Veteran Michael Ennis has rated Cronulla's upset 18-10 win over South Sydney in atrocious conditions at Remondis Stadium as one of the bravest in his 200-plus NRL game career.
In torrential rain and roaring winds close to 100km/h the Sharks led 10-4 at halftime on Monday night. They held off the premiers with the wind on their backs in the second half courtesy of a tremendous defensive effort to prevail on the back of a late Jayson Bukuya try.
Ennis said the conditions were the worst he has played in, in a 229-game NRL career spanning Newcastle, St George Illawarra, Brisbane and Canterbury. And he said the win was one of his best.
"I said to the boys after the game, in the time I have been in the game that is probably the bravest win I have ever been involved in, given the conditions and the side that we played against," Ennis said.
"Although conditions were average it was a bloody good game to be involved in.
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"It was horrendous out there."
Cronulla have turned their season around since losing their first four games, having now won three in a row.
"We probably beat ourselves in a few of those early games," coach Shane Flanagan said.
"We looked pretty deep into ourselves that first month, we kept saying stick together here we have a good footy team and finally it clicked.
"It is not where you start, it is where you finish."
