Ultimately, the Cronulla victory was built on a remarkable first-half defensive effort when they repelled almost constant Warriors pressure.
"The defence in the first half ended up winning us the game," said Sharks coach Shane Flanaghan.
Captain Paul Gallen agreed. "I was really confident at halftime. They [had] scored two tries off kicks and didn't break us with something like 80 more tackles."
The home team also lacked a cutting edge without Shaun Johnson, who last week broke his leg, and a lot of passes went astray.
Those combinations will improve over the next five weeks but it might be too late. And the decision to switch centres Solomone Kata and Konrad Hurrell probably backfired, as Hurrell and Manu Vatuvei were all at sea defensively in the second half.
On the positive side, Tui Lolohea had an encouraging stint at halfback and the forward effort was impressive.
Watching this Cronulla team makes you yearn for the great Sharks sides of the 1980s, when the flair of Gavin Miller, Andrew Ettinghausen and Mark McGaw made them great to watch.
This current incarnation is a no-frills outfit, with a style that's neither pretty nor pleasing. But it can be effective, and Valentine Holmes is a gem on the right wing. They're experts at winning ugly, and were coming off tough away victories against the Raiders and the Bulldogs.
And while the Warriors lamented Johnson's absence, the Sharks were missing their own magic man, winning only one game in five when Andrew Fifita doesn't play.
Unlike last week, the Warriors were up for it. There was an impressive intensity from the first minute and they dominated the first half in terms of possession and territory.
Charlie Gubb came up with one of his trademark shots and Hurrell forced another turnover with a savage shoulder. The forwards were hunting as a pack and on occasions their driving defence resembled a Pumas driving maul.
There was also the usual only-at-the-Warriors-moments with Nathan Friend producing another between-the-legs pass and Hurrell placing a left footed half volley perfectly into the in-goal.
A pinpoint Chad Townsend bomb produced the first try in the fifth minute, Hurrell reacting first to a loose ball. The Sharks then showed remarkable resilience to repel the Warriors for 33 minutes - with Jeff Robson invoking memories of Michael Speechley's grass cutting defence with some courageous low tackles on Ben Matulino.
Simon Mannering's 38th-minute try gave the Warriors a handy halftime lead, but it never looked enough.
Two pieces of Valentine Holmes magic - with his second chip-and-chase try a stunner - levelled the scores before a 71st minute Ricky Leutele try took the Sydney team ahead. The Warriors had two late chances to win the game, with the second ruled out for a Mannering knock on.
Warriors 14 (K.Hurrell, S. Mannering tries; T. Lolohea 3 gls)
Sharks 18 (V Holmes 2, R Leutele tries; M. Gordon 3 gls).
Halftime: 10-0
