Cowboys book grand final date with Broncos

The North Queensland Cowboys beat the Storm 32-12 in Melbourne last night to join the Brisbane Broncos in the first all-Queensland National Rugby League grand final.

The Cowboys produced a brilliant display of running rugby league, scoring six tries, two each from Justin O’Neill, Michael Morgan and Gavin Cooper.

Cowboys halfback Johnathan Thurston finished the match on the sidelines with a hamstring injury, but he later said the ailment was “nothing too serious”.

A decade after their only grand final appearance when they lost to the Wests Tigers when Thurston was just 22, the Cowboys have a shot at the title, only this time with Thurston the game’s number one player.

But Thurston hit back four minutes later when he grubbered for O’Neil’s first try, but missed the gettable conversion.

The scoreboard at the end of the preliminary final further emphasised just how big a difference he makes to this Cowboys side.

NORTH Queenslanders take on cyclones in their sleep, so it came as no surprise a little Storm wouldn’t faze the Cowboys NRL side.

First Morgan touched down out wide in the 54th minute amid a melee in back play that saw Storm winger Marika Koroibete sin-binned for throwing a punch.

“They’re the things that you expect of him because he keeps doing it but it still amazes you how he keeps doing it”.

O’Neill then put North Queensland ahead six minutes later when he crossed after latching onto a clever pass from Thurston.

But Bellamy has equal admiration for players in his own Storm side, namely Cameron Smith and Cooper Cronk. Part of the Storm’s potent right side attack, Cronk is one of the few halves in the comp prepared to cross to the other side of the park if that’s where his team needs to get to.

But a Matt Duffie clanger handed the visitors a halftime lead. His bodyguard Gavin Cooper was gifted a second half try by Thurston as he too grows into one of the most destructive ball-runners.

Thurston was magnificent again in the 20-point win, finishing with three try assists while prop Matt Scott followed up his best game of the season last weekend against Cronulla with 205 tough metres in another commanding performance in the middle.

Cowboys coach Paul Green was happy with his team’s entire 80 minutes.

“He is a great player, a great leader and the way he conducts himself on and off the field, he is someone who I think everyone who plays the game would look up to in some way and respect”.

MELBOURNE is happy to let Craig Bellamy get through the rest of the NRL finals series before engaging in any coaching contract negotiations.

“But also, as I said, next week is all about getting ready for a game of footy”.