Pirate Galaxy » s best, making 72 tackles.We werent that g

Cronulla have ended 50 years of heartache with a thrilling victory over Melbourne in Sundays NRL grand final, securing the Sharks their maiden premiership.The Sharks dominated possession and territory but were made to work until the final siren by a champion Melbourne side who were forced into an extreme defensive workload.A try to Andrew Fifita inside the final 10 minutes put the Sharks back in front, but they were made to endure one final Storm charge on fulltime before they triumphed 14-12.I cant tell you how good I feel, Sharks skipper Paul Gallen told Channel Nine.I cant believe this, after all the hard work we have put it.It is incredible.The opening exchanges were typically ferocious of the occasion with retiring Sharks hooker Michael Ennis penalised for a high shot in just the second tackle. Storm winger Marika Koroibete squared the ledger a short while later but his swinging arm on Chad Townsend also gifted the Sharks the first chance at points, which James Maloney promptly slotted from the kicking tee.And it was Maloney who then created the first try-scoring opportunity of the grand final as the five-eighth cut through in midfield and offloaded to Luke Lewis. But the former Penrith stalwart was cut down before the line, his sliding body finishing centimetres short of the opening try.The Sharks wouldnt have to wait long for a four-pointer however as they earned a repeat set from a Suliasi Vunivalu error and then executed a smart scrum set-play that put Ben Barba over. Breaking from the back of the scrum, Gallen slipped an inside pass to Barba that caught the Storm napping. Maloney added the extras from close range, giving the Sharks an invaluable 8-0 lead.Unable to get themselves into the game, the Storm looked rudderless in attack with neither Cameron Smith nor Cooper Cronk able to assert themselves on the contest.A Smith knock-on five minutes out from the break saw the two teams comes together; Ennis slapping the Storm captain on the back immediately after the mistake - an action Jordan McLean objected to my shoving the Cronulla hooker to the deck.Somehow, the Storm managed to repel the Sharks for the final few minutes of the first half to go into the break down by only eight points. But they had suffered a heavy defensive toll, making an extra 75 tackles than their opponents to halftime.That trend continued in the early minutes of the second half, too, as the Sharks rumbled out from the sheds and again attacked the Storm line. But they couldnt add to their halftime lead, and the Storm remained in the contest.The Sharks soon paid the price for their inability to capitalise on a huge share of possession and territory as Jesse Bromwich rumbled over from close range to open Melbournes account. In what was their first real attack on the Sharks line, the Storm kept it simple and Bromwichs massive frame was too big to stop from close range. Smith made no mistake with the conversion and, somehow, the Storm trailed 8-6 after 51 minutes.But the 2012 champions continued to find themselves under the pump as the Sharks surged down field set after set, yet couldnt find a way to extend their lead as the game entered its final quarter.And then Cronulla found themselves behind.Having absorbed so much pressure, it was tough to think how the Storm had the energy to attack at all. But it certainly wasnt an issue for centre Will Chambers who scored a try worthy of the decider as he broke free of two defenders and then cut back inside to dive over. Smith again nailed the conversion from the right of the posts to give the Storm a 12-8 lead with 15 minutes to play.The drama was always going to continue and a large portion of the 83, 625 fans on hand were soon out of their seats as Fifita put the Sharks back in front. The prop, a constant talking point throughout the finals, proved too powerful for a trio of Storm defenders as he wrestled his way to the line and then produced an outstretched right arm to get the ball down underneath the posts. Maloneys conversion was good, and it was the Sharks leading 14-12 with 10 minutes to play.The final few minutes produced some great drama, before the Storms final surge fell agonisingly short.Skipper Cameron Smith was the Storms best, making 72 tackles.We werent that good in the first half, we allowed Cronulla to have so much field position, Smith said.This team, theyre a special footy side. You have to give them credit for coming back when they did. They kept plugging away, they didnt panic and deserved the win.Unfortunately it didnt go our way. It was a great finish.We could have scored in the last 10 seconds, a great scrambling effort by the Sharkies, everyone who follows rugby league have got to be happy for the Sharks. Theyve been waiting a very long time for this. Nike Air Max 270 Canada . Andrew Luck lost his favourite target and the Indianapolis locker room lost one of its most revered leaders when Reggie Wayne was diagnosed Monday with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee that will cost him the rest of the season. Wholesale Air Max 270 Canada . Vokoun departed practice on Saturday morning after discovering swelling in his thigh. He was taken to a local hospital where the clot was revealed. The club announced the surgery following a 5-3 exhibition loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. http://www.airmax270canada.com/ . Three came down to the fourth quarter while quarterbacks continued to shine in all four games; so important to the overall quality of the game. Air Max 270 Sale Canada . Lack made 20 saves for his third shutout of the season as the Canucks blanked the St. Louis Blues 1-0 in the first post-Olympic game for both teams night. Air Max 270 Clearance Canada . The Hall of Fame defenceman told Landsberg that he believes fighting still has a place in todays game, but thinks staged fighting needs be outlawed.Former All Blacks captain Richie McCaw wants New Zealand to change their flag to one with a silver fern. The 35-year-old, who earlier this week was named New Zealander of the Year, said he felt his country needed to change the flag when he ran out ahead of last years World Cup final against Australia.McCaw won 148 Test caps for the All Blacks and, as one of the countrys greatest ever sportsmen, his opinion carries substantial weight. The moment when I decided a new flag would be great for our country (was when) running out at Twickenham and seeing the two flags looking so similar. Richie McCaw New Zealand is currently undergoing a two-part referendum to determine whether or not to change its flag, with the second phase due to be held next month when a design featuring a fern on a blue and black background, will face off against New Zealands current flag.The existing flag features the United Kingdoms Union Jack in the corner and four red stars in a Southern Crosss formation, indicating New Zealands location in the South Pacific.ddddddddddddThe moment when I decided a new flag would be great for our country [was when] running out at Twickenham and seeing the two flags looking so similar, McCaw wrote on his Facebook page on Sunday, with a picture of the two flags side by side. Richie McCaw holds up the Webb Ellis Cup after winning the World Cup in 2011 The silver fern has always been the special symbol on the All Black jersey that represents who we are as Kiwis, so the new flag with a silver fern as a part of it would be a great option I believe.McCaw joined fellow All Blacks team mate Dan Carter, who now plays in France, as two high-profile sports people to come out in favour of a new flag in the last week. Also See: Jones has three-year plan Warburton: Im never complacent Rugby on Sky Follow @SkySportsRugby ' ' '