NRL: Canberra Raiders lose home final and Sebastian Kris through horror tackle

Kris was sent off for a horror tackle on Cronulla winger Sione Katoa that could earn him a hefty suspension from the match review committee.

It came in the 60^th minute with the game in the balance, Cronulla then clicking into gear to run out 24-6 winners at Shark Park on Sunday.

The Raiders finished the regular season eighth on the NRL ladder, meaning they'll travel to Newcastle to play the Knights on Sunday at 4.05pm.

Cronulla will host the Sydney Roosters at Shark Park on Saturday night (7.50pm).

Brisbane hosts Melbourne on Friday night to kick off the finals (7.50pm), with minor premiers Penrith welcoming the Warriors in Saturday's early final (4.05pm).

The Green Machine will be low on troops, Kris' likely loss on top of Josh Papali'i (biceps), Corey Horsburgh (suspension) and Corey Harawira-Naera (illness).

Kris' absence could earn a recall for Canberra co-captain Jarrod Croker, who was a late exclusion from the Raiders side.

Raiders coach Ricky Stuart also has Albert Hopoate, Xavier Savage and James Schiller as options.

Canberra co-captain Elliott Whitehead felt Kris' tackle deserved a send-off, before firing a finals warning shot.

"It probably was a send-off in hindsight, but we didn't give up," Whitehead said.

"We still showed in that 20 minutes we had fight, until the last two minutes we were trying to score.

"That's what this team's about, that's why we are where we are at the moment.

"I think a few of you at the start of the year said we'd get the wooden spoon, so to be where we are, we're pretty proud.

"We'll go up to Newcastle and be full of confidence we can get the win up there."

The Raiders will need to quell Knights fullback Kalyn Ponga, who will likely return from a shoulder injury for the knockout final.

Whitehead was confident they could turn around their recent form, while Stuart deflected talk of an ambush.

Stuart quipped that "no one knows we're in the finals", perhaps pointing to the possibility of the aforementioned ambush.

He said the reason behind the Jack Wighton move to centre was because he was an "international centre", and he was happy with what both Wighton and five-eighth Matt Frawley were doing in their roles.

Whether there'll be another backline reshuffle to bring Croker's experience back into the side might not be clear until game day next week.

Stuart praised Knights coach Adam O'Brien for the job he's done in turning Newcastle around - they've won their past nine games going into the finals.

He was pretty clear on how they performed against the Knights last time, simply saying the Raiders were "shocking".

"I don't know if it plays into our hands - going up to Newcastle," Stuart said.

"They're a mad, passionate rugby league town, which is lovely, and good on them.

"Good on Adam O'Brien. He was getting sacked three months ago, wasn't he? He's turned it around and shoved it up all those people. Good on him."

It was the usual energetic start from Raiders fullback Jordan Rapana, involved in everything - whether it was running the ball or covering in defence, like his try-saver on Sharks winger Jesse Ramien after he'd got on the end of a Nicho Hynes kick.

And he was on the end of a Jamal Fogarty high ball to open the scoring for the visitors.

It was Rapana's 100^th try for the Green Machine in his 200^th NRL game.

Ramien had already scored before Rapana's intervention - off the back of a good Cronulla captain's challenge.

They overturned a Raiders' attacking scrum to earn a stripping penalty, which they turned into a Ramien try.

The game then became a massive arm-wrestle, both teams going set for set for the rest of the first half - which ended 6-4 in the Raiders' favour.

Raiders halfback Fogarty unleashed some big bombs and the Green Machine threatened the Sharks' line, but couldn't crack it.

Rapana almost scored his second, after gathering another Fogarty kick, but lost the ball in the put down.

Canberra hooker Zac Woolford also went close, but Cronulla rake Blayke Brailey just got his foot to the ball before his counterpart could.

But it was the Sharks who broke the stalemate, Hynes turning the ball back inside for Cronulla forward Jack Williams to slice through the Raiders' middle to put the home side in front.

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The Raiders then found themselves completely up against it when Kris was sent off - moments later the Sharks were in again when five-eighth Braydon Trindall took advantage of a Rapana error to score.

Cronulla used its numerical advantage to perfection and simply went around the 12-man Raiders for Ronaldo Mulitalo to score.

Katoa got in on the act, beating Jack Wighton one-on-one, to seal the win.

AT A GLANCE

CRONULLA SHARKS 24 (Jesse Ramien, Jack Williams, Braydon Trindall, Ronaldo Mulitalo, Sione Katoa tries; Trindall 2 goals) bt CANBERRA RAIDERS 6 (Jordan Rapana try; Jamal Fogarty goal) at Shark Park. Referee: Grant Atkins. Crowd: 12,750.

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