Cronulla produced an upset 16-10 NRL victory over Manly to claim just their third win at Brookvale Oval in over two decades.

In a physical contest which is likely to come under close scrutiny by the match review committee on Monday, the Sharks emerged with a valuable away win in front of a 15,424-strong crowd to kick start their 2008 campaign.

Sharks fullback Brett Kearney (64th minute) and winger Bryson Goodwin (36th) scored tries for the visitors while Anthony Watmough crossed the stripe in just the ninth minute before Michael Bani (79th minute) added a late consolation for the home side.

The Sea Eagles had a final frenetic minute to force extra time but lock Greg Bird gathered a loose kick to secure the Sharks win.

What the game lacked in scoring was easily made up for with confrontation, Ben Ross taken to hospital after just six minutes following a sickening head clash with new Manly prop Josh Perry.

Sharks Test star Bird was lucky not to join Ross in the casualty ward, collected by a swinging Glenn Stewart forearm in the 68th minute but he bravely resumed playing.

Stewart's hit on Bird proved costly for the Sea Eagles, however, as winger Bani scored in the corner off the Sharks lock's spilled ball only for video referee Phil Cooley to deny the try and blunt Manly's fightback.

Manly had led 6-0 after Watmough crossed from new hooker Matt Ballin's brilliant offload, but despite early possession and a favourable penalty count the Sea Eagles could not extend their advantage.

The Sharks were denied a try just before the half hour when referee Jared Maxwell ruled a forward pass from David Simmons to Kearney, but there was nothing wrong with Goodwin's 36th minute effort and Luke Covell's sideline conversion for a slender 8-6 lead at the break.

Sharks prop Ross was unconscious for at least two minutes on the field and was followed to hospital by his parents who were at the ground.

Scans at Royal North Shore Hospital have since cleared him of a fractured neck but he is undergoing an operation to re-implant one of the two front teeth he had knocked out in the collision.

He will miss at least two weeks.

Sharks coach Ricky Stuart was relieved Ross had not suffered a broken neck and praised his forwards Paul Gallen, Reece Williams and Luke Douglas who all played 80 minutes in the gritty win.

"Thank God he is not too bad off," said Stuart.

"It was a very, very tough win, getting two points here is a big effort and a big ask."

Manly coach Des Hasler said the Sharks had deserved the victory, but felt hard done by with the video referee's decision to penalise Stewart's accidental contact with Bird's head when contesting the ball, disallowing a try that could have given his side a late sniff.

"I thought we probably had cause to be a bit disappointed with that," said Hasler.

"To come here and get two points off us is a real good effort.

"To a certain extent we have ourselves to blame.

"We had enough ball in enough good positions particularly in the first 40 minutes to come away with more points than we did."

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