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Anyone unfamiliar with the term ‘conditioning the defence’, take note - @Shaun_Johnson90’s work in the lead up to his own try had the Dragons sliding hard from the inside to shut down overlaps on the edges, leaving them vulnerable back through the middle. https://rlwriters.substack.com/p/take-the-two-round-11
Johnson’s work in the lead up to Sione Katoa’s try here cannot be understated; he digs so deep into the defensive line that by the time he releases the ball, Tyrell Fuimaono, Adam Clune and Euan Aitken have all been dragged in to leave an overlap on the edge:
The next time Cronulla come down this way, you can see Fuimaono work hard from the inside to put pressure on Johnson, but rather than going out the back like before, Johnson hits lead-runner Teig Wilton with a short ball to keep the Dragons guessing:
Wilton plays the ball quickly and the Sharks head to the posts before coming back to their right edge again. It’s fifth tackle, and the Sharks are up flat and look ready for a kick into the in-goal:
Johnson gets the ball at first receiver and Fuimaono chases at him hard from A-defender, expecting the ball to go wide like before. But Johnson punishes Fuimaono for chasing too laterally, putting on a big right foot step and crashing over for a well deserved try:
