Kalyn Ponga and John Asiata both failed to run out the game, the latter injuring his arm attempting to tackle Paul Gallen in the first play of the second half while Ponga battled a left shoulder problem.

Ponga's injury was particularly costly. The Newcastle-bound youngster damaged his shoulder just six minutes in, but remained on the field seemingly playing with one arm until early in the second half.

Such was the extent of the damage, Ponga was unable to even pass the football from left to right.

The Sharks skipped back in front of Parramatta into fourth spot on the ladder following the win, while North Queensland are hanging by a thread in eighth spot after a fourth-straight loss with the Canberra Raiders lurking dangerously four points in arrears.

Should the Raiders beat Penrith in Canberra on Sunday, they will be just a solitary win behind the Cowboys with two rounds still to play.

Cronulla, meanwhile, still have work to do and will need at least one more win against the Roosters or Newcastle in their final two weeks to secure a top-four finish and a crucial second chance in the finals.

"The Cowboys have fought really hard for the last three weeks and I've been really impressed with their fighting spirit, they've had some players out," Cronulla coach Shane Flanagan said.

"They haven't given in, in any of the games the last three weeks.

"From our point of view, when you're playing against a team like that, that won't give in, we just have to sort of do our best. To come to North Queensland and get two competition points was the main thing for us and we did that.

"We'll get better in the weeks to come. Today was definitely a step in the right direction, we got 40 good minutes there. We're getting back to where we need to be."

A four-try first-half blitz effectively ended the contest by the main break with the Cowboys dropping like flies, and the Sharks showing no mercy in the far north.

They were much sounder defensively too after conceding 62 points in their last two games against Canberra and Brisbane, although North Queensland were rudderless for large periods, particularly when halfback Michael Morgan went off for a head injury assessment midway through the first half.

He returned in the second half and engaged in a running battle with referee Gerard Sutton, but failed to inspire his depleted troops to a much-needed 13th win of the season.

Jason Taumalolo was also required to undertake a head injury assessment following a knock in the second half, but he too was able to return. By that stage the game had long stopped being a genuine contest.

The Cowboys gamely fought on in the second half despite their injuries and North Queensland coach Paul Green would have taken some solace in the fact his wounded charges never threw in the towel.

"I'm really proud of the way that the team hangs in there and keeps playing," Green said.

"It makes life tough particularly when you're losing guys in your backs, it makes it really tough."

Ethan Lowe and Morgan crossed the stripe late in the game to give the scoreline some respectability, and setting up a huge clash with the Wests Tigers next Friday.

Their finals destiny remains in their own hands, but their playing roster will be even further stretched over the final two rounds if the injuries to Ponga and Asiata prove significant.

Cronulla started superbly in Townsville, scoring two tries in the opening 10 minutes.

Returning young gun Jayden Brailey touched down after five minutes, finishing off some excellent work down the short side by veteran Luke Lewis, who fooled Javid Bowen with his dummy before offloading to the hooker.

Gallen then scored his third try of the season, supporting James Maloney on the inside after the five-eighth stepped around Taumalolo close to the line.

Maloney was fired up for his 200th NRL appearance and had the ball of a string as the Sharks dominated the opening half.

North Queensland's only highlight of that first 40 minutes came when Te Maire Martin chase through a Morgan grubber, but not before Chad Townsend and then Valentine Holmes crossed the stripe effectively killing off the contest.

Townsend stepped through some very tired defence, and then three minutes before the break Maloney laid on another try, turning the ball inside to Holmes who reached out and scored.