Sea Eagles win leaves Cowboys fuming

Premiers Manly will play Melbourne next Friday for the chance book a place in the NRL grand final after seeing off North Queensland 22-12 in a controversial but absorbing semi-final at Allianz Stadium.

The Cowboys were left fuming after two second-half tries were awarded to Manly, with skipper Johnathan Thurston telling referee Shayne Hayne: “Twice we’ve been robbed”.

Neil Henry’s side claimed Jorge Taufua made a double movement in scoring Manly’s third try in the 52nd minute when the scores were tied at 12-12, but there was enough to suggest the winger’s momentum carried him to the line.

However, a Michael Oldfield four-pointer just after the hour mark incensed the Cowboys, when Kieran Foran appeared to knock a Daly Cherry-Evans kick forward into the path of Jamie Lyon.

Video referees Steve Clark and Paul Simpkins took an age to make the decision but, to the delight of the disappointing crowd of 16,678, the try was awarded.

Frustrated by the injustice, the Cowboys lost control of their emotions and also their game plan as Manly bounced back from the loss to Canterbury to run out deserved winners.

Thurston could potentially find himself in hot water for venting at Hayne, calling for the official to “show me some respect,” after failing to win a penalty for his side.

Geoff Toovey’s team started the game superbly, dominating early possession and then opening the scoring in the fifth minute through an Oldfield try.

Lyon – a fitness doubt before the game – showed there was nothing wrong with his troublesome calf muscle when he leapt above two Cowboys to bat down a Foran bomb into the arms of Glenn Stewart, who put the young winger over.

The home side continued to pin the visitors back in their own half and Lyon extended the lead with a penalty 20 metres in front of the posts before Brett Stewart touched down under, latching onto a great run and pass from Jorge Taufua.

But the Cowboys, who went into the game on the back of five successive wins, finished the half the stronger.

Queensland prop Matt Scott gave his side great field position with a bulldozing run and on the half-hour mark James Tamou showed brilliant footwork, sidestepping four players to lunge over and score.

The Cowboys started the second half well and levelled the scores when Antonio Winterstein hauled in a brilliant cut-out pass from Thurston.

However, their hopes of a first premiership will go on for another year as the Sea Eagles set up a sequel to their 2007 and 2008 grand finals at AAMI Park next week.

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