New South Wales Origin debutant Andrew Fifita produced a stirring performance to power an under-strength Cronulla to a gritty 14-12 win over National Rugby League competition leaders South Sydney on Monday night.
Coming off the bench, Fifita frequently made big metres against the giant Rabbitohs pack just a day after being named on the bench for the opening State of Origin clash against Queensland in Sydney next week.
The Sharks fired up and bustled the high-scoring Rabbitohs out of their stride to force errors and made good metres with the ball.
Two first-half tries meant Cronulla took a 12-6 half-time advantage which was wiped out within four minutes of the restart when forward Sam Burgess smashed his way over the line.
But the Sharks regained the initiative in the final quarter and Fifita earned a match-clinching penalty when he was stripped of the ball near the Souths line.
The victory at home was their fourth in a row and lifted them to seventh on the ladder.
It was the Rabbitohs' second loss of the season and their first in five games.
