Broncos captain Darius Boyd was arguably his side's best, particularly on set plays in good-ball position where he had a hand in two of their four tries.
Winger Corey Oates put in a whole-hearted effort, while all five starting forwards, including new recruit Korbin Sims, carried the ball for over 100m each.
Five-eighth Anthony Milford sealed the match with a moment of brilliance late in the game, stepping off both feet before powering over two defenders to the tryline.
However, Bennett refused to single out a player for their performance, instead praising his team for withstanding a second-half Sharks comeback despite losing Alex Glenn to concussion.
"We didn't have a bad player. They all had to put their hand up and they did that. We couldn't have won here if we didn't," Bennett said.
"They all made a contribution. We had to - Cronulla played like a premiership team. They had a lot of confidence about themselves. That's what a premiership does for you.
"It gives you confidence and belief. They never thought they were beaten at any stage of the game. We had to overcome all those things. I was pleased with what we did."
Cronulla coach Shane Flanagan, meanwhile, is adamant his team haven't lost focus despite the reigning NRL premiers' disappointing display.
In stark contrast to last year's all-conquering outfit, Flanagan's men completed just two-thirds of their 32 sets, missed almost twice as many tackles, and were on the wrong side of a 10-5 penalty count. AAP
