By Alex Mitchell in Canberra

Cronulla are back on top of the NRL table after crushing a hapless Canberra outfit in a 40-0 shellacking at GIO Stadium.

Without vital halfback Jamal Fogarty, the Raiders looked blunt in attack and were no match for the surging Sharks, who scored seven unanswered tries to make it four wins on the bounce.

Defence was just as much of a problem for the Green Machine, with some shocking lapses allowing their rivals to skip clear early without even playing their best football.

And when the Sharks hit their straps late they carved them up, winger Sione Katoa taking full advantage of the soft edges with the easiest of doubles.

Makeshift halfback and Raiders debutant Kaeo Weekes struggled to leave a mark on the contest, his kicking game lacking the expertise Fogarty’s had been delivering.

Cronulla had no such problems without Braydon Trindall after his midweek drink-driving charges, Dan Atkinson confidently taking the five-eighth role and pairing with the in-form Nicho Hynes.

Halfback Hynes scored one try, assisted another, kicked a 40-20 and ran the Sharks’ potent attack to continue building into his 2024 campaign.

The Raiders were down 12-0 after two poor breakdowns, although could have found a way back in on 26 minutes when speedster Xavier Savage put Danny Levi clean through.

But the hooker dropped the ball cold with minimal pressure on him, and instead of trailing 12-6 they were down 18-0 just a minute later when Katoa crossed out wide.

The Sharks made the Raiders pay for not taking their chances again shortly after halftime, second-rower Briton Nikora skipping through the line just two minutes after Canberra five-eighth Ethan Strange was held up in-goal.

NSW State of Origin candidate Cam McInnes had got the ball rolling for the Sharks with a scrambled team effort on 14 minutes, but the alarm bells really began ringing for the Raiders when prop Thomas Hazelton galloped through to score untouched soon after.

The Raiders, whose spine features Weekes (22 years old, one club game), Strange (19, nine games) and fullback Chevy Stewart (18, three games), won’t have Fogarty for about three months as he recovers from a ruptured bicep.