SYDNEY - Tim Smith may not be Cronulla's saviour, but the Sharks are not the worst team in the history of the NRL either.
Smith stressed over and again at his unveiling this week that he could not single-handedly resurrect the Sharks, who were staring down the barrel of equalling
the worst losing streak in NRL history, 14 games, at Toyota Stadium on Saturday night.
But, as Smith made his debut for his new club against his old one, the Sharks' 11-0 upset of Parramatta avoided an unwanted place in the history books with the Western Suburbs side of 1998-99.
Cronulla won the only way they know how - ugly - against an even uglier Eels in an error-riddled game played, at times, in driving rain in front of 13,213 diehards.
Smith, playing his first NRL game since early 2008, survived a first-half head clash with Parramatta lock Feleti Mateo to show he will improve the Sharks' kicking game - booting an 80th minute field goal - although his passing game looked rusty on occasions.
Cronulla's Indigenous All Star winger Blake Ferguson bagged a second-half double and was flattened by a Fuifui Moimoi cheap shot which left the Eels front-rower on report.
After a scoreless arm-wrestle of a first half, Cronulla, whose side included five former Eels, finally opened the scoring in the 44th minute.
A great offload from second-rower Grant Millington allowed Trent Barrett to send a cut-out ball to Ferguson but the try was not without controversy.
Video referee Russell Smith ruled John Morris had not obstructed the defence despite the Sharks utility appearing to contact two Eels players in the lead-up.
It was 8-0 ten minutes later when a Ben Pomeroy burst sent Ferguson careering away for his second, but the winger needed to put a fend on Nathan Hindmarsh to get there.
After Smith added a 61st-minute penalty goal to make it 10-0, much improved fullback Albert Kelly was denied when he just couldn't ground a Paul Aiton grubber 10 minutes later.
Both sides had got over the line but were denied in the first half.
Sharks lock Paul Gallen crashed over from dummy half in the third minute, but was denied by video referee Smith who ruled he had lost control of the ball.
The Eels also got over once, in the 37th, but Jarryd Hayne's cut-out pass to Eric Grothe floated forward.
Veteran Sharks winger Luke Covell was carried from the field in the 32nd minute with a suspected ACL injury to his right knee.
- AAP
SYDNEY - Tim Smith may not be Cronulla's saviour, but the Sharks are not the worst team in the history of the NRL either.
Smith stressed over and again at his unveiling this week that he could not single-handedly resurrect the Sharks, who were staring down the barrel of equalling
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