As it happened: Sharks topple Dragons; Panthers outgun Tigers

Full-time: The Sharks have produced a blistering second half to turn six-point half-time deficit into a commanding 22-point victory over the Dragons. St George Illawarra were spirited throughout the opening 40 minutes but they ran out of puff after the break and couldn't hang with Cronulla's high-powered attack. Sharks 34 - Dragons 12.

75th minute: Braydon Trindall has put an exclamation mark on what has turned into a comfortable victory for the Sharks. The five-eighth took on former teammate Daniel Atkinson one-on-one and muscled his way past the Dragons No.6 to score a try, much to the delight of nearly 15,000 fans at Ocean Protect Stadium. Another blow for the Dragons, with Jaydn Su'A leaving the field with a pectoral injury. Sharks 34 - Dragons 12. 

68th minute: We're off to the Bunker after multiple players from both teams attempted to ground the ball in the in goal. It was a grubber by Dragons playmaker Kyle Flanagan, with Will Kennedy and Val Holmes colliding in the race for the ball. Ronaldo Mulitalo eventually got back to ground the ball before Holmes could get his hand on it. Sharks 28 - Dragons 12.

62nd minute: It's a Sharks frenzy in the second half, with Ronaldo Mulitalo crossing for his team's fourth after the break. Cronulla trailed 12-6 at half-time, but you wouldn't know it by the way they've played in the second half and St George Illawarra have had no answer. Mulitalo got the play started with a break from a kick return, the winger finishing it off in the right corner a few plays later. Sharks 28 - Dragons 12.

58th minute: Cronulla have found their stride now. Another St George Illawarra error handed the Sharks a chance to extend their lead and they took full advantage. The hosts attacked to the left from the scrum, KL Iro stepped past Moses Suli, before sending Sam Stonestreet away for the try. Sharks 24 - Dragons 12. 

55th minute: St George Illawarra had a chance to hit back, but the Cronulla defence held firm. The Dragons ran the ball on the last, but Moses Suli's pass couldn't go to hand and the Sharks hold on to a six-point lead. Sharks 18 - Dragons 12.

49th minute: The Sharks have gone back-to-back and Craig Fitzgibbon's men have hit the front. Billy Burns bent the Dragons defensive line, offloaded to Niwhai Puru, who burst straight through. Fullback Will Kennedy was looming on the inside and finished off a 70-metre effort. Sharks 18 - Dragons 12.

47th minute: The fatigue was eventually bound to take its toll and that's what happened. Briton Nikora charged back on the inside, a couple of Dragons defenders stopped moving their feet, a hole opened up and Nikora charged straight through. We are all locked up and the Sharks faithful have found their voice. Sharks 12 - Dragons 12. 

46th minute: Another brave defensive effort by the Dragons, who defend multiple repeat sets of six on their own line to repel the Sharks. The pressure isn't over just yet, however, with St George Illawarra spilling the ball in the ensuing set and handing possession straight back to the Sharks. Sharks 6 - Dragons 12. 

Kick-off: The second half is underway and we are set for a cracking finish to this contest. Cronulla will have first use of the ball as they look to run over the top of their opponents. The Dragons are eyeing back-to-back wins after breaking a lengthy drought last week and they are 40 minutes away from another victory over their local rivals. Sharks 6 - Dragons 12. 

Half-time: It was a defensive struggle through the opening 40 minutes, with St George Illawarra striking late to take a six-point lead at the break. With Nicho Hynes and Blayke Brailey sidelined, the Sharks attacked has looked a little disjointed at times under heavy pressure from a spirited Dragons defensive unit. Sharks 6 - Dragons 12.

39th minute: It didn't take long for the Dragons to capitalise on the Sharks error, Mat Feagai scoring in the corner. Clint Futherson attacked down the short side, Valentine Holmes produced a tap-on and Feagai has the try. Sharks 6 - Dragons 12.

37th minute: St George Illawarra continue to stand tall defensively and Dylan Egan just produced a big hit to force an error from Sam Stonestreet and earn his side an attacking set of six late in the half. In more positive news for the Dragons, Loko Pasifiki Tonga has passed his hIA. Sharks 6 - Dragons 8.

