Cronulla Sharks Secure Dominant Victory, Eye Top-Two NRL Finals Spot

Wests Tigers looked like they had a chance to score the first try of the afternoon.

Halfback Adam Doueihi is running to the right, and sees an unmarked winger in Sunia Turuva.

But the pass to Turuva is over the head of the winger, and bounces into touch.

Turuva would have had a chance to run for the corner and score, but never had a hope with a pass over his head.

Wests Tigers centre Patrick Herbert has come as close as any human can to scoring without getting the try.

He makes a charging run, and is brought down by Parra fullback Isaiah Iongi.

But Herbert's ball-carrying arm remains off the ground, and he reaches out to score.

We are going to the Bunker, with the on-field call a NO TRY.

In all honesty, Herbert may have got the point of the ball just on the goal-line, before being pushed back.

But the best camera angle is obstructed by the legs of an Eels defender.

The Bunker supports the NO TRY call.

You just wish the Bunker could have X-ray vision.

Cronulla have completed a statement round from the NRL heavyweights with a rousing 32-16 victory over South Sydney to set up a fascinating battle for the all-important top-two finals spots.

In-form halves Braydon Trindall and Nicho Hynes delivered once more as the Sharks answered the challenge of Penrith, the Sydney Roosters and Warriors to showcase their own title ambitions on Sunday.

In an ominous warning to the chasing pack jostling desperately for positions in the bottom half of the eight, the top three sides had piled on 166 points and 29 tries between them in round 22.

But Cronulla responded with five tries themselves at Ocean Protect Stadium on a Sunday full of milestones and celebrations for the surging Sharks.

Three weeks after bagging 30 points in a 66-0 blitz of the Dolphins to eclipse Brett Kimmorley's 28 against Wests Tigers 24 years ago, Hynes set another club record with his 29th consecutive goal.

The streak bettered Luke Covell's club-record 28 straight conversions in 2006 before the former Dally M Medallist also nudged past his goalkicking mentor Daryl Halligan (30) and James Maloney (31) to join Nathan Cleary in second place on the all-time list for most consecutive goals with 32.

Now Hazem El Masri's 35 straight is within sight.

While Hynes was once again perfect off the tee, Trindall had the ball on a string out of hand and off the boot in setting up three of Cronulla's tries

Briton Nikora was the first beneficiary, running another signature line to take a short ball from Trindall for the Sharks' first try after Souths had opened the scoring against the run of play through Latrell Siegwalt seven minutes into the contest.

Then Siosifa Talakai marked his 150th NRL try off a Trindall cross-field bomb and bat-back from Ronaldo Mulitano.

Hynes broke Covell's benchmark when he converted a solo effort from dummy-half sneak Blayke Brailey as the Sharks went to the sheds with an 18-6 buffer.

The onslaught continued with three more tries in the second half, including one for Mulitano to draw the winger level with David Peachey's 110 tries.

Only Andrew Ettingshausen, with 166, has scored more for Cronulla.

The victory avenged a 36-12 loss to the Rabbitohs in round nine and was the Sharks' ninth win from 10 starts, cementing their place in the top four.

But Craig Fitzgibbon's side want more.

With the softest run home in the competition, the Sharks can snatch second spot and potentially two home finals if they continue their hot run and the Roosters and Warriors slip up.

The Roosters and Warriors both still face the table-topping Panthers while Cronulla won't play another team top-eight outfit until the finals.

The only concerns for the Sharks, though minor, were Trindall and Teig Wilton being placed on report.

Trindall was booked for a late tackle on Matt Dufty, minute after Wilton was sin-binned for heavy contact on Jack Wighton, which appeared little more than a head clash.