Flegg Sharks suffer heavy loss to Raiders, struggling against top team with key players missing.
The Flegg Sharks copped a brutal beating from the Raiders, as a below-strength squad struggled to keep up with the ladder leaders in a 30-4 defeat at PointsBet Stadium.
In what was the prelude to the NRL showdown between the same sides, Cronulla's young guns - missing key players like Michael Gabrael - found themselves on the back foot early on, conceding three tries in the first 20 minutes and never quite finding their footing.
The Raiders came out guns blazing, using their speedy outside backs to carve through the Sharks defense with precision.
On the other hand, Cronulla's own mistakes and missteps only added fuel to the fire, making it an uphill battle from the get-go.