On the road for the second week in a row, this Friday the Sydney Roosters will travel to the Sutherland Shire to face the Cronulla Sharks for the 100th time in the history of the NRL.
Recent History: Sydney Roosters vs Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
The Roosters will be aiming to extend their unbeaten run against the Sharks to eight-straight wins, having not dropped a game to the Sutherland-based side since July of 2017.
Last time the Roosters and Sharks went head-to-head was at the same venue, PointsBet Stadium, the Tricolours cruised to a 20-point win courtesy of a Daniel Tupou double and a dominant performance by captain James Tedesco, that saw the fullback set up two tries and claim one of his own.
In the past 99 NRL matches between the two Clubs dating back to 1967, the Roosters have claimed a total of 63 wins, drawing with the Sharks on two occasions.
This week, Easts will be looking to bounce back from their Round 6 defeat, as will Cronulla, who gave up a significant lead to the New Zealand Warriors in Round 5, losing the game in the final minute of the match before heading into a bye over the Easter long weekend.
How They Line Up
Trent Robinson has made minor changes to his line-up for Round 7, with skipper James Tedesco and Matt Lodge both named to make their return.
Tedesco’s inclusion sees Joseph Manu resume his role in the centres, with Drew Hutchison shifting to the interchange bench. Naufahu Whyte replaces Fletcher Baker on the interchange, with the addition of Lodge bumping Jake Turpin out of the starting 17.
The rest of the team remains unchanged, as Daniel Tupou and Jaxson Paulo remain on the wings while Manu and Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii will be the centre pairing.
Luke Keary and Sam Walker make up the halves combination, as Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Brandon Smith and Lindsay Collins complete the front row. Egan and Nat Butcher will wear the no.11 and no.12 jerseys respectively, while Victor Radley rounds out the starting line-up at Lock.
The Roosters’ interchange features Hutchison, Whyte, Terrell May and Lodge. Corey Allan, Siua Wong, Paul Momirovski, Jake Turpin and Elie El-Zakhem have been named on the extended bench.
Match: Sharks v Roosters
Round 7 -
home Team
Sharks
away Team
Roosters
Team Lists
Backs
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Fullback for Sharks is number 1 William KennedyFullback for Roosters is number 1 James Tedesco
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Winger for Sharks is number 2 Sione KatoaWinger for Roosters is number 2 Daniel Tupou
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Centre for Sharks is number 3 Jesse RamienCentre for Roosters is number 3 Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii
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Centre for Sharks is number 4 Siosifa TalakaiCentre for Roosters is number 4 Joseph Manu
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Winger for Sharks is number 5 Ronaldo MulitaloWinger for Roosters is number 5 Jaxson Paulo
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Five-Eighth for Sharks is number 6 Matt MoylanFive-Eighth for Roosters is number 6 Luke Keary
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Halfback for Sharks is number 7 Nicholas HynesHalfback for Roosters is number 7 Sam Walker
Forwards
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Prop for Sharks is number 10 Braden Hamlin-UeleProp for Roosters is number 8 Jared Waerea-Hargreaves
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Hooker for Sharks is number 9 Blayke BraileyHooker for Roosters is number 9 Brandon Smith
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Prop for Sharks is number 16 Oregon KaufusiProp for Roosters is number 10 Lindsay Collins
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2nd Row for Sharks is number 11 Briton Nikora2nd Row for Roosters is number 11 Egan Butcher
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2nd Row for Sharks is number 12 Teig Wilton2nd Row for Roosters is number 12 Nat Butcher
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Lock for Sharks is number 13 Cameron McInnesLock for Roosters is number 13 Victor Radley
Interchange
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Interchange for Sharks is number 8 Royce HuntInterchange for Roosters is number 14 Drew Hutchison
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Interchange for Sharks is number 14 Wade GrahamInterchange for Roosters is number 15 Naufahu Whyte
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Interchange for Sharks is number 15 Jack WilliamsInterchange for Roosters is number 16 Terrell May
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Interchange for Sharks is number 17 Thomas HazeltonInterchange for Roosters is number 17 Matthew Lodge
Reserves
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Replacement for Sharks is number 18 Braydon TrindallReplacement for Roosters is number 18 Corey Allan
Match Officials
- Referee: Grant Atkins
- Touch Judge: Ziggy Przeklasa-Adamski
- Touch Judge: Kasey Badger
- Senior Review Official: Chris Butler
Last updated:
Sharks head coach Craig Fitzgibbon welcomes back Wade Graham, who returns from suspension, and Oregon Kaufusi who has recovered from a concussion. Both forwards have been named to come off the interchange bench as Fitzgibbon prepares to face his previous club for the second time.
Key Match Up: Jaxson Paulo vs Ronaldo Mulitalo
Two high-flying wingers go toe-to-toe on the sidelines this week, when Jaxson Paulo faces Ronaldo Mulitalo in what is set to be a hard-fought battle.
Both born in late 1999, Paulo and Mulitalo grew up in New Zealand before moving to Queensland to pursue rugby league careers. They have both represented their heritage on the international stage while also performing consistently well for their Clubs.
In 2023, the wingers have both scored six tries in five games, igniting the sidelines with their playmaking abilities.
A Samoan International, Paulo has accumulated an average total of 143 run metres per match this year, making six-line breaks and recording one try assist and the 23-year-old will look to continue his impressive run of form into the upcoming game against the Sharks.
His counterpart, New Zealand International, Mulitalo has been a showpiece for his team in recent years, displaying incredible tenacity in attack to find the try line a total of 50 times in his one-club career.
This season, the Cronulla winger has averaged 122 run metres per game, making seven line-breaks and assisting with two tries.
With plenty of talent on either side of the field, be sure to keep an eye on Paulo and Mulitalo’s war on the edge.
What They Said
"They’ve played a certain style the last two years, which has been pretty clear to see and I expect no different from them. We’re looking forward to going down there to Shark Park and getting into a really good tussle." - Trent Robinson
Robinson: 'We're Clear On How We Want To Play'
Final Verdict
While history has favoured the Roosters, our opponents this week will rested and ready to test us. The Tricolours will be hungry to bounce back with a win as they take on the Sharks for the first and only time this season.
You can purchase your tickets for Friday’s game here. If you can’t make it to Shark Park, be sure to attend Easts Bondi Junction where you can watch the game live from Artie’s Bar while enjoying a match day meal.
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