LeagueNews.co | Cooper McEnroe
In a game that could be described as an arm-wrestle, the Sharks emerged victorious in a gritty pre-season battle against the Bulldogs.
It was a hard-fought win for Craig Fitzgibbon's men, who were deadlocked with their opponents at 6-6 for the entirety of the first half.
However, Sharks youngster Chris Vea'ila proved to be the match-winner with his late try, snatching the victory for his team.
Both sides will surely appreciate the opportunity to shake off any rust and fine tune their combinations before the start of the season.
Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, they struggled with their execution, tallying up a total of 17 errors throughout the match, while the Sharks weren't far behind with 14.
The game started off with a bang for Cronulla, as Teig Wilton barged through a gap near the try line in the 14th minute to give his team a 6-0 lead.
However, the Bulldogs quickly cranked up the pressure and came close to scoring in the 31st minute, with Josh Addo-Carr setting up new recruit Bronson Xerri, only for Briton Nikora to make a try-saving tackle.
Despite this defensive effort, Nikora soon found himself in the sin bin for a leg pull, and the Bulldogs took advantage of the extra space to score through Jacob Preston, who powered his way over the line.
Matt Burton's successful conversion leveled the score at 6-6 going into halftime.