27th minute: The Dragons have hit straight back, Setu Tu breaking multiple tackles to make a break down the right flank. Tu was tackled but the Sharks defensive line was disjointed and St George Illawarra immediately shifted to the left. Val Holmes eventually ended up with the ball and almost got tackled but managed to ground the ball despite an impressive defensive effort by Sharks fullback Will Kennedy. Sharks 6 - Dragons 8.

24th minute: Cronulla have been slow out of the blocks this afternoon but they've just hit full speed, Ronaldo Mulitalo scoring in the right corner to finish off a play he first created with a break down the sideline. The attacking movement came from inside the Sharks half and while the Dragons initially scrambled, they were stretched and couldn't defend their line. Meanwhile, Loko Pasifiki Tonga has left the field for an HIA after that earlier high shot. Sharks 6 - Dragons 2. 

20th minute: The Dragons have the first points of the game, Valentine Holmes slotting a penalty goal from straight in front to put his team up 2-0. The penalty came after Loko Pasifiki Tonga was hit high by Hohepa Puru. Sharks 0 - Dragons 2. 

19th minute: Now the Sharks have challenged after Ronaldo Mulitalo dropped the ball in the play the ball. The Sharks allege a strip, however the Bunker quickly dismiss the appeal and it's a Dragons attacking scrum 23 metres out from the try-line. Sharks 0 - Dragons 0. 

17th minute: We've got a Captain's Challenge after Toby Couchman was ruled to have dropped the ball while attempting to offload the ball. The Dragons argue the ball went backwards, the Bunker rules the video evidence is inconclusive. It's an unsuccessful challenge but St George Illawarra retain their challenge. Sharks 0 - Dragons 0. 

11th minute: Now it's St George Illawarra's turn to absorb some pressure. An error inside their own half handed the Sharks the ball in attacking territory and Ronaldo Mulitalo came close on the right wing but the Dragons held firm and eventually forced an error. The visitors were rewarded for their effort when they worked down their field and contested a bomb. Will Kennedy was unable to catch it and now St George Illawarra have a chance to strike. Sharks 0 - Dragons 0. 

7th minute: The Dragons are building some early pressure after Cronulla made an error inside their own half. After a threatening attacking set of six, the visitors forced a line dropout, which was dropped by Moses Suli. Toby Rudolf pounced on the loose ball and the pressure valve releases. Sharks 0 - Dragons 0. 

Kick-off: We are underway at Ocean Protect Stadium, with St George Illawarra chasing two in a row and Cronulla eager to defend home turf. It's a full house on a sunny Sunday afternoon, so expect plenty of attacking football. Sharks 0 - Dragons 0. 

Late Mail

Sharks: One additional change for Cronulla in their 90-minute update, Hohepa Puru coming into the starting side at hooker and Jayden Berrell shifting to the bench. Sione Katoa drops out of the squad. Cook Islands centre KL Iro (knee laceration) is set to start in the only change to the updated squad on Saturday. Maroons star Briton Nikora is back after being rested last week but Nicho Hynes (calf) and Blayke Brailey (arm) are missing. Billy Burns moves to the bench Jayden Berrell gets the nod at hooker.

Dragons: One more change for St George Illawarra on game day, Nathan Lawson coming into the six-man bench at the expense of Emre Guler. Luciano Leluai dropped out of the squad in the 24-hour update with fellow Samoa secondrower Jaydn Su'A taking his place on the interchange after overcoming a calf injury. Leilua played for St George Illawarra’s NSW Cup side against Newtown at Henson Park on Saturday and it was reported that he had appealed to interim coach Dean Young to drop him if he was only going to be used in a limited capacity off the interchange bench. The Samoa international was an unused interchange in the Red V’s shock win over the Broncos last week. Tyrell Sloan also moves to the bench after initially being named among the reserves following his eight-minute cameo last week. Sloan replaces Lyhkan King-Togia but could start at fullback if Clint Gutherson is a late scratching after suffering a calf injury in last week's win over Brisbane. Hooker Jacob Liddle is back from a hamstring injury and has also been named on the interchange.

