The final result was closer than it should have been but Cronulla hung on to down Brisbane 30-28 and score their sixth win in a row.
Paul Gallen said last week he wanted Cronulla to make a statement against Brisbane – and his team didn’t let their captain down with a dominant first half performance.
The Sharks ran out two-point winners to fire a warning shot to the rest of the competition that they are circling – and they smell blood.
Cronulla ran in five first half tries to lead 28-6 at the break, with hooker Michael Ennis and halves Chad Townsend and James Maloney pulling the strings in attack in front of a packed house at Southern Cross Group Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The Sharks’ forward pack was typically brutal, dominating Brisbane’s star-studded pack in the first 40 minutes.
But the champion Broncos showed why they are one of the competition’s benchmark teams as they staged a remarkable second-half comeback, scoring four unanswered tries after the break to fall agonisingly short.
Cronulla coach Shane Flanagan said he was ecstatic with his team’s first half performance.
“The way we competed and made the most of every opportunity [with] some really big plays there,” he said.
“We really dominated field position and when we did we scored points.
“We knew the Broncos weren’t just going to lay down, they were going to come back at us.
“But in the end I thought we showed great resolve and steel… it showed me what kind of team I’ve got.”
Sharks captain Paul Gallen showed why he will again represent Australia on Friday night with another strong performance.
Gallen said he was disappointed Cronulla let Brisbane back into the game but was thrilled with the result – and the opportunity to turn his attention to wearing the green and gold again.
“I made it very clear at the start of the year that I wanted my Test jumper back,” he said.
“Especially after round one [I did fear I wouldn’t play for Australia again].
“[My injury] was looking the worse… but thankfully things turned out OK.
“I’ve been playing for Cronulla as hard as I can to get us off to a good start.
“We want to be a good side, we want to be there at the end of the year and to do that you’ve got to beat the best.”
Brisbane coach Wayne Bennett paid respect to Cronulla’s performance despite being disappointed with the result.
“They were really good,” he said.
“We knew we were going to be up against it today, we knew they were going to be tough.
“They’ve got a lot of experienced players [and they’re a] better team than they were last year.
“They’re heading in the right direction.”
Leader Scoreboard
Cronulla Sharks 30 (Sosaia Feki two, Paul Gallen, James Maloney, Chad Townsend tries. James Maloney five goals)
defeated
Brisbane Broncos 28 (Jordan Kahu, Corey Oates, James Roberts, Sam Thaiday, Corey Parker tries. Corey Parker three, Jordan Kahu goals)
at Southern Cross Group Stadium, Woolooware
Crowd: 14, 406
Leader man of the match: Paul Gallen (Sharks)
Sharks’ next three: Knights (away), Sea Eagles (home), BYE