking into a trap with them having so much to play for, so I just loved how we went about it,” Hannay said.
“We have had some tight losses and haven’t had a lot of reward at different times. There have been a few instances where we have had a level game at halftime and we’d flinch in the second half. I feel like this group, little by little, are growing.
“We’re fully aware of where we’re at, the journey we’re on and that there’s going to be some hard lessons. They have had to learn a lot on the run these guys and they’re growing exponentially.”
AAP
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Sun 26 Jul 2026 at 6:58pm
Signing off
That’ll do it from me, thanks for stopping by today.
Be sure to tune in again next week and for every game until the end of the NRL season, we’ll be blogging them all.
Take it easy!
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Sun 26 Jul 2026 at 6:55pm
Sharks press conference: “I’m still trying to find something to sook about.”
Cronulla coach Craig Fitzgibbon is speaking now.
“I’m a good sook, so I’m still trying to find something to sook about,” Fitzgibbon said.
We represented the Sharks well. I felt like the players are invested pretty heavily at the moment.
“We start every game confident. But there’s confidence and there’s doing the simple and the hard things we value.
“We haven’t lost our way. We did the simple things and the hard things.”
He wraps Nicho Hynes, who had such a big game today and makes a point of singling out Brayden Trindall as well.
“We don’t care who stands out between him and Tricky, as long as they play today,” Fitzgibbon said.
Says the team doesn’t care if anyone thinks they’re a genuine premiership threat or not.
“We don’t believe in anyone believing in us.”
Sun 26 Jul 2026 at 6:42pm
Manly press conference: “Horribly wrong”
Manly coach Kieran Foran is speaking now.
“We missed the mark today. I didn’t expect that sort of performance from us. We saw it as a great opportunity,” Foran said.
“We saw it as an opportunity to get our season back on track and we didn’t fire a shot.
“I know our guys didn’t go out there wanting to put on that sort of performance. They had every intention of going out there and fighting their way to a victory.
“But it just went wrong for us. Horribly wrong. We’re clearly low on confidence and that’ affecting our flow with the footy and our decision-making defensively.”
Says the bye has come at a good time because the team needs a reset but Foran remains defiant.
“I’ll say one thing – we’re not done with yet.”
Sun 26 Jul 2026 at 5:59pm
Fulltime: Sharks 48 def Sea Eagles 12
That’ll do us. Cronulla took the foot off the gas to finish with but geez, they earned it.
A brilliant performance from the Sharks while Manly’s finals hopes now look very shaky indeed.
Sun 26 Jul 2026 at 5:50pm
74′ Walsh gets a consolation score for Manly
The game is well gone but Walsh shows a bit of his considerable talent with a nice solo try from close range as he dances through a couple of defenders to score.
Fogarty converts and it’s 48-12.
Sun 26 Jul 2026 at 5:45pm
Match report: Titans condemn Dragons to wooden sppon
The makings were all there for another devastating Gold Coast loss, but coach Josh Hannay has credited the Titans’ ongoing evolution for their slashing 38-18 win over St George Illawarra.
With the Dragons celebrating co-captain Clint Gutherson’s 250th NRL game on Sunday afternoon, the permanent signing of coach Dean Young and Old Boys’ Day to boot, the visitors had to overcome an early deficit to secure consecutive wins for the first time in the Hannay era.
Gold Coast’s 20-point win allowed them to leapfrog three other clubs, and out of the competition’s bottom four for the first time since their round-eight bye, and all but confirmed the Dragons’ maiden wooden spoon.
“When you’re coming into an environment like this, it felt like we were walking into a trap with them having so much to play for, so I just loved how we went about it,” Hannay said.
“We have had some tight losses and haven’t had a lot of reward at different times. There have been a few instances where we have had a level game at halftime and we’d flinch in the second half. I feel like this group, little by little, are growing.
“We’re fully aware of where we’re at, the journey we’re on and that there’s going to be some hard lessons. They have had to learn a lot on the run these guys and they’re growing exponentially.”
A dazzling display from Jayden Campbell inspired the Gold Coast’s big win.
The five-eighth was chief orchestrator of the Titans’ slashing left edge attack, producing three try assists in a 15-minute first-half period before putting the game out of reach with a try of his own midway through the second half.
The move to No.6 continues to pay dividends for Campbell and the Titans, as his rookie halves partner Zane Harrison continues to prove he belongs in the top grade.
Harrison’s kicking game has allowed livewire Campbell to play his natural game in recent months, with his talents on full show at Kogarah.
“In a short amount of time, the combination they have built has been massive,” Gold Coast captain Tino Fa’asuamaleaui said.
“We have an experienced pack being told what to do by a young spine, including Keano (fullback Kini) and Olly (hooker Oliver Pascoe) up the middle, has been so good and refreshing.
“What Zane, and obviously JC (Campbell), have brought to this team and achieved by taking their opportunities with two hands is what we’re looking to do each week.”
