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Much was expected of the 2016 NRL Grand Final but it was always going to be a big ask to live up to the hype following the Broncos-Cowboys classic 12 months before - and Western Bulldogs AFL fairy tale in Melbourne little over 24 hours earlier.The Sharks showed no sign of Grand Final nerves in the first half; they had the Storm under pressure through the majority of the opening 40 minutes were rewarded with points to lead 8-0 early.A lot was written about the perceived lack of big-game experience in the Sharks team, but two of their most experienced -- James Maloney and Luke Lewis -- relieved the pressure by combining in attack on several occasions to have the Storm defence constantly on the back foot.Melbourne enjoyed a light breeze in the first half but that was all that favoured them. Cronulla mauled Melbourne in the opening 40 minutes, forcing the Storm to make 209 tackles to their 134, and the Sharks deserved their 8-0 lead; but it should have been a lot more.The Sharks had led 16 times at the break this season, winning 13 times, but Jesse Bromwich tested their mental strengh with a try in the 51st minute to incredibly drag Melbourne back into the match and cut Cronullas lead to 8-6.Storm centre Will Chambers delivered another devastating blow with a try in the 64th minute to put Melbourne in front for the first time, but Christian Welch conceded an unnecessary penalty that set up Andrew Fifita to score for a 14-12 Cronulla lead with nine minutes to play. It was a lead they never relinquished as they claimed their maiden premiership.Key Moments -6th min?- Storm winger Marika Koroibete high shot lands him on report and James Maloney kicks Sharks 2-0 ahead.14th min - Sharks five-eighth James Maloney line break has Luke Lewis heading for the line but pulled down centimetres short15th min - Sharks captain Paul Gallen sends Ben Barba to the tryline for the first try of the match.20th min - Sharks centre Jack Bird suffers arm injury and looks restricted but bravely plays on.35th min? - James Maloney kicks for Sosaia Feki but Suliasi Vunivalu saves a try by getting a hand to the ball.50th min - Jesse Bromwich muscles Melbourne back into the match with a try to cut Cronullas lead to 8-6.66th min - Storm hit the lead through a try to Will Chambers after a heavy defensive workload at the other end.69th min - Andrew Fifita scores try after Christian Welch swinging arm on Chad Townsend gives Cronulla more possession.78th min - Will Chambers fields a ball but fails to see an unmarked Cooper Cronk on the inside that wouldve won the match.The DifferenceEnthusiasm and energy was a glaring difference for the Sharks. Whatever they may have lost on experience was made up for in their sheer determination to claim victory.James Maloney and Luke Lewis played major roles, and the Storm found it extremely difficult to nullify their contribution.Maloney constantly had Melbourne on the back foot while Lewis was a relentless threat in attack with his offloads and support of the ball carrier. Lewis also worked overtime in defence to continually frustrate the Storms dangermen.Melbourne did incredibly well to fight back after a mountain of defensive work to lead with 15 minutes to play, but Cronulla, as theyve done all season, found a way to win.Telling tacticsCronulla were too fast for Melbourne in all facets of the game. Their speed at the play the ball was too much for the Storm to handle, and nullified the impact of Melbournes wrestle.Everything the Sharks did in attack revolved around Maloney, and, with the Storm constantly on the back foot, the speedy five-eighth proved a real handful for the best defence in the NRL.The defensive workload in the first half drained Melbourne of a great deal of gas, with Cameron Smith alone posting 71 tackles, but they somehow found more to give in the second half -- only to have their dream shattered.Grand Final debutantsThere wasnt a bad player on either side despite Cronullas dominance. None of the debutants were overawed by the occasion, but the seasoned campaigners such as James Maloney and Luke Lewis for the Sharks who provided the guile; Cameron Smith and Jesse Bromwich did likewise for the Storm.Where to nowMelbourne;?Can never be written off but they will lose some crucial players next season, such as Blake Green, Marika Koroibete and possibly others. They will be top-eight contenders again but might not reach this stage next season.Cronulla:?Somehow we dont think they care right now. Celebrations could quite possibly continue well into pre-season next year, but the nucleus of their side are young so, like the Storm, they