NRL: Will Kennedy scores two tries, assists in two others as Cronulla Sharks climb into the eight

On the back of three consecutive defeats the Sharks went into Saturday's match at Rockhampton's Browne Park sitting in 10^th spot, two outside the top eight.

However, if they could win and do so by a 17-point margin Kennedy and his team-mates knew they would replace the North Queensland Cowboys in eighth.

The Sharks delivered and Bathurst native Kennedy played a big role in that, the talented fullback crossing for two tries and playing a hand in two others.

"A couple of line breaks, a couple of try assists and he gets a couple of tries himself, he's so fast around the back play," former Cronulla coach turned commentator Shane Flanagan said.

"That man, he's got better and better every week, we knew he was fast, he's developed a passing game and also he can break tackles with his own runs now.

"He's just starting to believe in himself, that he can play first grade week-to-week and be a strike player."

The NRL declared on their official Twitter account "Kennedyyyyyy! Got spiders on him."

Also fighting for their survival, the Tigers got off to the sort of start they were looking for when Michael Chee Kam crossed in the fourth minute.

But the Sharks responded with the next three tries to carry a 16-4 lead to half-time - a lead which Kennedy played a role in creating.

It was his grubber kick and subsequent chase which forced a line drop-out in the ninth minute and off the resulting set, the Sharks scored via Sione Katoa.

Kennedy also picked up his 13th try assist of the season five minutes out from the break.

Having already created pressure down the left set with his speed on the third tackle, two plays later Kennedy showed good hands as he stretched to catch a pass thrown in front of him before putting Ronaldo Mulitalo over for his second try of the half.

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Kennedy's speed out wide posed a constant threat in the first half, not only did he have that try assist, but he had a line break assist and made 95 metres from nine runs.

He also made a try-saver in defence on his opposite Moses Mbye.

The Sharks pushed further ahead with a Luke Metcalf try two minutes into the second half and while it looked as if the Tigers had come up with a responses four minutes later, a potential Adam Doueihi try was disallowed for holding onto a player from the scrum.

Though Kennedy did make the mistake of knocking on a bomb in the 50^th minute, the error didn't cost the Sharks and the Bathurst talent soon made amends.

After feeding the ball from dummy half to Katoa, Kennedy backed him up as he burst through the Tigers defence. The fullback got the ball back and ran away to score what was his 13^th try of the season.

The rivals traded tries as the clock ticked down, Tigers crossing twice in the space of three minutes, but with nine to go the Sharks led 40-20.

From there Cronulla finished off in style, Kennedy crossing for his second of the match in the 75^th minute as his side went on to win 50-20.

It was the first time since round 10, 2016 that the Sharks had scored 50 points in a match. It was an effort which kept their title hopes alive - they climbed into eighth - while it ended the Tigers' chances of reaching the finals series.

Kennedy finished with 197-run metres - more than any other player on the field - and impressively he made 42 of them post-contact.

The Sharks have two more games to come before finals start - against the Broncos and Storm.

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