The junior Sharks were off the pace against the Bulldogs on Saturday and paid the price, suffering heavy Round 6 defeats in their Harold Matthews and SG Ball Cup clashes at Terry Lamb Complex.
Both Cronulla teams came into their games in strong form but performed well below their best, with the Matts going down 48-12 and Ball falling 50-18.
In the under-17 fixture, Canterbury raced to a 30-0 lead at halftime. The Sharks put up a stronger fight in the second term but the damage was done.
"We could sit there and whinge about the bounce of the ball and referee's calls and things like that, but we did it to ourselves with a lot of errors as well. Put ourselves under a lot of pressure," Harold Matthews coach Brad Kelly said.
"They're a good team and when they get those sort of opportunities they make you pay ... We've just got to re-set, learn from it for next game and move on."
Meanwhile, the under-19 Sharks went into the break locked with the Bulldogs at 14-all before conceding six tries in the second half.
"That's what happens when you don't play well," SG Ball coach Dave Howlett said.
"The opposition is a good team as it was, but we just put them under no pressure at all and we were disappointing. Onwards and upwards."
Cronulla's Lisa Fiaola and Tarsha Gale teams had a bye on the weekend.
The women will join the SG Ball boys in facing the Panthers at St Marys Leagues Stadium in Round 7, with the Harold Matthews side having the week off.
***
Round 6 Results
Lisa Fiaola Cup - Sharks BYE
Tarsha Gale Cup Cup - Sharks BYE
Harold Matthews Cup - Sharks 12 lost to Bulldogs 48 SG Ball Cup - Sharks 18 lost to Bulldogs 50
***
See links below to photo galleries from the Round 6 Sharks games against the Bulldogs on Saturday, 9th March 2024 thanks to Cronulla JRL Photographer - Adam Wrightson.
Remember to follow the Cronulla JRL website and social media channels for all the action and excitement from the 2024 NSWRL junior representative season.
Harold Matthews Cup - Round 6 - Sharks vs Bulldogs
View the full gallery of photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/r1yZFWbjNUc8vffq7
SG Ball Cup - Round 6 - Sharks vs Bulldogs
View the full gallery of photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/WTkcvcEV57AAR8fMA