could be top-eight chances. The likes of Michael Ennis will be hard to replace. Cheap Wholesale Sneakers Free Shipping . -- Jimmy Walkers first PGA Tour trophy came with a special gift tucked inside. Cheap Sneakers Near Me . And when it opened, every player was at his stall. Thats a sure sign that a team is in a slump and is searching for answers. "Its embarrassing to be at home and play the way we did," said defenceman Josh Gorges. http://www.shoesonfire.ru/ . This should be celebrated because it will not always be this way. With the amount of money given to players by their clubs these days, it is a wonder that so many of those teams allow the sport to continue to take away many of their assets so they can play for a different team in the middle of their season. Cheap Shoes Stores Near Me . Arsenal failed to take full advantage of its main rivals stumbles on Saturday as substitute Gerard Deulofeu levelled with a hard shot from a tight angle in the 84th minute to give Everton a deserved point. Ahead of a crucial fortnight that will see them play against Napoli in the Champions League, Manchester City and Chelsea, Arsenal leads by five points ahead of Liverpool and Chelsea. Authentic Shoes For Cheap . "I wrote 36 on my sheet at the beginning of the game," the Cincinnati coach said, referring the yard line the ball would need to be snapped from. BLACKSBURG, Va. -- Virginia Tech coach Buzz Williams consistently cites Ahmed Hill as the toughest player in his program.So it came as no surprise to him that Hill made the big plays in the final minute of a close non-conference game.Ive been to where Med grew up, Williams said. Hell be fine in the toughest situation you can create.Hill scored 20 points to lead the Hokies to an 80-75 victory over Ole Miss on Sunday.Hill hit 5 of 10 from the floor, including 3 of 6 from beyond the 3-point arc for Virginia Tech (8-1), which won its fourth straight game. Zach LeDay added 15 points.Sebastian Saiz led the Rebels (6-3) with 21 points.Ole Miss trailed the entire second half, including 68-54 with a little more than five minutes left to play, but the Rebels scored on six straight possessions. They hit three 3-pointers in that span to cut the lead to 71-70 on a basket by Cullen Neal with 1:224 remaining.But the Hokies went to Hill, and he responded, scoring six points in the final minute. He drained a jumper with 59 seconds left to push the lead to 73-70. He also hit four free throws in the final 16.6 seconds to help the Hokies hold on.Were trying to work on finishing better, Hill said. Last year, we didnt finish as well, and Buzz is trying to teach us how to finish better in the second half. Were learning every day.Hill made 7 of 10 from the free-throw line, but the Hokies connected on just 60 percent of their free-throw attempts (18 of 30). Virginia Tech was able to make up for it by hitting 10 of 26 from beyond the 3-point arc.If they get penetration, because of their spacing and ball movement, theyre going to find the open guy, Ole Miss coach Andy Kennedy said. Youve got three of their five guys tyypically making 3s -- and then (Chris) Clarke throws one in.dddddddddddd And LeDay throws one in. It doesnt do good for the other team.BIG PICTUREOle Miss needs to shore up its perimeter defense if it harbors any hopes of postseason play. The Rebels gave up 10 3-pointers to Virginia Tech and have allowed at least eight 3s in eight of nine games this season.Virginia Tech added another impressive win to its resume, as it seeks a bid to the NCAA Tournament. Ole Miss came in ranked No. 26 in the Ratings Percentage Index. The Hokies also have non-conference wins against New Mexico, Nebraska and Michigan.QUOTE TO NOTEVirginia Tech post player Khadim Sy scored the Hokies first three baskets of the second half, forcing Kennedy to stop playing a 1-3-1 zone and go to a man-to-man defense -- which the Hokies exploited. Sy, a native of Senegal, scored just the six points, but had an impact on the game and has a huge fan in his coach Williams.Hes like Eddie Murphy in `Coming to America, Williams said. Hes just happy to be here. I think thats part of the reason why hes good. He doesnt have a lot of bad voices in his head. He wants to do what you ask him to do.UP NEXTThe Rebels return to action Thursday with a home game against Murray State for the first of three straight non-conference home games before opening SEC play against No. 6 Kentucky on Dec. 29The Hokies are in exams this week and dont return to the court until Saturday when they continue non-conference play with a home game against The Citadel. Virginia Tech is a combined 23-2 all-time versus its next three opponents. ' ' '