The Sharks showed the grit and determination they're renowned for to grind out their seventh win from eight games - with six of those wins coming with winning margins of six points or less.
The Warriors had all the ball, territory and opportunities in the first half but could score only twice - feeding off scraps from two kicks to the corners.
Cronulla defended superbly and captain Paul Gallen admitted he felt very confident at halftime, despite the 10-0 scoreline.
"They're a tough side," said Warriors head coach Andrew McFadden. "They hung in there in the first half with all the possession we had.
"It would have been nice to capitalise a bit more on that but we came up with soft tries in the second half and that's what let them back in the game."
The Warriors saw exactly what the Sharks are made of and lessons must quickly be learned from tonight's defeat.
That old adage of the good teams winning when they're not playing well is a cliché for a reason and the Warriors need to find that mental toughness and learn to dig in when it matters most.
Front-rower Jacob Lillyman said the Warriors were in control of the arm wrestle and admitted it was difficult to take when they came up empty handed when the hooter sounded.
"For the most part we dominated the physical contest," he said. "Our linespeed was good, our contact was good and we were driving them back a fair bit. It was just lapses in concentration that hurt us.
"They play a tough style of footy and get in the grind and stay there to grind wins out. They did that again tonight, so all credit to them."
The Warriors stepped up after their loss to Manly but the cracks are still there and they cannot afford to keep losing tight contests.
