Live: Hynes inspires Sharks double-strike to stun Raiders in sudden-death semi

Billy Burns has burst through two tacklers to put the Sharks back in front.

The Sharks had a full set at the Raiders’ goal line, after Canberra winger Jed Stuart knocked on in an aerial contest.

Once again, the right-edge of the Canberra defence has failed.

Burns was running sideways before squaring up.

But the tackle attempts from Jamal Fogarty and Zac Hosking were not up to scratch.

Cronulla Sharks 18

Canberra Raiders 12

No one is taking this try away from the Canberra Raiders.

Winger Savelio Tamale has scored in the left corner.

The Raiders were gifted another attacking chance, after the Sharks dropped the ball inside their defensive half.

The Raiders rolled downfield, towards the goal line.

Canberra shifted to the left, and Cronulla centre Jesse Ramien rushed out of the defensive line and missed everything.

The Raiders went through the hands and Tamale touched down.

Jamal Fogarty converts from the sideline.

Canberra Raiders 12

Cronulla Sharks 12

The Bunker has taken a Canberra try off the board.

Simi Sasagi, the stand-in five-eighth for the Raiders, scored after an excellent passage of play.

But the Bunker has found an obstruction.

Canberra forward Hudson Young ran a decoy, then stood in the Sharks’ defensive line, obstructing Cronulla from tackling Sasagi.

Referee Grant Atkins blows the whistle, and the second half of this sudden-death semifinal begins.

The Sharks will have the first use of the ball in this half, and they will be running to the right of your screen.

It was an excellent set from the Sharks, who get over the halfway before kicking to Canberra and forcing the Raiders to work the footy off their own line.

Cronulla Sharks 12

Canberra Raiders 6

Cronulla keeps its season alive by defeating North Queensland, as Newcastle advances to a fourth NRLW preliminary final.

Catch up on the first week over the NRLW finals by tapping the link below.

Two tries in the final five minutes of the half has given the Cronulla Sharks a 12-6 lead over the Canberra Raiders.

The Raiders were comfortably the better side through 35 minutes.

But Nicho Hynes delivered a perfect cut-out pass for the Sharks’ first try, then he scored one of his own.

The Sharks targeted the Raiders’ defensive right-edge, which was picked-on by the Broncos last weekend.

The Cronulla Sharks have gone bang, BANG.

Nicho Hynes crashes over from close range to finish off a great try.

The Sharks had a few tackles off the kick-off and then attacked the Raiders’ right-edge defence. That’s the edge Reece Walsh demolished for the Broncos last Sunday.

KL Iro ran onto a lovely pass and he made a big break.

Iro was brought down near the line, but a quick play the ball has the Raiders in all sorts.

Hynes runs an inside line and receives a flick pass from Braydon Trindall to score.

Cronulla Sharks 12

Canberra Raiders 6

Ronaldo Mulitalo has crossed over in the left corner for Cronulla’s first try.

It was a beautiful cut-out pass from halfback Nicho Hynes to get the ball to Mulitalo, who scored untouched.

The Sharks have lifted since Tom Hazelton was knocked out of the match.

The Sharks were awarded a penalty on the Canberra goal line, after Mulitalo was obstructed from chasing a kick.

The Sharks have finally converted a great attacking chance.

Hynes kicks the goal from the sideline.

Canberra Raiders 6

Cronulla Sharks 6

Cronulla’s Tom Hazelton has been knocked out of this contest.

He was taking a hit-up, and Canberra hooker Tom Starling went in for a massive hit.

It appears that the bottom of Starling’s head has struck the jaw of Hazelton.

It is a knock-on against the Sharks, and Hazelton will not be back tonight.

Canberra Raiders 6

Cronulla Sharks 0

The Cronulla Sharks have lost their challenge.

Halfback Nicho Hynes was called for a knock-on, and he immediately asks his captain to challenge the call.

