[Source: NRL]

A second hat-trick of the season for fullback Will Kennedy led the Sharks to a 33-20 win over the Bulldogs at Accor Stadium.

Kennedy did the damage with 16 minutes of magic in the first half and the Sharks did enough from there to make it back-to-back wins for the first time in 2023.

After the Bulldogs opened the scoring with an early penalty goal to Matt Burton the Sharks struck twice in the space of three minutes to blow the game open.

Nikora delivers for Kennedy 📦 #NRLBulldogsSharks pic.twitter.com/KTMoN5ePU2

— NRL (@NRL) April 22, 2023

Both the tries came courtesy of fullback Will Kennedy who backed up a Briton Nikora break to score in the seventh minute and then flew high to pull down a Matt Moylan bomb for his second. Nicho Hynes converted both tries for a 12-2 lead.

The Bulldogs struck back in the 19th minute when Braidon Burns crossed in the right hand corner after slick hands from Hayze Perham and Jake Averillo created space for the winger.

A classy try from Braidon Burns 😎 #NRLBulldogsSharks pic.twitter.com/N0KjXddfkh

— NRL (@NRL) April 22, 2023

Come the 23rd minute and Kennedy had his second hat-trick of the season when he sliced through from 15 metres out and bamboozled the Bulldogs defence to make it 18-8 to the Sharks.

A clever grubber by Reed Mahoney earned the Bulldogs a repeat set late in the half and they capitalised when Perham picked out Declan Casey with a pinpoint cut-out pass and the home side were back within four points at the break.

Declan Casey secures his second #NRL try 🔒 #NRLBulldogsSharks pic.twitter.com/RcDkqHAaJc

— NRL (@NRL) April 22, 2023

The Sharks hit the ground running in the second term when Royce Hunt went within inches of scoring before Ronaldo Mulitalo flew high to bring down a bomb and passed to Matt Moylan who touched down in the corner. Hynes’ conversion made it 24-14 to the Sharks.

When Sione Katoa finished off classy inside work by Moylan and Hynes to rack up his 50th career try the Sharks had opened up a 16-point lead and their fourth win of the season looked assured.

Moylan cool as a cucumber 🥒 #NRLBulldogsSharks pic.twitter.com/RXVyHZGXgz

— NRL (@NRL) April 22, 2023

The Bulldogs then found some space down the left with 17 minutes to play but Hynes showed his defensive skills with a sliding cover tackle to take Casey over the sideline.

Sticking to their guns the Bulldogs produced a try in the 68th minute when Burton went to the line and got a nice offload away to Corey Waddell to make it 30-20 with the conversion.

An embarrassing moment for Mulitalo in the 75th minute when put his hand on the sideline as he slid into the corner for what would have been his eighth try of the season.

A penalty goal to Hynes with four minutes to play and a field goal to the halfback in the final minute put the finishing touches on a 33-20 victory.