Anthony Minichiello sure knows how to pick his moments after the Sydney Roosters fullback slotted the first field goal of his NRL career to hand his struggling club a thrilling 13-12 golden-point win over Cronulla at Toyota Park.

Minichiello's late heroics capped a stunning comeback by the visitors, who looked headed for their eighth loss of the season when the Sharks led 12-0 with 13 minutes remaining.

But tries to Ashley Harrison - the Roosters' first four-pointer in over 160 minutes of football - and another to winger John Williams set up a grandstand finish.

Both tries were set up by Jamie Soward kicks after he was a late inclusion in the line-up, teenage half Mitchell Pearce dropped to Premier League.

The Sharks had two attempts at the one-pointer in regulation before Minichiello calmly slotted his attempt four minutes into the extra period, the NSW fullback admitting later he had never hit one before in a match.

"A few at training but none in a game, but I've always wanted to do one," Minichiello said with a grin.

"I just called it out the back for Wingy to pass it to me and he did and I hit it sweet and it went straight over.

"We needed that win, we dug deep that second half and that kick paid off."

The loss was particularly sour for Sharks coach Ricky Stuart and not just because it looked like two competition points were in the bag.

Stuart was shown the door by the Roosters at the end of last season and it looked like he was going to have the last laugh, but in the end it was Roosters coach Chris Anderson, who was sacked by the Sharks at the end of 2003, who walked away with a smile on his face.

"It's a loss, it's a bad loss, it's a game we should have won," Stuart said.

"We played against the team on the bottom of the table and we should have beaten them - simple as that.

"I'm just disappointed - we snuck into a lead, I don't even know if we deserved to be in the lead actually, but we were there.

"It was ugly from the start the way we played and it just kept getting worse."

Asked if the media scrutiny through the week over contract negotiations with his halves Brett Kimmorley and Adam Dykes played any part in the loss, Stuart said: "They're two terrific blokes - it's difficult circumstances and I'm trying to do the best I possibly can from the club's point of view and from the players point of view."

The Sharks took a slender 6-0 lead into the break, but it was little reward for 40 minutes of dominating territory and possession.

The Roosters struggled to get into the game and it wasn't until the 16th minute that they finally enjoyed some possession in the opposition half, but the Sharks were unable to make them pay.

Eventually Paul Gallen went over, dummy half Kevin Kingston delaying his pass after spotting that Fitzgibbon had raced out of the line.

The Sharks started with a little more zip after the break, but the Roosters were left fuming by a decision by referee Sean Hampstead to hand possession back to the home side after an alleged knock on from Amos Roberts in his own in-goal.

From the ensuing set, Bird beat three defenders in a powerful run to the line and it seemed as though the Sharks were on their way to their fourth-straight win before Minichiello's late heroics.

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