Prime Minister Scott Morrison was in the crowd to see his Cronulla Sharks go down to Manly, while the Newcastle Knights hit top gear to smack the Dragons in Mudgee.

Catch up on all the day's action.

Manly thwarts ScoMo's Sharks

Manly made it a tough afternoon at Shark Park. ( AAP: Craig Golding )

Manly has put a dampener on Scott Morrison's election celebrations with a resounding 24-14 NRL win over the Prime Minister's beloved Cronulla.

Less than 24 hours after being returned to power, the PM and proud Sharks fan was at Shark Park hoping for another win to complete the perfect weekend.

But there was no election-style "miracle" comeback from Cronulla after gifting Manly a match-winning 20-point lead inside the opening 45 minutes.

A fortnight out from the series opener is usually the time for representative hopefuls to press their State of Origin claims.

But NSW coach Brad Fittler, commentating from the sideline, may well have ruled a line through Josh Morris's name after the veteran centre's terrible one-on-one defensive miss allowed Manly fullback Brendan Elliot to bag the visitors' second try.

Nor will Fittler likely be calling on fellow former Blues stalwart Josh Dugan to answer the Blues' centre crisis.

Playing fullback, Dugan was disappointing.

His reluctance to attack the ball directly cost Cronulla one try — to Dylan Walker in his first match back from suspension after being cleared in the courts of domestic violence — and almost another as the Sea Eagles' backline of misfits put the Sharks to the sword.

The likes of Elliot, unsung winger Reuben Garrick and halfback Kane Elgey are all playing inspired football under Des Hasler in the dual premiership-winning coach's first season back at the helm.

It was first-half tries to Elliot and Elgey, as well as one from prop Addin Fonua-Blake and then Walker's just after the break that gave Manly their 24-4 lead.

Replies from Braden Hamlin-Eule and Sosaia Feki gave the Sharks hope with 10 minutes remaining.

But, unlike Mr Morrison on Saturday night, there was no great escape as Manly's sixth win of the year elevated the Sea Eagles — who many tipped to challenge for the wooden spoon — to the cusp of the top four.

Ponga, Pearce masterclass leads Knights to victory

Kalyn Ponga was exceptional in the first half of the contest. ( AAP: Dan Himbrechts )

Mitchell Pearce has stated his case for a State of Origin career resurrection as Newcastle claimed its biggest NRL win since the Wayne Bennett era with a 45-12 mauling of St George Illawarra.

As pressure mounts on incumbent number seven Nathan Cleary, Pearce laid on four tries, scored one of his own and kicked a late 35m field goal in Mudgee on Sunday as the Knights claimed their fourth-straight win.

Fullback Kalyn Ponga also had a field day, denied a try hat-trick by the bunker but finishing with 24 points as he sliced and stepped his way through the Dragons line.

The Knights had the result beyond doubt when they led 28-0 at half-time against a hapless Dragons outfit who slumped to a fourth straight defeat

But the big story was Pearce as he continued the red-hot form which has seen him set up nine tries and score four in the past four weeks.

The 30-year-old Pearce's Origin career appeared well over after he played seven series for NSW without lifting the shield and was unwanted by new coach Brad Fittler when the Blues broke through last year.

Fittler threw Pearce's name back into the conversation last week, talking up his combination with his ex-Sydney Roosters teammates.

Pearce helped open the scoring in Mudgee when he grubbered for Tim Glasby under the posts, before taking the ball to the line and putting Ponga through a gap later in the half.

It was the second of Ponga's two tries, with the fullback having previously stepped through two defenders and beat another three from 30m out.

Pearce also laid on four-pointers for Kurt Mann and Shaun Kenny-Dowall — the latter with a lofted cut-out ball after the break — before chasing down an Edrick Lee grubber to cross himself.

He'll now have one last chance to impress Fittler in next Friday night's blockbuster against the Roosters.

Sunday's win was the Knights' biggest since 2013, when the Knights last reached the finals under Bennett.

The Dragons were barely in the contest after they failed to have a play-the-ball in the Knights' half in the opening 17 minutes.

They gave away three penalties from kick-offs while their only tries came while the Knights had Kurt Mann sin-binned for repeated offences.

The result also came just days after representative lock Jack de Belin lost his Federal Court challenge seeking to overturn the NRL's ban and return for the Saints.

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