In what was a controversial elimination final, Cronulla manage to hold on to their lead - just. EMBARRASSED NRL boss Dave Smith personally apologised to the Cowboys last night after an officiating blunder ended North Queensland's title hopes for the second year in a row. On a night of high drama, the governing body launched an inquiry into the appalling gaffe that saw Cronulla score a try on the seventh tackle in their 20-18 finals triumph at Allianz Stadium. NRL head of football Todd Greenberg released a statement at full-time, saying: "We do not want to see mistakes like this made in any match. The incident occurred in the eighth minute, with Sharks winger Beau Ryan levelling scores at 6-all after referees Matt Cecchin and Henry Perenara inexplicably botched the tackle count. Gutted Cowboys coach Neil Henry later launched a savage attack as he spoke of a "Sydney-centric" conspiracy. In a remarkable finale, Cowboys centre Kane Linnett nearly stole victory with 41 seconds to play, only for his leg to brush the sideline as he dived for the tryline. As if the seventh-tackle try wasn't sufficiently shameful, the clock then froze, leaving Sharks players up in arms as they tried to run down the seconds to fulltime. It evoked bitter memories of last year's finals series, when the Cowboys were robbed against Manly at the same venue after the infamous video-referee "Hand of God" clanger. "It's a raw deal for a couple of years," Henry fired. It's embarrassing for the game and I've got that from the top, they are embarrassed. They come in and shake my hand and say we are embarrassed that happened to your team. But it doesn't give us a game next week. He (Dave Smith) apologised to me, I had a few commissioners saying the same thing. I said it's after the event. I got the same talk last year. "If you were a conspiracy theorist, you would say hang on, "We are so Sydney-centric here that we don't really care about the boys up north."" Henry knew of the botched tackle-count instantly, with assistant Paul Bowman detecting the error. Cowboys players were informed of the mistake when they came into the sheds trailing 12-8 at half-time. Where is the accountability? Henry fumed. " (Referees boss) Daniel Anderson says, "Oh yeah it was seven tackles, how can two men who are experienced full time referees, two touch judges, two blokes up in the video box not be counting when I've got a bloke next to me - Paul Bowman - on the computer saying, "Mate I think that's an extra tackle there." I just want to see them get it right. It's a schoolboy error. It's something you don't see in Queensland Cup or see in local A-grade. You count your tackles. You expect the players to perform on the biggest stage, the referees have to perform too. They have proven a couple of years in a row now they are not up to it. The press talks about the ideal, the ideal, grand final, Souths versus the Roosters, bring it on. Don't worry about Melbourne, they have won a couple already. Don't worry about North Queensland. That's what you want, the heartland of the game. Well, we have just been dudded for the opportunity to make a dent in this competition. Where's our pull? We are out of sight, out of mind up there. But you get a bit bitter about it when it's happened two years. Believe you me we don't forget about Kieran Foran, (last year) we don't forget that moment. It is etched in our brains. We train thinking about that all year for an opportunity to get on this stage and roll again, I can't believe it. Trailing 12-8 at the break, the Cowboys looked in control when rookies Wayne Ulugia (48th) and Jason Taumalolo (54th) crossed to claim an 18-12 lead. But the Sharks broke their hearts, prop Sam Tagataese crossing in the 62nd minute before rookie Sosaia Feki slithered over in the corner seven minutes from time. When the siren sounded, Sharks players celebrated as if they'd won the grand final. "We got lucky there in the end," Sharks coach Shane Flanagan said. Of the time-clock error, he added: "Maybe someone was up cheering ... we are running a multi-million-dollar game and we can't get that right." Cowboys coach Neil Henry was fired up in the press conference, arguing that North Queensland are hard done by a league that is 'Sydney centric'. Cronulla coach, Shane Flanagan, speaks to the media following his side's win over the Cowboys.