Emma Verran put on a clinic in Canberra, scoring four tries as Cronulla torched the Raiders 56-6 at GIO Stadium in a performance that underlined their premiership intent.
Coming off a narrow loss to the Eels in Round 1, the Sharks wasted no time setting the tone, crossing ten times in total, with Verran bagging a first-half hat-trick and adding a fourth just after the break.
The Olympic gold medallist also set up two more and ran for 179 metres in a relentless display of pace and polish.
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Quincy Dodd opened the scoring in the third minute before Verran crossed in the 12th, 23rd, 32nd, and 38th minutes to blow the game apart before half-time. Debutant Stephanie Faulkner added a double of her own, including a first-half effort followed by a cheeky worm celebration just before the break.
“We had a really honest chat and a long, hard look in the mirror,” Verran told Nine. “We got pulled up on a couple of effort areas that we don't accept in our Sharks footy... I think everyone showed up today, so I'm super proud of the girls.”
Faulkner capped off her fairytale debut with two tries and a big smile, telling Nine post-match: “I remember last night I was thinking to myself, ‘What should I do if I score a try?’ Then I was like, ‘Steph, you’re not going to score a try’… then I was like, ‘Oh, the worm it is’.”
Rhiannon Byers also crossed twice, with Georgia Ravics adding one of her own in a second-half blitz. The Sharks slotted 8 of 10 conversions through Georgia Hannaway to round off the 56-point haul.
Madison Bartlett’s 17th-minute try was all the home side had to show for their efforts, converted by Zahara Temara. The Raiders trailed 30-6 at half-time and couldn’t stem the tide after the break.
With clear skies and strong conditions underfoot, Cronulla’s dominance across the park has them back on track heading into their Round 3 clash with the Cowboys.