The Storm will be out for revenge next weekend against the Cowboys after wrapping up the minor premiership in Melbourne last night.
The Storm will enter the NRL finals with the league's best record after their 26-6 win over Cronulla at AAMI Park.
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Storm lift to clinch Minor Premiership
The Storm have taken out the 2016 Minor Premiership after a powerful defensive performance saw them out-muscle the Sharks 26-6 in Melbourne.
Earlier in the evening, the North Queensland Cowboys defeated the Coast Titans to secure fourth spot and a subsequent qualifying final against the Storm next weekend.
Last year the Cowboys thrashed the Storm 32-12 at the same stadium in a preliminary final. "Hopefully we can carry that [last night's] sort of form over the next couple of weeks," Storm coach Craig Bellamy said.
"It [home ground] didn't help us last year against the Cowboys, they are a wonderful team the premiers."
The Sharks face a nervous wait to see if they will retain second spot and a qualifying final in Sydney as a Raiders win over Wests Tigers today, by five points or more, will give the Raiders second place.
"I wasn't real fussed about the injuries, I wasn't real fussed about the loss either," Sharks coach Shane Flanagan said.
With the AFL on a bye, the Storm drew in 24,135 fans, good enough for their fourth best home and away crowd in the club's history.
The Storm's discipline wasn't right in the opening 10 minutes and they paid for it with James Maloney slotting a penalty goal.
But the Sharks' ball handling failed them on several occasions in the first 40 minutes with the Storm levelling the scores through a penalty kick of their own then taking the lead on 20 minutes.
After Sharks winger Sosaia Feki collided with Storm forward Kevin Proctor and was sent for a concussion test, the Storm attacked to the left with Blake Green finding centre Cheyse Blair who stepped past two defenders to score under the posts.
In the run up to Blair scoring, Michael Ennis appeared to collect Green with his shoulder after the Storm's five-eighth had passed to Blair. Smith extended the lead to 10-2 on 30 minutes with another penalty goal. Feki returned from his head knock but the Sharks had similar dramas with Chris Heighington forced into a concussion test leading up to half-time.
Maloney looked to have torn apart the Storm's defence just minutes from half-time when he broke the line but Marika Koroibete chased his support runner down and when Maloney passed the ball it went straight into the Fijian's hands.
Sharks utility Joseph Paulo was lost on 36 minutes when he went down awkwardly clutching his knee, he wouldn't return nor would Heighington.
Koroibete rescued the Storm in the shadows of half-time with a try saving tackle sprinting to the sideline to knock the Sharks player out of bounds right on the try line.
The Storm celebrated the tackle like it was a try.
Within two minutes of the restart Blair was in for his brace finishing a perfectly placed passing move to the left flank with Green and Cameron Munster setting the table for the speedy centre to score the try.
Andrew Fifita had heard the boos all night and he lost his cool on 49 minutes after throwing the ball in Smith's direction after the whistle.
Fijian rookie Suliasi Vunivalu extended the lead on 56 minutes as Cooper Cronk put up a high ball and after it was spilled into the in-goal, Vunivalu was first to touch it down for a try which broke the NRL record for most tries in a debut season.
Former Storm winger Israel Folau was the previous holder of the record with 21 tries.
Back-to-back sets on their own try line saw the visitors finally get over the line with Gerard Beale scoring on the left side to make it 20-6 with 10 minutes to play.
Storm prop Jesse Bromwich put an end to the contest three minutes from time, forcing his way over the line to set off wild celebrations.
Sharks captain Paul Gallen went down holding his neck late in the game but stood up and kept playing.
Fifita spilled the ball just before full-time and was met with sneering pats on the head from multiple Storm players, such acts have been condemned by the Storm in the past and they won't be forgotten if the two clubs meet later in the finals.
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