Broncos 12 Sharks 22
Cronulla halfback Braydon Trindall bounced back from difficult moments off the field to lead a 22-12 comeback win over Brisbane in one of his finest hours.
In the absence of rested star half Nicho Hynes, the Sharks No.7 scored a try and set up two more at Suncorp Stadium as the visitors recovered from a 12-4 half-time deficit.
The win ended a two-game losing streak for the Sharks and returned them to the top of the ladder.
The NRL issued Trindall with an infringement notice last month after he pleaded guilty in court to mid-range drink driving and the presence of an illicit prescribed drug following an incident on 22 April.
He has been waived by the Sharks to focus on his mental health and missed five games.
Saturday's clash with the Broncos was his second game back and the 24-year-old rose to play a key role in an impressive win in front of 41,004 fans.
Cronulla celebrate Blayke Brailey's try.Credit: Getty
The Sharks scored three tries in a devastating seven-minute spell after the break.
Cronulla's back five is a key strength and it was winger Sione Katoa who advanced from a scrum with strength and guile to reduce the margin to two points just after the break.
Five minutes later Trindall threw a dummy and it went past rower Brendan Piakura and the Sharks had the lead.
The Broncos had barely caught a breath after that double hit when a Trindall bomb was thrown by fullback Tristan Sailor and Blayke Brailey scored.
Sharks prop Royce Hunt came off the bench and was huge with his energy and raw power, while center Jesse Ramien put in a stellar display to stake his claim to replace the suspended Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii next to home state of NSW.
Brisbane captain Patrick Carrigan, returning from Origin with Queensland, backed up a flurry from hooker Billy Walters to score the first try under the posts after 11 minutes.
But the Sharks returned the favor when forward Siosifa Talakai started and finished an attacking move down the left with brute force.
The Broncos defended seven after seven in their own line as the Sharks launched repeated waves of attack but came up empty.
As is often the case, the Broncos took their first chance at the other end.
Hooker Tyson Smoothy scored when Jock Madden's half kick bounced off Madden's arms.
The Broncos, with several players backing up from Origin, ran out of gas in the second half and made a number of mistakes, with their last-minute options poor.
AAP
