Manly Sea Eagles beat North Queensland Cowboys 34-14 in NRL round 18

MANLY skipper Jamie Lyon scored one try and orchestrated two others as the Sea Eagles cruised to a 34-14 win against the Cowboys.

HAD Jamie Lyon wanted it, could he be the man for NSW?

MATCH CENTRE: COWBOYS v SEA EAGLES

C'mon, throw the question up at smoko. Or around the front bar. Anywhere, really, where for the past three years you and your mates have debated just how NSW will ever stop Queensland.

Asking how that annual series, one split in 2012 by only the solitary field goal, might be different if the Blues had that enigmatic fella who once walked out on rugby league to call the bingo numbers at Wee Waa Bowling Club.

An inspirational Manly skipper who, in Townsville on Monday night, scored one try, orchestrated two others, booted sideline conversions, saved tries in defence and looked every inch the quintessential footballer.

So three years after he ruled himself ineligible for the Blues, you have to ask if Lyon could've been the man to stop the Maroons?

Not just marking Maroons megastar Greg Inglis, but containing him. In the process, inking his name alongside sky Blue legends like Laurie Daley, Brad Fittler, Paul Harragon and Andrew Johns.

For while the Cowboys were missing a quartet of Origin stars Johnathan Thurston, James Tamou, Matt Scott and Brent Tate the real difference was the bloke who gives up the honour to spend more time with his missus and kids.

Scoring the Eagles second try, Lyon played a major hand in at least two others, including when he handled twice to help put the Wolfman, David Williams, across just five minutes into the second half.

Along with five-eighth Kieran Foran, the pair continued their push for the unofficial prize of Most Valued Player during the Origin period.

Yet despite what was eventually a lopsided scoreline, it was still something of an erratic night for Manly, who mixed five sizzling tries in among several dropped Steedens, erratic passes and, twice, kicks that sailed out on the full from a halfway re-start.

Sea Eagles

While the Cowboys make more errors than any other team in the NRL, it was the visitors who made four unanswered bloopers in the opening 17 minutes alone and basically gifted North Queensland the field position to score their two tries from simple mistakes.

But if there is one thing this Manly team can do, it's play tough.

Like late in the first half when Cowboys backrower Ethan Lowe, playing just his second NRL game, appeared an odds on bet to score and  Brett Stewart bobbed up to save the try.

Earlier, it had been five-eighth Foran who, despite entering a contest that saw him conceding 20kg, still managed to stop rampaging young gun Jason Taumalolo as he steamrolled his way towards the white stripe.

It meant that despite trailing 14-12 in the opening minutes of the second half, the Sea Eagles would eventually breeze home with another three unanswered tries to Williams, winger Jorge Tafua and backrower Justin Horo.

"We knew we had to get a couple of wins and we've struggled the previous few weeks so it was good to finally get two wins in a row and get a couple of points,'' Lyon said.

Cowboys coach Neil Henry said his side had been hurt by their inability to defend errors in their own half.

"We were in the mix at half-time and the second they blew us away really,'' Henry said.

"I don't think they made an error, they were at one stage 17 of 17 (completed sets) and we made six errors in the second half.

"We needed to play some footy and unfortunately we didn't and gave up some field position.''

MANLY 34 (M Ballin J Horo J Lyon S Matai J Taufua D Williams tries J Lyon 5 goals) bt NORTH QUEENSLAND 14 (M Bowen M Morgan tries E Lowe 3 goals) at 1300SMILES Stadium. Referee: David Munro, Ashley Klein. Crowd: 9,029.