Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs beat Cronulla Sutherland Sharks after Matt Burton field goal in golden point
Matt Burton nailed a golden point field goal to win the game. (Getty Images: Cameron Spencer)
Canterbury Bankstown has edged Cronulla 15-14 at the Olympic stadium as Matt Burton kicked a golden point field goal to move the Bulldogs to fifth on the ladder.
It was third-time lucky for Burton, the ball crashing into the right upright in golden point, just seconds after Nicho Hynes missed a sitter from just 20 metres out at the other end.
"It's a bit of a goldfish mindset, I think," Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo said of his five-eighth.
"He's just so brave. It's not easy to miss a couple and still go after it.
"He had a couple of shots, and they were very close, but he learned his lessons from them and he was able to nail that last one."
Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon though was disappointed after his side got themselves back into the game despite another poor start.
"That will sting," he said.
The Bulldogs had lead 12-0 in the first half, thanks to tries from Viliame Kikau and Reed Mahoney inside the opening 15 minutes, during which the Dogs had as much as 92 per cent possession.
However, the Dogs needed a 76th minute penalty from Burton to send the game to golden point after Briton Nikora, Sine Katoa and Braydon Trindall all crossed for the Sharks.
Viliame Kikau opened the scoring for the Bulldogs. (Getty Images: Cameron Spencer)
Hynes' wayward kicking from out wide kept the Bulldogs in the game though, and Burton, despite missing two booming attempts at two-point field goals in regular time, made no mistake from his third effort.
"He [Hynes] has got to dust himself off pretty quick and look forward to the next moment," Fitzgibbon said.
"It's a good opportunity to shape him really. It's gunna shape him.
"You have to ice your moments," Fitzgibbon said. "And we didn't."
The defeat was the Sharks' fourth in their last five matches as their concerning mid-season slump continues following the bye.
Pre-game, Sharks coach Fitzgibbons said his halfback had "nothing to prove" after his omission from New South Wales' State of Origin side for Game II.
But Hynes was below par all night, the missed field goal in golden point only one of several blemishes with the boot.
"That's part of the job and responsibility," Fitzgibbon said.
"He's accepting of it. I feel like the last couple of weeks, he's acknowledged it."
Skipper Cam McInnes said Hynes still had the support of the team.
"He's our guy. We're all behind him. We'll do great things with him leading us."
Cronulla remains in third spot on the NRL ladder, but upcoming games against the Titans in Coffs Harbour and Wests Tigers at Shark Park, before another bye, take on added importance if the Sharks are not to sink heading into finals.
Both teams had players placed on report Kikau and Toby Sexton for the Bulldogs, and Oregon Kaufusi for the Sharks — all for dangerous tackles.
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Live updates
Live updates: Bulldogs vs Sharks
Next few weeks will be 'big' for Hynes: Crichton
Stephen Crichton says he doesn't really know how to answer the question, but backs Hynes to come back.
"His next few weeks is probably going to be big for him," Crichton says.
"He's probably the guy who can bring himself out of that.
"There's no doubt he'll come back bigger and better."
Ciraldo hails Burton's 'goldfish mindset'
Cameron Ciraldo is speaking now.
"It was awesome.
"I thought we did a lot of good things tonight.
"I felt like we've lost a few of those this year so it was nice to get one."
Ciraldo said Matt Burton's ability to move on from mistakes is a special talent.
"It's a bit of a goldfish mindset, I think.
"He's just so brave. It's not easy to miss a couple and still go after it.
"We back him. He had a couple of shots, and they were very close, but he learned his lessons from them and he was able to nail that last one."
Stephen Crichton said Burton's kicking game was the difference.
"His kicking game was probably the difference today," he says.
"For it to come out on the big stage is awesome."
Matt Burton is pumped
Matt Burton spoke to ABC Radio after his match-winning effort.
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"It's all off the back of the hard work that the boys have been putting in," he says.
"There's nothing better.
"To get that, it feels good."
Nicho Hynes 'will sting' after a tough few weeks
Fitzgibbon says Nicho Hynes will be hurting after that blown field goal miss.
"Yeah, it is. That's part of the job and responsibility, your spine and playmakers...," he says.
"That will sting, he's got to dust himself off pretty quick and look forward to the next moment.
"It's a good opportunity to shape him really."
He says the errors are an opportunity for him.
