A five-star performance from Will Kennedy and a double to Sam Stonestreet powered the Sharks to a hard-fought 24-18 victory over the Sea Eagles at Optus Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Fullback Kennedy scored a dazzling individual try and had a sublime long-range effort controversially overturned as Cronulla snapped a two-game losing streak.
The Sharks held an 8-0 advantage half-time after two quickfire Stonestreet tries, both set up by five-eighth Braydon Trindall, brought a dour contest to life.
Manly enjoyed a glut of possession in the opening 20 minutes but couldn't convert field position into points as the Sharks stood firm in defence.
While hanging tough in the arm wrestle, simple errors cruelled Cronulla at times. It wasn't until bench forward Sifa Talakai announced his arrival to the field with a barnstorming charge through the middle that momentum swung in their favour.
The stalemate was finally broken in the 34th minute when Cronulla playmaker Trindall fired a long ball for Stonestreet to touch down in the corner.
On the stroke of the break, the duo combined brilliantly again with Trindall drifting across field and placing a clever grubber that sat up perfectly for Stonestreet to collect his fifth career double in just 11 NRL appearances.
Halfback Nicho Hynes was unable to land either of his conversion attempts from the right touchline, but Cronulla still took a handy buffer into the sheds.
Both teams were denied classic tries by the Bunker in a frenetic start to the second half. Kennedy's scintillating effort on a kick return was chalked off due to obstruction, while Sea Eagles winger Clayton Faulalo was ruled to have grounded the ball on the touchline as he launched himself towards the corner post.
Kennedy repeated his hot-stepping heroics in the 46th minute to nab a legitimate try, turning nothing into something when he accepted an offload from Jesse Ramien and jinked his way into open pasture to score next to the uprights.
Faulalo followed suit when he won the race to a grubber from centre Reuben Garrick in the 51st minute to keep the Sea Eagles in the contest.
It was well and truly game on when Manly playmaker Luke Brooks intercepted a Trindall pass and dashed 90 metres to further narrow the gap.
But the Sharks regained much-needed breathing space as Ronaldo Mulitalo iced a well-worked play with an offload to send Mawene Hiroti across on the left edge.
Hynes' goal attempt struck the post and bounced away, leaving the Sea Eagles only needing a converted try to level the scores.
Manly repeatedly threatened the Sharks' defence but couldn't execute when needed. At the other end, hulking Cronulla prop Tom Hazelton all but sealed the result with five minutes remaining when he crashed over next to the sticks.
There was one more twist to come, with Manly's Tommy Talau plucking an intercept and racing away. He was reeled in by Mulitalo, but Daly Cherry-Evans scored on the next play to give his side one set to pull a rabbit out of the hat.
They weren't able to do so, the Sharks holding on for a vital victory as they prepare to face the Knights at McDonald Jones Stadium on Easter Sunday.