Gold Coast responded to an early Tyrell Sloan try almost immediately when a 50-metre long-range play was capped off by Dragons-bound winger Phil Sami. An almost identical try followed four minutes later when Campbell laid one on for centre Jaylen De Groot.
De Groot’s second followed in the 26th minute when Campbell and the Titans made short work of the Dragons’ right edge defence yet again.
A Kyle Flangan four-pointer made it interesting for the Red V just before halftime, but two Campbell penalty goals and a try to Pascoe pushed Gold Coast further ahead after the break.
Campbell confirmed the result and a memorable performance by strolling over untouched midway through the second half.
AAP
Sun 26 Jul 2026 at 5:40pm
66′ Iro gets in on the action
More tries for the Sharks, this time through Iro after he gets there first to a Trindall grubber after Hopoate lets it linger in the in-goal too long.
Hynes, for 26 straight and 20 points on the day…..you don’t need me to tell you!
Sharks up 48-6.
Sun 26 Jul 2026 at 5:22pm
51′ Talakai gets over as Sharks get another
We are getting close to record territory now after Hynes slices through easily and has Talakai in support to score next to the posts.
Hynes converts, that’s 25 straight now, and the Sharks lead 42-6 with half an hour remaining.
Sun 26 Jul 2026 at 5:15pm
44′ Mulitalo gets his second
Cronulla pick up right where they left off, Hynes steps inside and rips a very nice cut out pass onto Mulitalo’s chest and he walks it in for his second try of the day.
The Sharks have been a class above all day, they are in sensational form.
Hynes…for 24 in a row….again from touch…..yes! Holy hell, he cannot miss!
Sharks lead 36-6.
Sun 26 Jul 2026 at 5:09pm
Second half underway
Manly kick it off with it all to do in the second half.
Sun 26 Jul 2026 at 4:52pm
Halftime: Sharks 30 lead Sea Eagles 6
Manly will be without Ben Trbojevic for good measure after he hit his head following a big collision with Talakai.
Sun 26 Jul 2026 at 4:51pm
39′ Sharks get another try
Manly put the kick off out on the full, deary me. Can Cronulla get one more before the break?
You bet they can – this time it’s Katoa who dots down after some really nice lead up play from Kennedy and Nikora, some good shape from the Sharks as they run in their fifth try of the first half.
Damn, what a smash up!
Hynes from touch to keep the streak alive…23 in a row! Sharks lead 30-6!
Sun 26 Jul 2026 at 4:46pm
35′ Hynes powers over from close range
Cronulla are playing way too fast for Manly at the moment and it’s easy work for Hynes to push his way through from close range.
Hard to see the grounding but the ref was right there.
He converts his own try and it’s 24-6, handy lead now for the Sharks.
Sun 26 Jul 2026 at 4:41pm
32′ AFB denied a try
Fonua-Blake tries to smash his way over and he’s claiming one but the referee doesn’t like it and sends it upstairs.
Yeah, he’s lost it – good save from Hopoate. Manly hang on.
Sun 26 Jul 2026 at 4:36pm
28′ Trindall creates another for the Sharks
Hopoate drops a clearing kick and the Sharks are into the red zone with ease.
Again it’s Trindall, he floats a magic pass over the top to Mulitalo who races it in to score.
Lovely stuff from the Sharks, they’re executing very well at the moment.
Hynes from the sideline…he cannot miss at the moment, he’s hit 21 kicks in a row! Sharks lead 18-6.
Sun 26 Jul 2026 at 4:31pm
23′ Manly pull one back
Fogarty pilots a kick across, Garrick gets hands to it and is well covered but he drops it out the back for Koula to fall on and score.
Nice hit back from Manly. Fogarty converts and it’s back to 12-6.
Sun 26 Jul 2026 at 4:23pm
17′ Sharkies score a stunner
Katoa taps back a Hynes bomb, Brailey scoops it up and finds Hynes, it ends up with Kaufusi and he throws a no-look pass out the back for Kennedy to score a beauty!
That’s a sensational try, great team play from the Sharks.
Hynes converts and it’s 12-0 Cronulla.
Sun 26 Jul 2026 at 4:21pm
15′ Manly can’t bite back
Nikora loses it on the exit set and Manly have a chance to reply.
Olakau’atu gets one on one with Iro but the centre does a good job to bring him down and force an error. Good strength.
Sun 26 Jul 2026 at 4:18pm
12′ Controversial try opens the scoring for Sharks
Mulitalo makes a clean break through the middle and he’s dragged down inside the 20. They spread left, Trindall double pumps and hits Wilton short and the backrower is over for the first try of the afternoon.
The Manly fans don’t like the pass….and I agree with them, Trindall was heading backwards when he threw it. An unlucky call against the home side.
Hynes nails the kick and it’s 6-0 Sharks.
Sun 26 Jul 2026 at 4:12pm
And we’re away at Manly
Sharks kick us off, running left to right.
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