Live: ‘Embarrassing’ Tigers humiliated by Penrith, Sharks down Dragons

As much joy as the victory against the Broncos bought the Dragons faithful, the fact is this is still a team desperately trying to rebuild from no confidence what so ever just a few weeks ago.

One win doesn’t turn a team around and we saw that today, with the Sharks far better once they got their act together.

I feel Lizards is a bit tough – there is a type of creature in German mythology called a wyrm, which is a dragon without legs or wings – perhaps that’s more apt?

The St George Illawarra wyrms does have something of a ring to it?

A thoroughly professional performance there from the Sharks in that second half to claim a dominant 34-12 victory that moves them into sixth spot on the NRL ladder.

The Sharks had trailed 6-12 at the break after tries to Val Holmes and Mathew Feagai during an oddly disjointed display in which they completed at less than 70 per cent.

But the second half was so much better.

Briton Nikora and Will Kennedy scoring two tries in as many minutes soon after the break before Samuel Stonestreet, Ronaldo Mulitalo’s second of the game and a fine finish from the excellent Braydon Trindall sealed the victory in front of their home fans.

The Sharks were not good in the first half.

They have been much, much better in the second.

Hmmm, he has left the field and may not be back for some time – he will go for scans tomorrow to determine the severity.

Braydon Trindall forced the line drop out, and now he shows and goes from a wide position at first receiver on the left side and scoots over.

Dan Atkinson can’t get enough of a contact on his opposite number to stop him.

He is involved in 60 per cent of the Sharks tries so far this NRL season according to Fox Sports. That’s impressive.

He adds the extras too and makes it 34-12.

Braydon Trindall kicks early in the count and Mawene Hiroti gives chase.

Moses Suli is there and has to slide over the line, giving up a goal line drop out.

The Sharks win it back and there is a chance for them to put this game to bed.

Yeah, I know the modern grounds are nice and everything, but there surely has to be a place for these smaller grounds in the game.

Perfect*.

*When it’s not raining, etc.

Wow, that’s brilliant from Ronaldo Mulitalo.

He has come from a long way back to dot the ball down just before Val Holmes after Braydon Trindall couldn’t hold on to a grubber.

Wow, Holmes might be lucky here after sliding in and hitting Trindall on the head… it’s brave stuff from the Sharks half coming across – but both men were going for the ball.

The Sharks have a drop out on their own line – and Stonestreet is the only person who leaps for it and claims it for the Sharks!

A brick wall shaped a lot like Hamish Stewart and Josh Kerr just forced an error that gives the Dragons a chance.

It’s a thunderous tackle from the Dragons pair and the Dragons will have the ball on the 30.

The Sharks did that very, very easily.

The Dragons always on the back foot as the Sharks pushed forward.

Will Kennedy comes into the line as they move it to the right, adding the extra man and it’s just a case of moving the ball through the hands to the finisher in the corner.

He reduces the angle somewhat and celebrates wildly as only he can.

The kick is missed, so it remains 28-12.

The Dragons are just struggling a bit now.

Just a little bit of footwork KL Iro, he sends the ball out to Stonestreet who is never going to be caught, diving over in the corner.

It all came after Blake Lawrie lost the ball to give up a scrum.

The Dragons haven’t been too bad today for the most part, but that was Tigers-like defence off the back of the scrum from the Dragons.

The kick is good and, having been behind by six heading into half time, just 18 minutes since the restart they lead 24-12.

Kyle Flanagan puts up a bomb, he hasn’t done much of the kicking for the Dragons today but this was a good one, and Will Kennedy drops it.

The Dragons have a great chance inside the Sharks 20 here.

But Moses Suli passes the ball out behind his winger on the right sideline to end the Dragon’s chances.

I once met a man who proudly told me that someone had healed the arm he had broken the week before just by touching it.

I could tell, just by looking at the grotesquely swollen appendage that had a very questionable bend to it, that he should have gone to see a doctor instead.

Sorry.

Billy Burns!

The ex-Dragons with a show and go, a fend, an offload and he delivers the ball to Niwhai Puru.

Puru fends, races over half way and passes to Will Kennedy on his outside to score!

Incredible burst from the Sharks, powering back into the lead in front of their jubilant fans!

Straight off the kick off pretty much.

Very impressive stuff.

The Dragons are shell shocked.

It’s 18-12!

Setu Tu loses the ball in a tackle.

The Dragons have to defend but they simply can’t!

It’s oh so simple for Briton Nikora on the reverse pass, coming back against the grain and strolling through a massive hole.

Was Loko Jnr Pasifiki Tonga being obstructed? The Dragons are intimidating that there was something there but I have to admit I didn’t see one.

And neither did the Bunker.

The kick is good and we’re locked together at 12-12!

Argh that’s a shocker from Josh Kerr, just dropping the ball at the play the ball and giving referee Liam Kennedy the guiltiest of guilty looks.

The Sharks have a chance now.

Oh yikes, that’s tough on both Nikora and Setu Tu, who slipped as he tried to step off his right foot and got slammed in the head by Nikora’s head.

A tough penalty but the right call.

The Dragons get the ball up towards half way.

And it is the Sharks who bring the ball back off the Dragons kick off.

Benji Marshall didn’t hold back in his press conference about his Wests Tigers team.

To be fair, it was an indefensible display from his side, and he didn’t even try to defend it.

“That performance was just unacceptable in terms of what we expect and the way we want to perform,” he says.

“It was clear to me from the start that we weren’t there.

“Everything we could possibly get wrong, we got wrong. We gifted them field position errors at the start then didn’t defend them.

“Just fundamentals of the game.

“It looks like, with the score-line, we’re not trying.

“The point is we’re so dumb with the ball, and we can’t defend our errors, we’re tackling so much then we get brain dead and we can’t compete.

“It’s disappointing and actually embarrassing.”