Newcastle have suffered their second straight loss with the NRL's big improvers Cronulla celebrating Aiden Tolman's 300th with an 18-0 win on a windy night at PointsBet Stadium.
The Knights did well to limit the Sharks to only two tries until the final 15 minutes, but the home side were dominant for most of the game.
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They made more metres, were harder in defence and were able to make the most of their opportunities.
Tries from Cronulla backs Sione Katoa, Siosifa Talakai and Will Kennedy, along with one from milestone man Tolman, secured victory for the Sharks in front of a vocal crowd.
The Knights let themselves down with handling errors and by giving away cheap penalties, which prevented them from establishing any attacking pressure for most of the game.
When they did for a brief period late in the match - they were a player short after Dom Young was sin-binned in the 60th minute.
The conditions were predicted to be a factor in the game and from the kick off it was evident it was going to be a tough night for kickers and catchers of the ball.
The Knights had the wind behind them in the first half, but it was perhaps more a hindrance than an advantage with Jake Clifford rolling one dead from behind his own 30-metre line early on and then not proving as effective as usual.
Both sides made six errors each in the opening 40 minutes and while the Sharks conceded five penalties to Newcastle's three, it was the home side that posted points.
Aiden Tolman sent the crowd into a frenzy when he scored in the 26th minute, Knights hooker Chris Randall unable to hold the prop back as he barged over from a few metres out.
The Sharks looked to be in again a few minutes later when Sione Katoa darted down the right touchline and kicked past Ponga to almost score his side's second, but the video referee ruled he had knocked on.
Ponga appeared to hurt his leg attempting to kick the ball out over the dead-ball line, but he played on.
Newcastle trailed 8-0 at halftime but they should have went into the sheds trailing by only four.
With less than two minutes left in the first half, Knights forward Jirah Momoisea was pinned for a high shot on halfway and it proved costly with Sione Katoa scoring one of the thrilling diving tries that have become common place in the game a few plays later.
Kalyn Ponga was a bit rusty after missing the past two matches while Tyson Frizell, who was playing his 200th game, left the field with a possible hamstring injury in the second half.
