That continued for the opening exchanges of the second half before Cronulla turned the match on a superb piece of play when Chad Townsend grubbered through for the impressive William Kennedy.

At that point Canberra's discipline and ball control flew out the window and the Sharks smelled blood.

It's no coincidence the Raiders' capitulation coincided with veteran Soliola leaving the field. The 34-year-old is still a damaging front-rower, but provides such a beacon of coolness for his younger troops to follow when he's on the field.

We have an early contender for hit of the NRL season - just ask unfortunate Cronulla winger Sione Katoa.

The lesson? Don't run at Jack Wighton.

Moments earlier the Dally M medallist fumbled the football 10 metres out from the besieged Sharks defensive line early in the second half.

Wighton felt the need to make amends and when he saw a winger had floated to centre field for a hit-up, he sensed his moment.

Katoa jolted backwards as he felt the full force of Wighton's granite-like frame in a classic one-on-one tackle. You won't see a better shot this season.

The NRL assured us doing the week Kogarah Park would be fine to host the Sharks' home game against the Raiders despite the heavy rain lashing Sydney, and they were spot on.

Early last season Raiders youngster Harley Smith-Shields came a cropper at the venue when he painfully crashed into some advertising boards but there was no such trouble on this occasion.

If anything the vintage suburban ground outperformed expectations, despite holding excess water from the endless deluge hammering Australia's largest city.

Had Townsend's radar been on, the Sharks may well have overrun the Raiders.

He finished with one from four off his goal-kicking right boot and twice missed the chance to level the scores late in the half.

His final throw of the dice was from five metres inside the left touchline after Bailey Simonsson was penalised for tackling Josh Dugan off the ball.

MATCH REPORT: Canberra Raiders hold on to drown Cronulla Sharks

Townsend hooked it like his previous effort and the score stayed at 12-10 where it remained - but not before Matt Moylan attempted a two-point field goal from 55m out after the final siren. The new NRL rule for field goals from outside 40m would have seen the hopeful effort take the match into golden point if it was successful.

This Raiders side is chock full of international superstars, but it's the big boppers on the bench that have Canberra poised for another serious finals tilt in 2021.

Ricky Stuart's squad runs deeper than the old Queanbeyan Pool.

Take new recruit Ryan James who is already working his way into early 'signing of the season' conversations. The former Gold Coast prop looks fitter than he did prior to two knee reconstructions and has already provided plenty of punch in attack and defence for his new club.

Then there's veteran Soliola and Englishman Ryan Sutton, two of the most consistent performers in the entire league who combined for almost 200m.

Wearing number 14 is the unconventional utility Siliva Havili - playing through the middle at the moment but just as adept out of dummy-half if required.

Hudson Young has arguably been Canberra's best player in the opening two rounds and has taken like a duck to water at his new position in the second row - scoring a try in wins over the Wests Tigers and the Sharks.

He hit new levels in the club's run to the preliminary final last season and looks to have continued on the upward curve of progression in 2021.

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