North Queensland Cowboys into NRL grand final after beating Sydney Roosters 16-29
HOW? That’s the question NRL fans are asking after North Queensland shocked the Roosters to earn a grand final berth against Melbourne next weekend.
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CINDERELLA has scored an invite to rugby league’s greatest Ball.
The fairytale story of the finals, the never-say-die North Queensland Cowboys, have secured the most-unlikeliest of grand final berths and a clash with title-favourites the Melbourne Storm on Sunday at ANZ Stadium after ending the Sydney Roosters season.
And on the back of yet another semi-final masterclass from playmaker Michael Morgan, who has pulled apart the Sharks, Eels and Roosters in consecutive weeks, confident Cowboys coach Paul Green has declared his side have what it takes to do the impossible against the Storm.
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“I think we can (beat Melbourne),” Green said.
“They have been the best team all year. They have been consistently good
“They will be overwhelming favourites and deserve to be but we’ve got nothing to lose.
“Our players deserve a massive wrap. They have continued to work hard and try to get better as a team.
“They stuck to their guns. I kept telling them eventually our luck will turn and you need to take those opportunities when it does turn.
“If we had of rolled over when things went against us we definitely wouldn’t have been in this position.
“The only thing that matters is what we believe and the belief between the four walls is genuine.”
The Cowboys were discarded, written-off and rated $100 with the TAB to win the premiership after they lost inspirational leaders Johnathan Thurston and Matt Scott mid-season.
Nobody gave them a chance to make the finals - not even their own.
The Cowboys players were drinking beers three weeks ago, sitting in ninth position, needing Canterbury to beat St George-Illawarra in the final match of the season to sneak into the final eighth spot.
Now Paul Green owes sacked Dogs coach Des Hasler a beer.
Because this morning, the boys from Townsville, who have never looked back since scraping into the bottom of the eight, are now preparing for their second grand final in three years.
The eighth-placed team has made the grand final just once under the top-eight system - the Eels in 2009.
And to think, the Cowboys could welcome back Scott to tackle Melbourne, who was chosen a shadow for Coen Hess (knee) on an extended bench last night.
“We’ll worry about that next week,’’ a coy Green said, when asked if the injured Test prop would play in the decider.
With or without Scott and as superior as the Storm have been, who would dare say the Cowboys can’t tame their final opponent?
They will start $3.60 with the TAB against the Storm ($1.30), but not even Roosters coach Trent Robinson wasn’t prepared to declare Craig Bellamy’s Melbourne were home and hosed.
“It’s a two-horse race,’’ Robinson said.
“The Storm have been the best team in the comp this year and the Cowboys are in really good control of their game.
“It will be a really good contest so good luck to them both.’’
The key to the Cowboys September dream - aside from yet another 237-metre effort from wrecking-ball Jason Taumololo last night - has been their discipline in defence and attack.
And so it was last night, that as the Roosters compounded through 12 errors, including two kick-offs sailing out on the full and a poor completion rate, the Cowboys dominated possession and field-position.
But even as the Roosters rallied in the second-half, to peel back the lead 12-8 in the 46th minute, this unheralded Cowboys side showed the fortitude and fight to hang-tough before eventually running away with victory.
They’re the ingredients of a quality side. Who says they’re not the ingredients of a premiership-winning side?
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