Cowboys make call on Dally M appearances

Will Chambers of the Storm tackles Gavin Cooper of the Cowboys as he scores a try.

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

And two tries in four second-half minutes from Cowboys’ stand-off Morgan effectively sealed victory for North Queensland.

The NRL’s best halfbacks delivered a masterclass on Saturday night in their NRL preliminary final at AAMI Park.

“We were in there at halftime but obviously a few things went against us in the second half”.

The Cowboys didn’t look back from there, with Thurston also setting up another for Cooper.

“The Dally Ms is the premier awards night in our game and we will ensure the Cowboys are part of it”, a spokesman said.

Thurston and National Football League convert Jarryd Hayne were awarded joint winners of the Dally M in 2014.

Both the Broncos and Cowboys have created history, with an all Queensland grand final set for next weekend.

“When people start knocking your team or your team’s ability, I think you take a bit of offence to that”.

“The bumps and bruises are a lot heavier than when you play at home so that’s a big factor”.

Grand final coaches Paul Green (Cowboys) and Wayne Bennett (Broncos) are expected to battle it out for the coach of the year award.

And for a Queensland team to win the NRL grand final by beating a Sydney club it is the ultimate success in the sport, apart from State Of Origin.

Tate, who played 23 games for Queensland and 26 for Australia, many alongside Thurston, said he agreed with increasing talk the Cowboys playmaker could take over Wally Lewis’s mantle as Queensland’s best player.

“That’s got to be a priority for us and anything outside of that becomes secondary”.

The only time he was a spectator was in 2010 after the NRL forced Melbourne to play the season without being able to earn premiership points as part of a penalty for serious salary cap breaches in previous years. “I don’t like to make decisions when you don’t have to make decisions”, Bellamy said.

Thurston is a short-priced favourite to win a record fourth Dally M medal after another stellar season.