"It's gunna shape him. You've got to go through it.
"He's accepting of it.
"I feel like the last couple of weeks, he's acknowledged it. It's gunna sting."
Skipper Cam McInnes said the Sharks are all behind him.
"He's our guy. We're all behind him. We'll do great things with him leading us."
Sharks 'hurt' by poor discipline
Craig Fitzgibbon is speaking now.
"They hurt those ones, when you, once again, missed a kick, [it's] frustrating.
"We spoke about our starts and worked on them, and missed it.
"We did the hardest parts of the game really well. Only three points against in the second half.
"You have to ice your moments and we didn't."
He says the Sharks will win more matches than they don't if they play like that.
"I thought the performances before the bye were average, I thought tonight was alright."
The biggest issue was discipline.
"Some of the discipline.
"I thought some were head scratchers, The six again's, there were some we deserved, others not.
"In those games, the moments add up and discipline cost us."
Press conferences coming up
We're just waiting to hear from the press conferences.
The coaches thoughts, as ever, will be fascinating.
I shall pass on your concerns
Thanks Simon, an exciting finish to a tight game. Sharks fans would have been concerned at the start when all three ABC Grandstand commentators picked Cronulla - that often doesn't end well :)
- Mike
Tough night for Hynes
I’d like to lodge a missing person report please Simon, Name: Nicho Hynes – last kicked a goal in the 23rd minute
- Mike
Missing two kicks off the tee - admittedly from out wide.
But that last kick was a shocker and he needed to get that.
Craig Fitzgibbon said on Thursday that Hynes has "nothing to prove" for his side, but he was not great there and he was not great two weeks ago either.
Pressure is part of the game. Hynes needs to pick himself up again.
BURTON WINS IT FOR THE BULLDOGS!
Matt Burton kicks it from 38 metres to get the ball through the upright!
It absolutely cannoned into the right upright - it's only the fact that Burton absolutely leathers the ball that it has enough on it to go through.
The Olympic stadium erupts in joy and the Bulldogs are all over each other! Terrific stuff.
83' HYNES MISSES FROM 20 METRES OUT!
Oh no! Nicho Hynes misses a field goal from dead in front!
It wa sa poor kick - a poor pass to the kicker - and it all went wrong.
The Dogs have a seven-tackle set.
82' Sam Hughes loses the ball!
The Bulldogs will review this - but it looked like there was one man in the tackle and Sam Hughes lost it.
They lose the review and it is the Sharks in great field position 35 metres out!
We're off to golden point!
The Bulldogs have won six of their last seven golden point matches.
These two teams have never met each other in golden point.
80' BURTON KICKS FROM 50 METRES!
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Burton kicks a field goal attempt from an enormous distance out - and misses by just a fraction to the right of the uprights.
It seemed a bit late and hurried by the Bulldogs in the end - but that was always the play with 15 seconds to go.
He had the distance by at least 10 metres - he could attempt something from 60 in golden point.
80' FIELD GOAL ATTEMPT SHARKS!
Oregon Kaufusi blocks a Bulldogs chaser as Brayden Trindall tries to kick a field goal - missing badly anyway.
But it's a penalty for the escort!
79' TWO POINT FIELD GOAL!
Matt Burton kicks a massive bomb from 40 metres out - but he misses the uprights!
Oh that was so close.
It shows how far he needs to be to get a shot off - something the Sharks have to account for.
78' THERE'S A STREAKER!
A disrupted set for the Sharks, helping the Bulldogs reset in the dying seconds of this match.
75' Penalty Bulldogs! We're level!
Bailey Hayward is forced to grubbed as the Bulldogs again thrust into the Sharks line with their two-up efforts.
But Toby Rudolf grabbed hold of him as he ran past and it's a penalty dead in front of the posts.
It's converted by Burton and we're level at 14-14!
71' Curran drops the ball!
Sexton does really well to get a kick away, Curran was there bobbling and juggling the ball until Kennedy hits him and the ball goes forward.
A wonderful defensive effort off the back of the penalty and another six-again call against the Sharks.
It's incredibly tense and the Olympic Stadium crowd are roaring the Dogs on.
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69' Oregon Kaufusi on report
A crusher tackle on Blake Wilson from Oregon Kaufusi is viewed on report.
Wilson looks to be in a bit of pain here - just struggling at the moment with that neck and he's getting treatment.
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