Five-eighth all class as Cronulla in big dance
FORGET about Chad Townsend’s benching – the Sharks have a man named James Maloney.
Cronulla halfback Townsend’s mental state was the major talking point leading into last night’s preliminary final against North Queensland after he was benched in the first week of the finals.
His champion rival Johnathan Thurston said Townsend would have “mental scarring”, claims backed up by Cowboys coach Paul Green.
What most failed to remember was his halves partner is as good a five-eighth as they come.
Maloney stole the show at Allianz Stadium, cruelling Thurston and the Cowboys’ dreams of back-to-back titles with a finals clinic to qualify for his third NRL grand final.
Maloney guided the Warriors to the 2011 decider, losing to Manly. He moved back across the ditch in 2013 and won a premiership with the Roosters in his first season at Bondi.
Wherever Maloney goes success follows and the Sharks are hoping he is the man to pilot them to their first premiership.
Maloney started the game by putting his rampaging backrower Wade Graham into a half-gap more often than not and did not want to wait long to get in on the action himself.
In his 182nd NRL game, Maloney split through North Queensland’s vulnerable right side to put halfback Chad Townsend over, albeit from a forward pass, for Cronulla’s second try and a 14-0 lead at the break.
But it was midway through the second half that Maloney, 30, showed his true class.
He scored two tries in a 10minute period to snuff out any chance of a North Queensland comeback.