Hat-trick hero Nikora no longer the Sharks' secret weapon

Sharks back-rower Briton Nikora is no longer one of the NRL’s best kept secrets.

Scoring three tries in a 38-16 victory that secures your team second spot, a club record-equalling 18 wins for the season, and a home qualifying final will generally do that.

Nikora scored Cronulla’s first try against Newcastle at McDonald Jones Stadium on Sunday, then two more in the second half to help the Sharks dial up a date with North Queensland at a likely sold-out PointsBet Stadium next Saturday night.

Dummy-half Blayke Brailey threw the pass for the first try from close range, then halfback Nicho Hynes delivered the money ball for the second and third as Nikora targeted Knights pivot Phoenix Crossland on Newcastle’s goal-line.

“That’s my first NRL hat-trick but I didn’t really have to do too much,” Nikora told NRL.com.

Cronulla coach Craig Fitzgibbon and captain Wade Graham said the tries were well-earned rewards for all the hard work Nikora does that often goes unnoticed.

“That’s how Fitzy coaches, emphasising doing all the little things right, all the effort areas, and in the past couple of years I haven’t really been doing that type of stuff but now I try to focus on that type of stuff and if the tries come, they come,” Nikora explained.

“All the boys, we gel good, we’ve got a good brotherhood here, a good coaching staff, we’re in it together, and it’s always enjoyable when you’re winning games.”

Fitzgibbon said Nikora had spent the season “hammering away” on improving his game.

“Some of his effort stuff, you don’t sort of notice unless they’re line-breaking or scoring tries, but he leads most kick-chases, he’s just working so hard on effort and work-rate things off the ball [and] defensively,” Fitzgibbon said.

“He’s had the strike in him for a number of years, Brit, but he’s been really committed to his work, and you see the strike in him on a day like today. He was incredible on his timing.”

Skipper Wade Graham, who plays a similar role on Cronulla’s left edge, has noticed Nikora grow in stature and confidence as the Sharks surged up the ladder in the second half of the season.

“I think he’s got our players’ player probably two or three times over the last four or five games,” Graham told reporters at the post-match media conference.

“Everyone knows a player when they score a try and all the flashy stuff, but it’s the other stuff that’s been more important for us.

“He’s really knuckled down, he’s working hard, he’s got a good combination there with Nicho, he’s really controlling that right edge defensively, and his value to our team is certainly not understated internally. He’s probably grown with the team as the team’s grown in the back-half of the season.

“He’s always been a good player, but as the team’s really found its groove, Briton has found an even better groove, and to see him have a day like today, where he capitalised on a few opportunities, and when we needed someone to stand up with some big plays, Brit was our man who did that.

“We value him so much as a teammate, for sure.”

Nikora is in his fourth season at the Sharks and will remain until at least the end of 2025 after signing a new three-year contract in July.

“I’ve been here a few years at Cronulla now, so that’s home for me now, and that’s where I want to be,” Nikora said.

After suffering losses in his only two previous finals appearances, against Manly in 2019 and Canberra in 2020, Nikora yearns for a different result against the Cowboys.

With a week off and a place in the preliminary final at stake on Saturday night, the 24-year-old New Zealand international expects an exciting week in the Shire in the countdown to kick-off.

“We’ve got good fans at Cronulla and we’re grateful for their support so we’re happy that we’ve got a home final for them, but we’re still building … That’s what they say, that the finals are a new comp, so we’ve got to get the little things right and hopefully have a good game next week.

“I’ve been in a couple of finals and we got knocked out straight away, and I don’t really want that feeling again, so we’ve got to play an 80-minute game and do all the little things right.”