In a vital game for both teams' finals hopes, Brailey starred again out of dummy-half as he laid on two tries at Shark Park on Friday night.
The win didn't come easy for the hosts who at one stage let a 20-6 lead slip to 20-18 midway through the second half before finishing the stronger of the teams.
But it was a crucial one, with the Sharks now displacing the Roosters in the NRL's top eight after also accounting for fellow finals hopefuls the Dolphins last week.
Cronulla now loom as the most likely side to break from the pack in the middle of the table, with no games against another top-eight side until round 27.
Once criticised for the lack of a running game, Brailey has burst to life in recent months to become the NRL's form hooker and re-signing priority for Cronulla.
The 26-year-old is now running the ball more than ever out of dummy-half, doing so in the lead up to two of the Sharks' first-half tries on Friday night.
The first came courtesy of an extremely late offload for Will Kennedy, who caught the Tricolours napping and crashed over in the opening five minutes.
Brailey then broke the Roosters open from within his own half, busting down field before finding Nicho Hynes in support play.
Teig Wilton also went over from a short Braydon Trindall ball in the first half, with Cronulla's attack looking as good as it has for months at 20-6 up.
The Roosters, meanwhile, had moments in the game where they showed their threat.
Daniel Tupou outleapt Ronaldo Mulitalo to score one try, while James Tedesco finished off another after laying on a break from the Roosters' own end.
Angus Crichton also scored early in the second half when Mark Nawaqanitawase batted back a Chad Townsend bomb to make it 20-18.
But amidst all that were far too many handling errors and forward passes, and Trent Robinson's men completed at only 64 per cent.
And when Egan Butcher - filling in at centre for a concussed Billy Smith - put down a ball after heavy contact from Sione Katoa the comeback was spoiled.
Billy Burns took the lead back out to 12, debutant Chris Vea'ila crossed for a fairytale try on debut and Trindall kicked a late field goal as Cronulla took a big step towards another finals series.
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