North Queensland's season has sunk to a new low after they capitulated 20-19 to the Cronulla Sharks in a tense and unusual golden point match in Townsville on Saturday night.

It should never have reached that point, with the home side comfortably leading 18-0 at the break.

But a halftime spray from Cronulla coach Ricky Stuart inspired the struggling team from the Shire to pile on four tries and level the scores with nine minutes left to play.

Two field goal shots from skipper Trent Barrett missed narrowly in the final minutes and the Cowboys looked like they would escape with a 19-18 win when Johnathan Thurston snapped a one-point shot three minutes from time.

Not to be outdone, Sharks hooker John Morris replied with just seconds remaining to lock up the scores again.

Matt Bowen and Barrett traded attempts at the win in the first period of extra time and Morris appeared to have gone from hero to villain when he was ruled to have stripped the ball from Willie Mason 30 meters out and directly in front of his own sticks.

But remarkably, Thurston could not land the penalty.

In the end a woeful act of miscommunication saw Bowen and winger Ash Graham allow Tim Smith's kick off to bounce over the touchline from the kick off in the second period of extra time, gifting Cronulla with another chance.

That was all the Sharks needed to secure the win, Barrett finally sneaking a field goal over on his fourth attempt.

The loss typified the Cowboys season, with the finals now appearing to be beyond them completely.

They were in the box seat courtesy of tries to props Mason, Matt Scott and Carl Webb in the opening half - their first for 2010.

However, Stuart's blast sparked the Sharks into action.

A crushing tackle from Paul Gallen in the opening two minutes of the second half spilt the ball loose from Willie Tonga and while he lay winded on the ground Ben Pomeroy dashed away to score his first try of the 2010.

Five minutes later Isaac Gordon was over in the left corner from a neat over-the-top pass from Anthony Tupou and the Sharks were back to within eight points.

As the Cowboys struggled to maintain possession, livewire fullback Nathan Gardner - who was involved in everything in the second half - dashed over to continue the comeback.

Then with nine minutes remaining Papua New Guinean hooker Paul Aiton dived over to level up the scores.

Newly signed utility Arana Taumata was also a shock inclusion on the North Queensland bench, coming on for injured second-rower Steve Rapira.

The Cowboys are the serial bad boy's sixth club and he signed from Wests Tigers feeder club Balmain Ryde during the week.

He came onto the field midway through the second half at left centre and had a chance to win the game in the dying stages but could not handle a Thurston kick close to the line.

A distraught Thurston was almost too shattered to talk but coach Neil Henry quickly sprang to his defence over the missed penalty attempt that should have won the game.

"What do you think he's feeling? Shattered? Gutted? It's a pretty obvious question I would imagine. Next," Henry said.

"At the end of the game, it's easy to lay the world on Johnno's shoulders for a kick at goal."

For Sharks coach Ricky Stuart, it was a case of another 50/50 call against his club and he believed Thurston should never have had the opportunity to steal the win.

"I've got to say something. If these poor buggers in there had of lost the game because of that decision ... it's two referees arguing over whether it's a strip or not,'' he said.

"We never get those 50/50 decisions. It really annoys me.

"These poor buggers, it's happening all the time. That wasn't a strip."

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