Wests Tigers v Panthers at CommBank Stadium

Full-time: Penrith have put a punctuation mark on a dominant victory, Freddy Lussick burrowing over from dummy half to score his second try of the afternoon. The Panthers ran in 12 tries to 0 in a commanding win, potentially the most complete 80 minutes we'll see from any team all season. The 68-point win was the Panthers biggest in club history and the equal second-most points the side has scored in a match. Wests Tigers 0 - Panthers 68

74th minute: Penrith have been reward for their defensive effort, Tom Jenkins scoring in the corner to cap another attacking set of six. Five-eighth Blaize Talagi threw an excellent cutout pass to the winger, who dived over for his second try of the game/ Halfback Nathan Cleary missed the sideline conversion before being handed an early rest by his coach and father Ivan. Wests Tigers 0 - Panthers 62. 

72nd minute: They lead by 58 points, but the Penrith defence continues to muscle up. Jarome Luai looked to have collected a grubber and escaped his own in-goal, but the Panthers defenders held him up and drove him back to force a drop out. Wests Tigers 0 - Panthers 58.

68th minute: Lindsay Smith has added his name to the scorecard, charging on to a Nathan Cleary pass to outmuscle Mavrik Geyer and score Penrith's 10th try of the afternoon. Wests Tigers 0 - Panthers 58.

65th minute: We are off to the Bunker, with Heamasi Makasini looking certain to score. Brian To'o, however, had other ideas and somehow managed to hold up the Tigers centre. Wests Tigers 0 - Panthers 52.

59th minute: Another try for the Panthers and it's come from deep inside their own half. An early shift in the set saw Tom Jenkins race down the left sideline, with Izack Tago weaving past a couple of defenders to score in the corner and complete the long-range effort. Meanwhile, Jock Madden has left the field. The Tigers halfback suffered an arm injury in the first half and attempted to play through the pain. Wests Tigers 0 - Panthers 52

56th minute: Penrith keep piling on the points, Jack Cogger getting in on the action. Brian To'o produced a spectacular offload after attracting three defenders, Paul Alamoti got on the outside of Mavrik Geyer and raced down the sideline before Cogger finished it off. Wests Tigers 0 - Panthers 48.

52nd minute: Is there anything Nathan Cleary can't do? The Panthers halfback produced a crazy banana kick for Brian To'o, who picked up the loose ball, stepped back infield and scored his second try of the afternoon. The degree of difficulty on that kick was 10 out of 10, with Cleary producing a freakish piece of skill. Wests Tigers 0 - Panthers 42.

45th minute: Casey McLean has left the field with that ankle injury and has headed into the sheds for treatment. Izack Tago has replaced the centre. This could have big implications for the Blues Origin II team, which is due to be named on Monday night. Meanwhile, Royce Hunt is done for the day with a pectoral injury. Wests Tigers 0 - Panthers 36. 

42nd minute: Now we've got concern for Nathan Cleary after Mavrik Geyer collided with his leg while attempting a charge down. Penrith receive a penalty and Cleary is back on his feet and will play on. Meanwhile, Royce Hunt is off the field and straight up the tunnel with an injury. Wests Tigers 0 - Panthers 36. 

Kick-off: We're back for the second half, with Penrith looking to build on a blistering opening 40 minutes. Ball security cost the Tigers and they'll be looking to improve that area of their game. Early concern for the Panthers with Casey McLean falling awkwardly after catching a bomb. Blues coach Laurie Daley will be gritting his teeth right now. It looks to be an ankle injury but McLean will play on. Wests Tigers 0 - Panthers 36. 

Half-time: That is time on a stunning half of football. It could be the best 40 minutes the Panthers have played all year, Nathan Cleary pulling the strings as his side ran in six tries to zero. The Tigers were their own worst enemies, making six errors to repeatedly hand possession back to their opponents. To sum up their half, the Tigers dropped the ball in the final play before the siren sounded. Wests Tigers 0 - Panthers 36.

36th minute: Brian To'o was denied a couple of minutes ago, but this time he's broken through for a four-pointer. The Tigers were deep in their own end, Jarome Luai attempted a speculative offload, Liam Martin intercepted it, passed to To'o, who beat five defenders on the way to the tryline. To make matters worse for Benji Marshall's men, Jock Madden picked up an arm injury while trying to tackle To'o. The halfback has had his elbow strapped up and will play on. Wests Tigers 0 - Panthers 36. 

34th minute: Penrith have been denied a sixth try after Nathan Cleary fired a bullet pass to Brian To'o. The winger would have scored untouched but the pass travelled forward and the Tigers survive. Wests Tigers 0 - Panthers 30.

27th minute: Nathan Cleary take a bow. The Panthers halfback has been pulling the strings all afternoon, this time he's run on to the ball with pace around the halfway line, thrown a dummy and gone straight through the Tigers defensive line. Cleary drew the fullback before linking up with his co-captain Isaah Yeo, who had just enough pace and momentum to get over the line for his second try of the year. Wests Tigers 0 - Panthers 30.

20th minute: We've got a Penrith Captain's Challenge after a frenetic couple of minutes. Tom Jenkins broke through on the kick return to put his side straight back on the attack. The Tigers scrambled to hold out the Panthers before Heamasa Makasini deflected a pass. The loose ball was then knocked on by Paul Alamoti and picked up by Liam Martin in an offside position, who was penalised on the field. But the challenge is successful, with the first infringement the knock on by Makasini. Penrith immediately capitalise, running a set play from the scrum for Jenkins to score in the corner. Wests Tigers 0 - Panthers 24.

18th minute: Penrith have their third. A Sunia Turuva error handed the Panthers prime attacking field position and they quickly capitalised. Moses Leota was stopped inches short of the line, Freddy Lussick threw the dummy from dummy half and sliced through for a simple try. Wests Tigers 0 - Panthers 18.

12th minute: Errors continue to hurt the Tigers and Penrith have capitalised to score their second of the game. Isaiah Papali'i caught the ball at first receiver, attracted multiple defenders, passed out the back to Nathan Cleary and the halfback dives over for the try. Wests Tigers 0 - Panthers 12.

7th minute: The Tigers defence fought bravely but they eventually ran out of puff and the Panthers have the first points of the game. An error by Fonua Pole put Penrith back on the attack and the pressure continued to build with multiple set restarts. The Tigers held firm until Paul Alamoti got on the outside of Heamasi Makasini and slid through to score the try. Wests Tigers 0 - Panthers 6.

3rd minute: The Tigers have made a big defensive statement in the opening minutes of the game, defending multiple Panthers attacking sets to hold their opponents out. Multiple Penrith players came close, but the Tigers scrambled to defend their line. Wests Tigers 0 - Panthers 0.

Kick-off: We are underway at CommBank Stadium, with the two teams playing for the Royce Simmons Cup. A Panthers legend and Tigers assistant coach during their 2005 premiership, Simmons is battling dementia. The two clubs are raising funds for the Royce Simmons Foundation to further research into the condition. Penrith are flying high at the top of the table, while the Tigers returned to form last week with a win over the Bulldogs. Wests Tigers 0 - Panthers 0. 

Stat Attack

• Wests Tigers have won their last three games at CommBank Stadium.
• The Panthers have won five of their last six games against the Tigers.
• Wests Tigers have won six from eight when Api Koroisau has played this season.
• Panthers centre Casey McLean has scored seven tries in his last seven games at CommBank Stadium.
• Tigers winger Jeral Skelton has scored six tries in five games at CommBank Stadium.

Late Mail

Wests Tigers: No further changes in Sunday's final team update, with Heath Mason dropping out of the extended squad. Coach Benji Marshall confirmed on Friday morning that young gun Heamasi Makasini is on track to take his place in the side despite suffering a shoulder injury last weekend. "He had an AC injury that we thought was worse than what it is, he'll be right to play this week," Marshall said. The loss of Sione Fainu (concussion) will see Mavrik Geyer come in for his second game of the season, while lock Charlie Murray is set for his first outing of the year. Young guns Ethan Roberts and Javon Andrews dropped out when the squad was trimmed to 20 on Saturday. 

Panthers: One minor change in Sunday's final update, Billy Scott coming into the six-man bench at the expense of Billy Phillips. Origin trio Nathan Cleary, Isaah Yeo and Brian To'o are all set to return after being rested last weekend. Jack Cogger, Liam Henry and Izack Tago will shift to the bench while Paul Alamoti moves to centre to accommodate the return of To'o. Utility Jack Cole and Luron Patea dropped out in the 24-hour team update.