Brett Kimmorley had a hunch.

"It's funny, you know - I practised a few field goals yesterday," he said.

"I had a feeling it was going to be a close game."

A rollicking local derby, decided by a Kimmorley try and field goal in the final five minutes, proved beyond all doubt that ANZ Stadium is a dud.

The last stoush between these two bickering old neighbours was like a funeral at the soulless Olympic cavern. The return bout at a real home ground went off like New Year's Eve thanks to a magnificently feral atmosphere generated by 18,256 people crammed into a full house.

"That's what rugby league is all about," Sharks coach Ricky Stuart said. "That was a tough game of footy."

The Sharks trailed 12-0 early in the second half but kept pushing forward. They win more arm wrestles than Popeye.

"Very courageous," Stuart said.

"Credit to my blokes today for their determination and courage. The Dragons were really pumped coming here tonight. It was desperation stakes for them. Our players did really well to handle that type of intensity.

"My main message was: 'Don't go away from what we've been talking about and practising all week'. We stuck to what we spoke about, which is hard when you're 12 points down.

"It's easy to panic and get frustrated. We had the ability to stick to our footy."

Kimmorley levelled the score in the 75th minute from his own grubber, missed a field goal attempt with a shot uglier than your stepsister but then nailed the matchwinner from 25 metres.

"The try was just through effort," Kimmorley said.

"That's what we've been good at lately, just continually turning up. We played the full 80 minutes and made it pretty hard for them. I think the try was just our reward for doing that.

"My first shot at a field goal was pretty ugly, I suppose, but the second one was nice."

Kimmorley's heroics blew the roof off the joint on the night the new grandstand was opened. And they saved Stuart from blowing his top over a howler by referee Jared Maxwell that robbed the Sharks of a try to winger David Simmons.

"I would have been filthy," Stuart said.

Dragons forward Dan Hunt coughed up possession in the first minute for the entirely legitimate reason that the Sharks forwards had attempted to kill him. There was aggro straight afterwards when Dragons prop Justin Poore threw a left at his opposite number, Ben Ross.

There was a stinging atmosphere. Grand finals have begun with less intensity. Poore ended up leaving on a medicab because of a dislocated kneecap.

"They had all the ball and got all the penalties," Dragons coach Nathan Brown said.

"It's sad. You put so much effort in but you don't get to take anything home with you."

A journalist asked Brown what he made of a few of many doubtful calls.

Brown replied: "What did you make of them?" The journo: "I thought they were pretty average, mate." Brown: "I reckon you should write that, then."

Dragons five-eighth Jamie Soward - made to tackle, tackle, tackle from the opening whistle - executed a perfect 40-20 kick from the next scrum, chipped over the top for Brett Morris to motor through and score.

Soward converted with a pre-kick routine resembling one of the horses likely to be prancing around at the Olympic equestrian event. Morris damaged his shoulder. He went off and was not sighted again.

It was the kind of game where the Dragons would be penalised and Sharks captain Paul Gallen would start screaming about giving the offender 10 minutes in the bin. There may also have been gesticulating. Gallen was not placed on report for anything. True story! "I didn't even give a penalty away tonight, so I've had a blinder," Gallen said.

"At the end of the game I got the boys together and said that's one of the gutsiest wins I've been involved in."

The Sharks kept throwing Greg Bird's kitchen at the Dragons but they were heading for a loss until Kimmorley's late interjection. Maxwell's blunder had been inconsequential.

CRONULLA 13 (L Covell B Kimmorley tries L Covell 2 goals B Kimmorley field goal) bt ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA 12 (B Morris J Morris tries J Soward 2 goals) at Toyota Stadium. Referee: J Maxwell. Crowd: 18,256.