Cronulla have taken a massive step towards securing a top-four NRL position and all but ended Gold Coast's finals hopes with a blistering 44-0 win at Robina.
The Sharks, without injured halves Braydon Trindall and Nicho Hynes, started on fire and kept the foot on the throat in their most professional display of the year to open up a four-point gap over fifth-placed Canterbury.
It was a clinical and classy win in front of 13,287 fans on Friday night, and the club's largest winning margin in Queensland.
Cronulla coach Craig Fitzgibbon moved Cameron McInnes to half to partner Daniel Atkinson and it worked a treat. The Sharks' running game was rampaging across the park as they took a 30-0 lead into the break.
The Titans had won five of their previous six matches, including last week's record 46-18 win over Brisbane, to have a chance of a top-eight finish.
Cronulla had lost four of their previous six to loosen their grip on the top four.
The stakes were high but it was the visitors who responded with a performance that showcased the grit, relentless effort, power and class that has been a trademark of their best displays since a maiden 2016 title win.
"I've been saying it for a month or so that I had been feeling like our effort and defence had been good and sooner or later we'd hold the ball and make it hard for someone ... and tonight was that night," Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon said.
"It is a good time to have a performance like that. The 44 aside, the zero was hard work. Before halftime we (defended) set after set and in the second half we had (Jesse Ramien) in the sin-bin."
Gold Coast were woeful. They had undeservedly been favourites before the match but once again proved it is an expectation they are not equipped to handle.
"It is just disappointing right across the board," skipper Kieran Foran said.
"We had a lot to play for and to go out there and dish that up was not acceptable. That is going to hurt."
Sharks prop Toby Rudolf crashed over from close range in the sixth minute.
Winger Sam Stonestreet swooped on a Klese Haas error and raced 70m to score.
It became worse for the Titans when Moeaki Fotuaika was sin-binned for a high shot on McInnes before Sharks centre Ramien sliced through from a silky Briton Nikora pass.
The speed of the Cronulla play-the-ball was elite and Thomas Hazelton crashed over. When Stonestreet kicked for Siosifa Talakai it was 30-0 after 29 minutes.
Stonestreet and Ramien made it doubles after halftime and Nikora went in to secure a massacre few saw coming.
