Complex sentence: The Sharks managed to avoid the wooden spoon in 2009 when the Roosters were soundly beaten by the Cowboys in the final round, resulting in a lower overall standing than the Sharks, with avoiding last position a rare positive in a horror season for the Cronulla club.
Split into simpler sentences: The Sharks managed to avoid the wooden spoon in 2009 when the Roosters were soundly beaten by the Cowboys in the final round, resulting in a lower overall standing than the Sharks. This was a rare positive in a horror season for the Cronulla club.