LeagueNews.co | Cooper McEnroe
The Cronulla Sharks have secured home field advantage for Finals Week One in the Rugby League competition after defeating the Canberra Raiders 24-6.
The Sharks' victory was aided by the dismissal of Seb Kris from the Raiders, who played the final 20 minutes with only 12 men on the field.
With the game hanging in the balance at 10-6 in favor of Cronulla, Kris lifted Sione Katoa above the horizontal and sent him head first into the turf, resulting in his ejection from the match.
This incident effectively ended Canberra's hopes of surpassing the Sharks in the ladder standings.
As a result, the Sharks will host the Sydney Roosters in their upcoming match, while the Raiders will face the Newcastle Knights on an impressive nine-game winning streak at McDonald Jones Stadium.
The Sharks and the Raiders entered Round 27 tied on 32 competition points, making this game crucial for determining home field advantage in the playoffs.
Throughout the match, both teams displayed a high level of intensity expected in a sudden-death encounter.
Despite their contrasting playing styles, with the Raiders focusing on completion rates and bombarding Connor Tracey with high kicks, while the Sharks were more adventurous with ball in hand, there was little to separate the two teams before Kris's dismissal.
The Raiders had a fantastic start to the game when Jordan Rapana leaped high to intercept a pass from Tracey and score the opening try.