Cronulla beat the clock to register first points, Jared Domazetovski barging over from close range to post a 6-0 lead after three minutes, with the home side responding seven minutes later as Elvis Oloaga crashed his way under the uprights.

Wests’ joy was short lived though, a penalty for an attacking offside from the kick off gifting the Sharks a chance to score, Zane Jegers touching down out wide after just three tackles to regain Cronulla’s lead.

Cronulla were in off the next set, a neat Crossfield bomb on the last from Jared De Meio spectacularly marked by Trevor Taufa, who had enough strength to reach out and defy the three Magpie cover defenders, Douglas Levi dummying easily past several Wests players six minutes later to extend the advantage to 22-6 seven minutes from the break.

Cronulla weren’t done with though, Damon Smith forcing his way through the meat of the Magpie ruck in the shadows of halftime, Jared De Meio adding the extras from in front to send the visitors to the sheds up by 28-6.

Cronulla picked up where they left off in the first half courtesy of a Wests handling error, although the pinballing grubber kick from Tom De Meio was a little fortuitous for the Sharks, the halfback regathering to score himself.

If Cronulla’s sixth try was a little lucky, their seventh was simple as Kai Parker burst through the Wests line from halfway to go in under the uprights, Eliah Veikoso putting Cronulla past 40 after spectacularly diving over off a well-executed left side shift.

Cronulla were doing it easy in the second stanza and a Cronk-Slater ball to Douglas Levi saw the Sharks centre grab his second, Eliah Veikoso not needing such neat hands from his inside man as he snuck under the cover defence to post the Sharks’ tenth of the day.

Jared De Meio ended proceedings as he posted his second with a simple step at the line before having too much strength for Cameron Lawrence, rounding out a very difficult day for Western Suburbs.

CRONULLA 60 (Douglas Levi 2, Eliah Veikoso 2, Jared De Meio 2, Jared Domazetovski, Zane Jegers, Trevor Taufa, Damon Smith, Kai Parker tries; Jared De Meio 8 from 11) defeated WESTERN SUBURBS 6 (Elvis Oloaga try; Dylan Oitmann 1 from 1)