Sydney Roosters score 'wild' 13-12 NRL elimination final win over Cronulla Sharks, Penrith Panthers beat Warriors

So, the Roosters are through to a semifinal at AAMI Park against Melbourne, the Sharks' season is over, Penrith has reached a fourth straight preliminary final and the Warriors will play at Mt Smart Stadium next week.

Thanks for sticking with us today, and we'll see you tomorrow.

So, in the 52nd minute, when James Tedesco was sin-binned, the Sharks should have stuck the knife in.

Winger Joseph-Aukuso Sua'ali'i had already been ruled out after failing a half-time HIA and centre Joey Manu had just gone off with a hamstring injury.

The Roosters backline was:

• Fullback: Sandon Smith, a 20-year-old halfback
• Left wing: Billy Smith, a centre
• Left centre: Angus Crichton, a second rower
• Right centre: Siua Wong, a second rower in his ninth career game
• Right wing: Junior Pauga, shifted from left to right wing in his 12th career game

The Sharks had some success, regularly creating overlaps, but only managed one try and gave away possession with repeated errors as they did all night.

The worst came in back-to-back sets when Ronaldo Mulitalo broke down the left wing and Blayke Brailey knocked on his grubber back in field. Then, just a couple of minutes later, the Sharks had the ball on the 10m line with a 7 on 5, including Sam Walker defending against Sifa Talakai, and Brailey ignored Nicho Hynes's calls for the ball to go to a short side where the Roosters matched up 4 on 4.

For as gutsy as the Roosters were to hang on there, the Sharks couldn't get out of their own way.

He may not have even been onside, but if Blayke Brailey catches this ball, the result could have been completely different.

Sam Walker has the moment with the field goal that hands the Roosters the 13-12 victory, but there were heroes across the board in that one.

Walker also laid on the try for Joey Manu to start the half. He was dropped just a few weeks ago.

Meanwhile, Billy Smith, the team's third-choice goal-kicker and a man who's returned from more knee injuries than I care to count, slotted his first NRL goal from 19 metres in from touch to tie the scores.

James Tedesco and Luke Keary charged down those back-to-back field goal attempts from Nicho Hynes.

Lindsay Collins with that chase-down of Braydon Trindall, plus another typically superb front rower's performance.

And let's not forget back rowers Siua Wong and Angus Crichton were out of position in the centres for basically the entire second half, and 20-year-old Sandon Smith slotted in at fullback for 10 minutes while captain James Tedesco was sin-binned.

I have no idea how the Roosters won that. It certainly wasn't pretty, but they live to fight another day.

It was time to go up the middle and work for a field goal, but Braydon Trindall tried to fling a bullet wide, clipping Sifa Talakai's back shoulder on the way to the touch line.

It was a shocking dummy-half pass for Nicho Hynes, but Luke Keary did brilliantly well to sprint out of the line and prevent the field goal.

Inspirational play from the Roosters' most experienced stars.

What a captain's play, sprinting out of the line to charge down a field goal shot is not ever a fullback's job, but that's what he's done. Saves the day as Hynes attempted the field goal.

But they're gifted field position as Wade Graham earns them the penalty.

The Sharks are beyond two-point field goal range, so they need a try, a penalty goal or they can tie with a one-pointer.

A dropped ball from Cronulla on halfway gave the Roosters a chance, and Victor Radley and James Tedesco put Walker in position from 20 metres out, and the young gun, who was out of this team just a few weeks ago, might have just put them into the semis.

Sam Walker skips past charging defence and chips over the top for Keary on the last, but he was hammered by Mulitalo as he caught it.

He looked concussed for a second, but replays show no head contact.

Billy Smith, the Roosters' third-choice kicker, slots from 19 metres in from touch.

And we're into field-goal territory with just under 11 minutes left.

The Roosters have a chance to tie the game with 11 minutes left after Siua Wong latches onto a ballooning deflection from Sandon Smith's grubber and dives in.

That bit of good fortune from Smith came after he earned the team that field position with a six again call.

Luke Keary unleashes Junior Pauga with what was definitely a forward pass missed by the touch judge, and Pauga steps past Tracey, but Nicho Hynes flies back to stop him 3 metres from the tryline.

Sam Walker's pass from dummy half almost goes into touch, allowing the Sharks to regroup.

And the Roosters waste their next chance with Tedesco knocking on a bad pass.

What a waste.

Ronaldo Mulitalo broke 50 metres down the left flank before being brought down in a desperate tackle by Sandon Smith, but the Roosters are exhausted and concede a penalty.

I'm sure the Sharks considered having one more attacking raid with Tedesco still having a minute left in the sin bin, but Nicho Hynes pretty quickly took the shot for two from just to the left of the posts.

Sharks lead 12-6.

They had the numbers and Roosters out of position all over the field, but Blayke Brailey went to the short side instead of towards Nicho Hynes and shape, and it's knocked on by Sione Katoa.

The Sharks keep making metres down the left and this time Mulitalo grubbers back in-field where Blayke Brailey is waiting, but he can't rein in the high bouncing ball and just can't regather. Missing out on a try by millimetres would feel like hell in a game this tight and this important.

Down to 12 men with no Manu out on the right wing, so the Sharks immediately go that way and Nicho Hynes puts Ronaldo Mulitalo over after a simple left-side shift created the overlap.

He broke through and just couldn't quite get the ball to Siua Wong outside him, then he and Lindsay Collins complete the chasedown of Braydon Trindall after he swooped on a Sam Walker grubber.

But then Tedesco made a professional foul as Nicho Hynes tried to break down the blindside and he's sent for a 10-minute break.

That's Sua'ali'i, Manu and now Tedesco off. The Roosters backline is battling.

He's gone down like he was shot by a sniper after stepping off his left foot, and the whole ground held its breath, but he's playing on. Limping through it.

He injured his hamstring in the penultimate round too, and returned faster than expected, so maybe he just has weird hammies.

One more run, and he's off the field.

Siua Wong broke down the right and offloaded back in-field to Tedesco, who looked to have the line at his mercy from 5 metres out, but Toby Rudolf sprinted across and ensured Tedesco couldn't regather as he juggled the pass. Just in the nick of time.