Cronulla Sharks penalty try: Reuben Cotter gives away try to Braydon Trindall in NRL semi-final

Joshua Mayne

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Cronulla Sharks penalty try: Reuben Cotter gives away try to Braydon Trindall in NRL semi-final image

The first try of Friday night's NRL semi-final between the Sharks and Cowboys came in an unlikely fashion.

After some nervous opening stages, Cronulla broke the deadlock in the 13th minute via a Braydon Trindall penalty try.

On the last play of their set, the Sharks were frantically keeping the ball alive 10 metres out from the try-line, with it ending up in Trindall's hands.

The five-eighth grubbered the ball towards the in-goal before attempting to chase it down.

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He was then tackled without the ball by North Queensland enforcer Reuben Cotter, with Tom Dearden comfortably cleaning things up.

The incident was sent upstairs to the video referee, where Bunker official Wyatt Raymond determined that Trindall would have reached the ball first – before Cowboys half Dearden in the in-goal – and subsequently scored a try.

If a penalty try had not been awarded, Cotter would have been sin-binned for a professional foul.

Watch the try below:

The Sharks built on their opening try when Cameron McInnes scored minutes later to establish a 12-0 lead.

Joshua Mayne

Joshua Mayne Photo

Joshua Mayne is a content producer for The Sporting News Australia based in Sydney, Australia. He has previously worked as a newsreader at 2SER and journalist at Ministry of Sport. While Joshua’s main passions are football, rugby league, basketball and F1, he will watch any sport that's on. He is still waiting for Arsenal to win the Premier League again.