Sharks coach Ricky Stuart has paid tribute to his side's never-say-die attitude, identifying composure under pressure as the key ingredient in their gutsy 13-12 win over the Dragons at Toyota Stadium tonight.
Trailing 12-nil with less than 20 minutes remaining, the Sharks looked down for the count before launching a monumental revival, capped in the 79th minute by Brett Kimmorley's match-winning field goal.
"We've had our fair share of experiences in those situations and I really credit my blokes today for their determination and courage," said the Sharks and Australian mentor.
"At 12-0 we didn't panic and the result was a very handy result for us.
"They're tough to lose those ones, I'm sure Nathan and the boys will be very disappointed," Stuart said.
Kimmorley, who was well wide of the mark with his first attempt at the one point from 45 metres out, was relieved to get a second chance at securing victory for his side.
"The first field goal was pretty ugly, the second one was nice.
"It's funny, I practiced a few yesterday so I must have had a feeling it was going to be a close game."
The Bulldogs-bound halfback also scored a crucial 75th minute four-pointer that enabled the Sharks to draw level.
"The try was just through effort ... we play for the full 80 minutes and we make it pretty hard for everyone," Kimmorley said.
Dragons mentor Nathan Brown was happy with the effort of his charges, if not the result.
"There was some young players that came up with some errors that were crucial and hopefully they learn from them," Brown said.
"It's sad that you put so much effort in and you don't actually take anything away from it."
