Anthony Watmough helped himself to a first-half hat-trick of tries as Manly emerged out of their form slump with a 48-18 NRL win over an awful Cronulla side at Toyota Stadium.

Beaten in four of their last five games, Manly stormed to a 36-0 halftime lead on Saturday, scoring seven tries before the break.

The huge win lifted the Sea Eagles back into the top eight and surely shattered any faint finals aspirations the Sharks possessed.

It was the biggest score conceded by the Sharks this year and the seventh time this season the Sharks had leaked 30 or more points and followed a 40-12 mauling by Manly back in round five.

The Sea Eagles scored nine tries to three. Apart from Watmough, Tony Williams crossed twice and there was one try apiece for fellow winger Michael Robertson, five-eighth Kieran Foran, centre and captain Jamie Lyon and utility Chris Bailey.

Cronulla improved significantly in the second half, scoring three tries to two.

Hit by the late withdrawal of their captain and five-eighth Trent Barrett, Cronulla fell off tackles and were caught horribly short in defence in the first half despite completing their first 11 sets. Williams started the rout in the seventh minute following a kick from lock Glenn Stewart.

Watmough, who had scored just one try in his 15 previous Manly appearances this year, ran 40 metres after charging down a kick from Sharks' halfback John Morris.

The NSW and Australian second rower smashed through some powder-puff defence for his second and it was 20-0 after 20 minutes when Williams crossed for his second.

Watmough completed his hat-trick just before the half hour when he pounced on the ball after Manly captain Jamie Lyon and Shark's fullback Nathan Gardner contested a bomb.

The humiliation continued for Cronulla, who were booed off the field at halftime with Robertson crossing for the sixth try and setting up the seventh for Foran.

Cronulla played with much more heart in the second half, scoring the first 12 points.

Fullback Nathan Gardner who got precious little protection at the back in the first half, showed plenty of pace to score a 44th-minute try.

Lock Paul Gallen, who worked heroically and deputised as captain in Barrett's absence, crossed again three minute, later with winger Luke Covell converting both to cut the deficit to 24 points.

The Sharks started the second half in more determined fashion.

Fullback Nathan Gardner who got precious little protection at the back in the first half, showed plenty of pace to score a 44th minute try.

Lock Paul Gallen, who was deputising as captain in Barrett's absence, crossed again three minutes later with winger Luke Covell converting both to cut the deficit to 24 points.

Manly were held scoreless in the second half until the 65th minute, when captain and centre Jamie Lyon converted his own try which followed an accurate kick from halfback Trent Hodkinson.

Chris Bailey squeezed over in the 75th minute, while Josh Cordoba notched the Sharks last try just before the end.

Watmough said the Manly players had definitely been stung by recent criticism.

"It's going to be good to get a bit of good publicity, the publicity has been pretty bad lately,' Watmough told reporters.

Of his hat-trick, Watmough said he particularly enjoyed his first try.

"I copped a bit of treatment in my first hit up and it's always good to get a bit over someone that gives you a little bit back."

Manly coach Des Hasler said it was important for his team to start getting back on track this week.

"It's been a bit frustrating for the boys the last couple of weeks and it's great just to get back into the grind and control the game," he said.

Lyon attributed Manly's improvement to defending better and completing more than in recent weeks.

Cronulla coach Ricky Stuart felt sorry for the dwindling bunch of faithful Cronulla supporters, with less than 9000 patrons attending the game.

"I feel very disappointed for our loyal fans, the ones that stick week in week out, I feel very sorry for them, embarrassed," Stuart said.

He said his halftime message to the players was about how they needed to finish the match for their own personal pride after the embarrassment of the first 40 minutes.

Gallen said the Sharks had no confidence in themselves, especially when things started going against them.

"We just don't react good when something goes wrong," Gallen said.

"In attack we weren't going too bad and we just couldn't finish our set.

"As soon as there's a penalty or a drop ball and they scored a try it's like we have the mentality `here we go again.' We can't get out of it and it just snowballs."

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