Hynes believes Canberra second-rower Zac Hosking raked the ball out.

The replay shows Hosking’s hand certainly has a role in dislodging the ball, but it was all in the motion of making a tackle.

Canberra Raiders 6

Cronulla Sharks 0

Corey Horsburgh has the first try of the night.

Big Red took a hit-up under the posts, and was stopped by three Sharks players.

But as he was taken to ground, the Canberra forward was able to reach out and get the point of the footy on the goal line.

Canberra had been attacking the goal line for about four minutes.

Cronulla fullback Will Kennedy dropped a bomb from Canberra halfback Jamal Fogarty.

The Sharks defended that set, but were then penalised for obstructing the Raiders’ kick chase.

The Raiders declined the penalty goal and were awarded another penalty for a high tackle on captain Joe Tapine.

Again, the Raiders went for the tap and the gamble has paid off.

Cronulla centre Jesse Ramien is frustrated.

The Sharks had a scrum, 10 metres from the Raiders’ goal line, with a terrific chance to score.

But from the scrum, the ball was passed to fullback Will Kennedy, who then passed to Ramien.

And Ramien dropped the ball, stone cold.

A line break from second-rower Teig Wilton put the Sharks in an attacking position.

It could have been a try, if it were not for a terrific tackle from Raiders fullback Kaeo Weekes.

The Sharks were given multiple chances at the line, with the Raiders committing two knock-ons in defence.

Canberra had been attacking the goal line for about four minutes.

Cronulla fullback Will Kennedy dropped a bomb from Canberra halfback Jamal Fogarty.

The Sharks defended that set, but were then penalised for obstructing the Raiders’ kick chase.

The Raiders declined the penalty goal and were awarded another penalty for a high tackle on captain Joe Tapine.

Again, the Raiders went for the tap and the gamble has paid off.

Canberra fans were rejoycing. They believe Jamal Fogarty has scored.

But the Bunker has ruled that the Raiders’ halfback has committed a double movement.

The Raiders had a full set at the Sharks’ goal line, after Cronulla winger Sione Katoa dropped a kick.

The Raiders picked up the ball and were inches from scoring.

Fogarty then burrows from dummy half, is tackled short, then promotes the ball over the line.

He didn;t need to do that. It was first tackle.

The Canberra Raiders are camping themselves inside the Cronulla half.

The Sharks are struggling to get the ball much further than their own 30-metre line before kicking deep.

But the Raiders are yet to put the finishing touches on a play that leads to points.

It feels like the Sharks are holding on at the moment.

The first true chance to score has come and gone for the Canberra Raiders.

Aided by a penalty that got them into the Sharks’ half, the Raiders got themselves to the Sharks’ goal line.

But the final play was a disaster.

A pass from Jamal Fogarty goes to ground, the Riaders recover but are going backwards, and then they are tackled for a 20-metre loss.

Referee Grant Atkins blows the whistle, and this semifinal is underway.

Cronulla kicks off, and Canberra will have the first use of the footy tonight.

The Raiders will run to the right of your screen.

Josh Papalii takes the first hit-up, and he is met by a wall of Sharks players.

Papalii also took the final hit-up of the set, and the Raiders kick clear from the halfway.

We have 10 more minutes to wait before kick-off at Canberra Stadium.

There is, as you would expect, a big crowd and a sea of green.

Canberra were the the best team of the regular season.

The Raiders finished with the minor premiership, the club’s first since 1990, and strolled into the finals with hihg hopes of achieving a premiership for the first time since 1994.

But last Sunday’s heartbreaking golden point loss to the Brisbane Broncos means the Green Machine are playing this week, instead of hosting next week.

History says the NRL minor premier does not go out in straight sets.

Since the eight-team finals series was introduced in 1995, only once has the minor premier bowed out in straight sets.

That was the 2009 St George Illawarra Dragons, who lost to the eighth-placed Parramatta Eels and then the sixth-placed Brisbane Broncos.