Cronulla have celebrated their return to the NRL's top four with their most comprehensive defensive performance in months, suffocating the Gold Coast Titans on their way to a 36-6 win.
Their finals hopes written off a fortnight ago, the Sharks snapped a mid-season slump in last week's win over South Sydney.
But their victory on Friday at PointsBet Stadium felt like a return to the swashbuckling style that has become a hallmark of Craig Fitzgibbon's side as they ran in seven tries.
Five-eighth Braydon Trindall, who has usurped Matt Moylan as the Sharks' first-choice No.6, enjoyed three try assists in a breakout performance.
But Fitzgibbon was most pleased with their defensive resolve as Cronulla kept an opponent to a single-figure score for the first time since May.
The victory moves the Sharks back into fourth spot and strengthens their for-and-against ahead of a run home that pits them against fellow finals hopefuls North Queensland, Newcastle and Canberra.
"We had to earn the right to put some points on," Fitzgibbon said.
"You can't control what's going to happen with other results.
"I know it's a cliche to say it's week to week but if we slip up it's going to have ramifications so it's quite easy to knuckle down.
"We're trying not to get too far ahead of ourselves but it's obviously important to have got the two points."
Fitzgibbon wasn't too concerned with the fitness of winger Ronaldo Mulitalo, who soldiered on with an ankle injury and scored two of Cronulla's tries.
Gold Coast were supposed to be celebrating the long-term retention of captain Tino Fa'asuamaleaui and back-rower David Fifita, but the night was one to forget in more ways than one.
The Titans lost five-eighth Kieran Foran to a suspected rib injury, Fifita was placed on report for a shoulder charge, utility Erin Clark was sin-binned for a shove, and they missed 48 tackles.
Interim coach Jim Lenihan hinted they would look at resting some players with their finals hopes over.
"We're don't want to be looked at as a weak side," Lenihan said.
"Tonight's result wasn't great but we are certainly transitioning and that's not an easy fix.
"We'll have days when the wheels come off and tonight was a bit like that."
Trindall got the Sharks rolling in the fourth minute when he sent a delightful cut-out pass into Mulitalo's path.
The winger had a second by the half-hour mark which came after fullback Connor Tracey finished a sublime shift from left to right.
Cameron McInnes barged his way over before halftime and the only response the Titans could offer was a cavalier charge from Fa'asuamaleaui that got them on the scoreboard.
Wade Graham, who announced earlier in the week he would retire at the end of this season, crossed early in the first half before before Toby Rudolf and Jesse Ramien further strengthened the Sharks' grip on the result.