Cronulla will be without two of their key backline pieces for the next couple of weeks, with both Jesse Ramien and Will Kennedy facing multi-week suspensions.
Kennedy was sent off after 15 minutes for a flying high tackle on opposite number Reece Walsh, while the Sharks were reduced to 11 players midway through the second half when Ramien hit Euan Aitken high.
Remarkably, the Sharks kept the game scoreless with a two-man disadvantage, and dominated the Warriors throughout when it was 12 against 13.
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Both were charged with grade three careless high tackles, Kennedy will miss two games with an early guilty plea, or three if he fights it at the judiciary and loses.
Ramien had one previous offence so will miss three games with an early guilty plea, and four with an unsuccessful challenge.
It seems unlikely that either will fight their charges.
The Sharks are set for a re-match of their round one loss to the Raiders at next weekend’s Magic Round, and will stay in Queensland the following week to play the Titans.
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Ramien would miss the game against the Roosters on May 28, and, somewhat ironically, Cronulla would return to full strength in their next match – against the Warriors.
The Sharks are enjoying a fruitful first season under rookie coach Craig Fitzgibbon, boasting a 6-3 record and sitting inside the NRL’s top four after nine rounds.