A month ago, the Sharks were fighting to make the finals. They can now aim much higher

And on the seventh day, the sun came out, the waters subsided, and Cronulla sized up a top-four finish.

In the type of narrative reserved for the good book and after biblical rains to match, the Sharks are surging at just the right time after a weekend of boilovers.

North Queensland couldn’t have been more obliging either on a soggy Sunday at Shark Park.

A comprehensive 32-12 win lifts Craig Fitzgibbon’s side to seventh on the ladder with a +43 points differential.

They sit equal with Brisbane on 28 competition points, but fall behind on for and against after the Broncos’ 60-14 thrashing of South Sydney on Friday.

The Sharks are finishing fast and threatening to surge past Brisbane, Penrith (fifth on 29 points), and the injury-ravaged Warriors (fourth on 30 points). They also have the softest run home of all finals contenders.

Nicho Hynes.Credit: Getty Images

Having found themselves in a dogfight with the Roosters, Dolphins and Manly for the last two top-eight spots only a few weeks ago, Cronulla’s fourth-straight win now has them aiming higher.

If they were to nitpick, the Sharks really could’ve done with putting cricket score on the Cowboys with their points differential in mind.

But aside from ladder-leaders Canberra, the Sharks are the only side with a shot at finals with a bye in hand.

Cronulla’s run home - with games against the Dragons, Titans, Knights and Bulldogs - presents a rolled gold chance to sneak into the top four and secure an all-important second crack come finals time.

“Where we land on the ladder is where we land,” Fitzgibbon said, taking heart from Cronulla’s goal-line defence after their first-half dominance against the Cowboys.

“But we want to perform like we’re worthy of being up there. We haven’t done that yet, but we’re getting closer and closer.”

With Blayke Brailey holding court, Ronaldo Mulitalo crossing twice and miserable pre-game rain subsiding, the Sharks were home and hosed before halftime.

When oranges were taken and the rain returned with a vengeance, it was 26-0 and coach Todd Payten was halfway to the airport.

North Queensland’s top eight hopes were already hinging on mathematical equations. Now they don’t even have those.

“We’re beating ourselves, that’s the simplest way to put it,” Payten lamented. “[There are] not a lot of times this year we’ve been outplayed. We’ve shot ourselves in the foot too often.”

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The Sharks played with abandon for the first 40 minutes despite the quagmire underfoot. Passes stuck, and Brailey only pumped up his contract value further by orchestrating opening tries to Braydon Trindall and Addin Fonua-Blake.

Quick hands to the left edge had Mulitalo over twice in the space of five minutes, while the Cowboys had the lion’s share of possession and penalties after halftime.

Only Griffin Neame was able to cross the Sharks’ line until a junk-time 77th minute for Braidon Burns. And to be fair, by that point, Cronulla had bigger fish to fry.

Local rivals and former Sharks premiership-winner Shane Flanagan await next Saturday at Kogarah. The top four isn’t too far away either.

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