Sharks shatter nil-scoring Knights

v BYE

A listless Newcastle Knights have given up 62 points without a response at Hunter Stadium today, with Cronulla flexing their premiership muscle in a clinical display.

The hosts were struck a blow before a ball had been kicked in anger with winger Nathan Ross omitted in the warm-up through a hamstring injury. Despite that, the Knights started brightly and dominated field position - but after the Sharks woke up the result looked never in doubt.

An electric first half from Valentine Holmes saw the Sharks wunderkind bag a hat-trick before the 25th minute, after opening the scoring in the 8th. He could have had four in the same period but for Ben Barba winning a footrace to a Townsend grubber for the second try of the afternoon.

Sosaia Feki also struck a handy blow for the Sharks inside the last ten minutes of the half when he crossed out wide. Newcastle simply had no answers as the visitors went into halftime leading 28-0.

Holmes eventually claimed his fourth try in the 46th minute, before Feki grabbed his second on the way to his own hat-trick which he completed in the 72nd minute. Cronulla were simply clinical, with Luke Lewis bagging a double and Wade Graham also adding his name to the scoresheet before the afternoon was out.

Newcastle walk away from their biggest loss at home since their 1988 inception, and will need to brush themselves off for a trip to Campbelltown next Saturday where they'll face the out-of-form Wests Tigers. Emotional scenes concluded the match with Dane Gagai embracing Tariq Sims on the siren.

Cronulla now head home to host Manly in the latest edition of the Steve Rogers Trophy at Southern Cross Group Stadium next Saturday as well.