Walsh was otherwise impressive aside from his memorable fumble, playing with confidence and breaking a 15-game scoring drought with his first-half try.

Earlier Ronaldo Mulitalo was awarded his second try on review, somehow keeping his leg in the air over the sideline to the approval of the bunker, who reversed the on-field, no-try soft ruling.

With Katoa completing a hat-trick, Cronulla scored eight tries to three. The fact many were scored near the sideline, however, didn’t help the goalkicking of Nicho Hynes, who made just three off the tee.

Victory for the Sharks (8-5, fifth) meant they avoided their first back-to-back losses of the season.

Siosifa Talakai managed 206 running metres, while Hynes called the shots with precise end-of-set kicking as both pressed their cases for State of Origin call-ups for game two in Perth in a fortnight.

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Cronulla’s first-year coach Craig Fitzgibbon was happy to escape but said the challenge remained to reduce the difference between their best and worst.

“We knew with a new (Warriors) coach, possibly a big energy shift is going to happen,” he said.

“So to respond after that start, I’m really happy about that.

“Physically we were there, mentally we just wobbled in and out of the game.”