The top eight dream is still alive for Cronulla but the Wests Tigers' long finals wait looks set to continue after the Sharks' record 50-20 NRL win at Rockhampton.
Ronaldo Mulitalo, Sione Katoa, William Kennedy and Luke Metcalf all grabbed doubles as Cronulla (9-13 record) jumped from 10th into the top eight with two rounds left, snapping a three-game losing run.
However, it may have come at a huge cost with Mulitalo suffering a suspected broken jaw when he copped a stray elbow from Tigers try-scorer Tommy Talau in the 64th minute.
Mulitalo was in tears as he left the field clutching ice to his jaw.
He had earlier been all smiles after a first-half double and had a chance to score a hat-trick but unselfishly passed for impressive half Metcalf to cross in the 42nd minute.
The Tigers reeled in a 24-point deficit to trail 34-20 in the 65th minute with three tries in 10 minutes.
But Matt Moylan - playing his first game in eight weeks due to a calf injury - came off the bench to help spark a Sharks surge, scoring three tries in the final 10 minutes to ensure a blowout.
It was the most points Cronulla had scored against the Tigers and marked the first time they had reached a half-century since round 10, 2016.
Tigers mentor Michael Maguire came down from his coach's box to bark orders from the sideline in the second half.
But it wasn't enough to inspire the joint venture who appear to have missed out on the finals yet again after remaining in 13th spot (8-14 record).
The Tigers have not played finals since 2011.
In another concern, Tigers playmaker Adam Doueihi received treatment on his knee late in the match.
The Sharks bounced back on Saturday in the first NRL game played in Rockhampton after a traumatic week.
Sharks forward Andrew Fifita was placed in an induced coma in a Brisbane hospital this week and underwent throat surgery after copping a hit in their last round loss to Newcastle.
"Thankfully Andrew took a selfie of himself this morning from his hospital bed so that's a positive sign," interim Sharks coach Josh Hannay told Fox League on Saturday.
The Tigers were aiming for three straight wins for the first time since 2018 and looked on track when Michael Chee Kam scored in the fifth minute.
But Cronulla hit back to lead 16-4 at halftime and stood tall in a rollercoaster second stanza that featured nine tries.
The Sharks' Briton Nikora was placed on report for a 42nd-minute tackle.
