Tonegato leads the way as Sharks shutout Cowboys

Sharks playmaker Emma Tonegato steered her side to a gritty 14-0 shutout of the Cowboys at PointsBet Stadium on Saturday.

After playing fullback for NSW in the recent State of Origin series, Tonegato reverted to five-eighth for Cronulla and had a hand in all three of her side's first half tries as the Sharks dominated the opening 35 minutes.

NSW Origin team-mate Tiana Penitani, the Sharks captain, overcame illness to play a starring role in the win and Cronulla's try celebrations - pretending to tee off in golf after scoring in the eighth minute and performing CPR on Cassie Staples after her 15th minute try.

Staples scored her second try in the 28th minute after fullback Jada Taylor chimed into the backline and halfback Tayla Preston converted from the sideline to give the Sharks a 14-0 halftime lead.

Both teams had their chances in the second half, but desperate defence and the wet conditions contributed to a high error rate that kept the scoreline unchanged at fulltime.

North Queensland's best tryscoring opportunity came late in the first half but winger Krystal Blackwell was bundled into touch by impressive Sharks centre Annessa Biddle.

The Cowboys dominated the second half possession stakes but Cronulla's defence stood firm.