While Melbourne's victory over Cronulla ensured a fitting 200th NRL match for skipper Cameron Smith, it wasn't as memorable as it should have been for him.

The Storm ground out a 14-8 win at AAMI Park against a Sharks outfit that was big on effort but lacked execution at crucial times.

The home side only secured the win with a try by winger Sisa Waqa in the 73rd minute on Sunday, breaking the 8-8 deadlock.

Backing up after earning man of the match honours in Queensland's State of Origin victory over NSW on Wednesday, Smith suffered a head knock about 10 minutes before the break and said he later he couldn't recall any of the first half.

Given the high error count and that neither side managed to score a point, he didn't miss all that much.

"I got a knock in the front of the mouth ... it rattled me," Smith said.

"I came in at halftime and was just sitting there in a bit of a daze.

"The only thing I remember from the first half was taking the run off the tap and that was about it."

Smith was cleared by the team doctor and said he came good as he ran on for the second half.

Waqa's try came after five-eighth Gareth Widdop kicked the ball into the in-goal but it rebounded off a Shark and he was able to regather and then find the winger to score.

Widdop also set up the Storm's other try, scored in the 47th minute.

He kicked high into the in-goal and Sharks winger Stewart Mills spilled the ball as he and Waqa leapt high, with Storm centre Dane Nielsen diving on it.

The Sharks levelled seven minutes later as speedy fullback Isaac Gordon ran on to an inside ball by tireless NSW skipper Paul Gallen and escaped the clutches of Billy Slater, who played while suffering the flu.

The teams then traded penalties, with the game stalled at 8-8 until Waqa's effort.

Smith, who joined retired winger Matt Geyer as only the second Storm player to reach the milestone, said his side did it tough.

"It was frustrating the way we played ... but the attitude and the effort was there.

"If we get our execution right we should be able to win these games comfortably."

Sharks coach Shane Flanagan lamented his side's kicking game, which proved the difference.

"They got two tries off kicks and our kicking was bordering on disastrous," Flanagan said.

"I thought we were coming home but it wasn't to be."

Cronulla's battle was all the braver given they lost two props to injury in the first half.

Luke Douglas, who hasn't missed a match since making his debut in 2006, limped off with medial damage to his knee nine minutes in while his replacement Josh Cordoba suffered a hamstring problem and didn't return.

Sharks centre Ben Pomeroy was placed on report for a lifting tackle on Nielsen in the 24th minute.

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