League: Cowboys withstand Storming finish to win

SYDNEY - North Queensland withstood a courageous second-half Melbourne fightback to book a berth in the NRL preliminary finals with a 24-16 win over the Storm at Aussie Stadium tonight.

The Cowboys will play Parramatta at Telstra Stadium on Sunday week for a place in the grand final after winning through to their second-successive preliminary final.

The result also marked the third straight season Melbourne has been bundled out in the second week of the playoffs.

And it has brought to an end the rugby league career of Melbourne skipper Robbie Kearns, who succumbed to a dislocated shoulder before kick-off after announcing earlier this year he would retire at the end of the season.

Kearns has kept his fingers crossed that his Storm outfit would extend his 14-season career by winning tonight's knockout clash.

But it wasn't to be as the Cowboys hung on against a spirited Melbourne in front of a healthy 16,810-strong Aussie Stadium crowd.

In a cruel twist, Kearns also missed Melbourne's 1999 premiership victory due to injury.

The Storm had their chances tonight, with three disallowed tries. They also scored one through centre Steve Bell that shouldn't have been given.

After both teams spent the week accusing each other of the outlawed grapple tackle technique, the Cowboys and Melbourne got down to what they do best - playing entertaining rugby league.

Trailing 16-0 at halftime, Melbourne cut the deficit to 18-16 by the 69th minute by piling on three unanswered tries.

Denied a 28th minute try when he was held up by Cowboys pivot Justin Smith, Melbourne's Bell got the Storm back into the game when he was controversially awarded a try by referee Paul Simpkins despite dropping the ball over the line.

The controversy continued when Storm hooker Cameron Smith had the ball raked by Cowboy Matt Sing in a two man tackle over the try line in the 55th minute. But the video referees Chris Ward and Mick Stone did not award a penalty.

Melbourne gained possession when Cowboys prop Paul Rauhihi was penalised for throwing a punch at Storm forward Ian Donnelly after complaining about a tackle which had a hint of a grapple.

Johnathan Thurston potted over a 52nd minute penalty before Melbourne cut the deficit to 18-10 in the 63rd minute when winger Matt King crashed down the left sideline after a sweeping 45m movement from right to left sparked by halfback Matt Orford.

In the 69th minute, Orford did it all himself with a single step before muscling over Cowboys hooker Aaron Payne to score.

The Cowboys, though, held on and when reserve David Faiumu latched onto a clever Luke O'Donnell offload to score in the 78th minute, could finally breathe easy.

It was a gutsy response from the Cowboys after they were humbled 50-6 by Wests Tigers in the opening qualifying final last Friday night.

The Storm trailed 16-0 at halftime after the Cowboys piled on three unanswered tries including a double to winger Ty Williams.

Fullback Matt Bowen drew first blood when he dummied and cut through Scott Hill to score down the left flank in the 11th minute.

Eight minutes later Hill slipped in the defensive line, creating space for Williams who ran off halfback Johnathan Thurston's cut out pass to crash over down the left sideline.

Hill was again left red-faced when he threw a pass that was gobbled up by Williams, who ran 45m to score in the 22nd minute.

Besides the loss of Kearns, Melbourne was thrown into further disarray when fellow forward Dennis Scott (shoulder) also withdrew before the kick-off forcing a last minute pack reshuffle.

North Queensland also had its injury worries with goalkicking centre Josh Hannay suffering a dislocated shoulder in the 32nd minute and not returning for the second half.

- AAP