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Be it saving tries or setting them up, fullback Will Kennedy was Cronulla's everywhere man as the Sharks kicked clear of a gallant Cowboys side for a dominant 36-12 win in Townsville on Saturday.
Following up a strong performance against Penrith in Round 1, Kennedy played a pivotal role in four Sharks tries as well as stopping a certain North Queensland four-pointer in an inspired display at Queensland Country Bank Stadium.
Halfback Nicho Hynes was also impressive for Cronulla, while wingers Sam Stonestreet and Ronaldo Mulitalo both passed 200 metres, Stonestreet scoring two tries in energy sapping conditions that prompted a drinks break at the 20-minute mark.
Centre Kayal Iro also crossed for a try-scoring double in the Sharks win. Warhorse captain Cameron McInnes was awarded the prestigious Paul Green Medal as Man of the Match after cranking out 136 metres and 35 tackles.
The Sharks led 16-6 at half-time and eventually staved off the Cowboys, who never stopped coming in front of a passionate home crowd.
After a tit-for-tat start, the Sharks gleefully accepted an opportunity to attack when the Cowboys committed a dummy-half error coming out of their end.
Spinning the ball left, Hynes and Kennedy linked with centre Iro, who powerfully swatted away multiple defenders to open the scoring in the 10th minute. Hynes' conversion attempt hit the post and was waved away.
Not afraid to chance their arm, North Queensland threatened to respond in kind as they set up camp on Cronulla's line on the back of penalties and errors. But the Sharks refused to wilt, scrambling desperately to repel the hosts.
Having withstood that onslaught, Cronulla advanced downfield and quickly added a second try as scheming hooker Blayke Brailey pulled the right rein at close range to send hole-running back-rower Briton Nikora over the line.
An error after the restart, with Jesse Ramien's adventurous bat-on dribbling behind Stonestreet and over the sideline, proved costly for the Sharks. It allowed North Queensland to break through when Tom Duffy's cross-field kick fortuitously bounced off Murray Taulagi's head and sat up for Jaxon Purdue.
The momentum switch was short-lived, however, with the Cowboys failing to complete the ensuing set. The Sharks again capitalised, a smooth right-side shift involving Hynes and Kennedy resulting in Stonestreet crossing untouched for his ninth try in seven NRL matches. Hynes nailed the goal to make it 16-6 after 30 minutes.
Mulitalo tore into the backfield moments later, the Kiwi star only denied a classic long-range try by a last-ditch Scott Drinkwater legs tackle.
Not to be outdone, Kennedy then produced an even better save, meeting Taulagi in full flight and wrestling him touch-in-goal by the barest of margins.
While the Cowboys had the running to begin the second half, a piece of Hynes brilliance put the Sharks firmly on the front foot once more.
The playmaker cleverly swooped to swallow a cross-field kick in-goal, dashed to the 20-metre line for the restart and sent Stonestreet streaking towards the opposition try-line. The speedster was reeled in by a flying Purdue, who soured his incredible chase by earning a stint in the sin-bin for a second effort.
Despite being a man down, the Cowboys gained a newfound spark as the dangerous Drinkwater used his footwork through the middle. Still, the Sharks held firm and eventually surged further ahead thanks to more Kennedy ingenuity.
The Cronulla custodian flew high to collect a bomb and hit the ground running into open pasture before smartly finding Stonestreet, who was again pulled down shy of the line. This time, Cronulla swiftly spread the ball to the left where Mulitalo turned provider for second-rower Teig Wilton, who had ended up on the flank.
Mulitalo nabbed his try in the 61st minute, with Kennedy delivering the money ball.
The Sharks would cross for two more in the closing stages, Stonestreet his second on the end of a sweeping backline play, with Braydon Trindall throwing the final pass, before Iro would notch his double when again proving too strong for his opposite number.
Drinkwater claimed a consolation try for North Queensland in the 75th minute.
The Sharks now return home for their first Sharks Stadium game of the 2025 season against Souths next Saturday afternoon.
That game is set down for a 3.00pm kick off.
