The Sydney Roosters and Cronulla have both expressed their frustrations at the inconsistency of the NRL referees following their controversial clash.

The Roosters sneaked home 16-14 at Southern Cross Group Stadium thanks to a last-minute Michael Gordon penalty goal however the match will be best remembered for two controversial calls in the closing stages.

Both Roosters coach Trent Robinson and his Cronulla opposite Shane Flanagan were measured in their criticism of the whistleblowers but were exasperated by two key decisions.

The game turned nine minutes from fulltime when Roosters five-eighth Luke Keary was sin-binned for a late hit and strip on Luke Lewis with the Sharks back-rower scoring in the following set.

Robinson said he was baffled after Sharks playmaker James Maloney wasn’t sent for 10 minutes for a similar incident on Michael Gordon in the 16th minute.

“I thought that was really disappointing. I thought Luke Keary’s was a sin-binning, it probably was,” Robinson said.

“But we ran 70 metres in the first half and the tackle’s finished and Maloney tackles him in the midriff and doesn’t go to the bin.

“They’re identical and they should had the identical response. It baffles me.”

With Keary off the field and scores locked, the Sharks seemed to be headed for a come-from-behind win.

But there was another twist in the tale with Sharks skipper Paul Gallen penalised for a leg pull on Roosters captain Boyd Cordner, gifting Gordon an easy two points from 20 metres out.

“I don’t believe it’s a penalty, if anything it’s a scrum to us,” Flanagan said.

“There was a couple of them during the game and they go the opposite way. It’s a tough one but in my view it’s not a penalty.”

Gallen claimed he didn’t touch Cordner’s leg and was wrongly penalised.

“It’s one of those ones that can do either way,” he said.

“I definitely didn’t pull his leg. And I would have done the same thing – I would have tried to milk it.”