Townsend slots a one-pointer to cap off the victory.
Souths with some late momentum but it won't be enough. They're on the attack here after a Sharks error.
Reynolds adds the extras to limit the damage.
Campbell Graham grabs a consolation four-pointer for the Bunnies as play winds down in the Shire.
SJ converts the try he set up and this is looking very bad for the Bunnies with five weeks left of the regular season.
Nikora gets the Sharks' into 'beyond doubt' territory and they'll collect the two points tonight. Great ball from Johnson before the line.
Reynolds converts to slim the margin back to 14 points.
Walker gets one back for South Sydney! Well then...
That's the game! Johnson takes the lead out to 20 points and it's all happening at Pointsbet.
Xerri gets his second after some brilliant lead up play sees the Sharks exploit the Rabbitohs' right side defence. Morris draws and passes and Xerri goes over close to the sticks.
Souths struggling a bit and Damien Cook is holding his arm. This could be a problem for them beyond this week...
Johnson adds the points from the penalty and the lead is out to fourteen points.
Burgess and Gallen come together in a tackle but the Sharks end up with a penalty from it.
Souths a bit clunky in the attacking zone and Cronulla not really challenged in defence. If the Sharks can get the next try this game could well be over.
Dugan forces the error from South Sydney half Adam Reynolds on his own 15m. Sharks scrum.
Souths have it first as we resume for the second stanza.
That's halftime and the Sharks are ahead by two converted tries. Game not over by any means but the home side has been quite impressive.
Johnson misses for the first time tonight!
J Moz grabs Cronulla's FOURTH try! His grounding is cleared and the lead shoots back out to 12 points.
Bunker time. Brailey kicks ahead... Morris is claiming a four-pointer! We're checking grounding.
Perfect record maintained now for Johnson who is 4/4.
Xerri ducks and weaves his way to the line out wide! Cronulla regain the momentum.
Cronulla with a good attacking chance now. An opportunity to stem the flow of Rabbitohs points.
Reynolds nails it.
Murray burrows over off a Cook ball and the class is showing through for the visitors now!
Reyno with the extras means the gap closes back to eight points with 13 minutes to the break.
Superb kick, superb collect and superb slide. Gagai collects and grounds it! Perfect return of serve from Souths who've been dominated so far.
Bunker time for Dane Gagai who's claiming a try off a pin-point Reynolds kick!
Suddenly it's a pretty decent margin the Sharks lead by! SJ converts and it's 14-0.
Brilliant start to this one from Cronulla and Wade Graham sets up a beauty of a try for Josh Dugan with a perfect short ball before the line 10m out. Dugan shoots through and scores 10m beside the posts.
Sharks look like scoring a certain try after Gagai spills a bomb but Townsend spills the pick-up. Souths knock on first so it's a Cronulla feed 15m out!
Beauty of a conversion from the near touchline. SJ nails it.
Mulitalo incredibly stays in the air despite the initial ruling of no try! Sharks first try of the evening.
We're off to the Bunker. Mulitalo is claiming a try. We're checking touch and grounding.
End to end for the moment. Both sides getting a bit niggly and conceding penalties but nothing special thus far.
No try, Moylan's made it dead just in time. Drop-out for Cronulla to sustain... but Souths lose it on the return!
Upstairs for a possible Rabbitohs try... Cody Walker claiming four points. Checking grounding and dead ball...
Johnson converts the penalty into points and as Warren Smith says, Cronulla will play from in front tonight.
Sam is on report and it's a Sharks penalty. They will go for two.
Time off with Moylan down after a high shot by Sam Burgess.
A souths error has the Sharks on the attack.
We're underway with Cronulla first in possession.
Referees & scorers:
Referee: Adam Gee, David Munro
Touch Judges: Mark Bohan, Tim Roby
Video Referee: Jared Maxwell, Ben Galea
CRONULLA-SUTHERLAND SHARKS (39)
Tries: Ronaldo Mulitalo, Josh Dugan, Bronson Xerri (2), Josh Morris, Briton Nikora
Field Goals: Chad Townsend (1/1)
Conversions: Shaun Johnson (5/6)
Penalty Goals: Shaun Johnson (2/2)
SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS (24)
Tries: Dane Gagai, Cameron Murray, Cody Walker, Campbell Graham
Field Goals:
Conversions: Adam Reynolds (4/4)
Penalty Goals: