SHARKS MAINTAIN PREMIERSHIP LEAD

Keelyn Tuuta-Edwards brought the Rockingham Sharks back from a 12 point deficit to claim a 30-18 victory in Saturday night’s NRL WA Fuel to Go and Play Premiership top of the ladder clash with the Joondalup Giants after coach Darren Shaw ripped into his team at the halftime break.

“Completions in the first half were seven from 16, less than 50 per cent. We needed to address and we did,” Shaw said.

“In the end it was our defence in the second half that won us the game.”

When the Giants opened the scoring through  halfback Gus Marshall and added a second minutes later through Jeremy Brown, the Sharks looked sunk.

But Tuuta-Edwards -Edwards and winger Danny Cakaunivalu got them back on level terms before forward Damien Worth threw himself at a clever Andrew Jeffery grubber kick to give the home side the lead.

The game of the round lived up to expectations as the Giants scored a third try to see the teams go in the break all square.

But it was the Sharks who held firm and took away the points in the second half, keeping the Giants scoreless and adding further tries from Sean Scott and Tyler Hunt to maintain their lead atop the ladder.

“We made a few errors, which we will address this week,“ a disappointed GIants coach Taurean Sheehan said.

South Perth’s Isaac Thomas made his 300th first grade appearance for the Lions at George Burnett Park, but his party was spoilt by a free flowing Fremantle Roosters side, who emerged 30-8 winners.

“It was a bitter sweet day,“ Thomas admitted afterwards.

“Freo just played better than us, with more energy and their kick chase was with 13 players as opposed to our six or seven.”

Coach Daniel Green was equally disappointed. “They (Fremantle) were just too quick and strong for us,” he conceded.

North Beach got back to winning ways with a thumping 72-14 victory at Charlotte’s Vineyard over the Ellenbrook Rabbitohs.

Coach Phil Douche said he was really happy how his side bounced back from last week’s loss to Rockingham, with a slick display.

“We did a lot of work to change things during the week and the boys really stuck to the script,” Douche said.

“Hopefully it will pay off for us in coming weeks.” Rabbitohs coach John Hough was disappointed with his side’s first half display.

“But we improved in the second and it was pleasing we scored the last point,” he said.