Hohepa Puru scores first NRL try in Sharks' rout
hohepa puru scored his first NRL try on May 15, 2026, as the Cronulla Sharks humiliated the Canterbury Bulldogs in Magic Round. The fill-in hooker for Blayke Brailey carried a few defenders over the line to finish the move with ease.
Cronulla’s early strike in Brisbane
The Sharks opened the Magic Round weekend through Braydon Trindall five minutes into the match. That gave Cronulla immediate control in Brisbane and left Canterbury chasing the game from the start.
Ronaldo Mulitalo then scored his 101st career try. The Bunker spotted a late hit from Connor Tracey to Mulitalo’s face as the try was scored and handed the Sharks a penalty.
Bulldogs under pressure
Matt Burton forced a goal-line dropout that gave the Bulldogs a rare attacking chance. Cronulla then marched the length of the field and scored at the other end after that opportunity disappeared.
The Bulldogs trailed by 24 points during the match. Andrew Voss said, "That's the worst moment of the Bulldogs' season right there," and added, "Resilience has left the building when it comes to the Bulldogs. Resilience has dropped off the charts."
Hohepa Puru’s first NRL try
Puru’s try was the clearest marker of the night’s imbalance. Greg Alexander put the defensive problem bluntly: "They cannot defend their line. What has happened to the Bulldogs' steely, gritty defensive line?"
The unanswered question is how Canterbury resets after a 24-point loss that exposed its line defence in a high-profile round, because the scoreline and the commentary both pointed to the same flaw.
