KEY POINTS:
The two teams that have been best throughout the year - the Storm and Manly - will meet in the NRL grand final on Sunday after winning their preliminary finals at the weekend.
Melbourne Storm retain favouritism after toughing out the harder contest yesterday to eliminate the Eels
26-10. Plus they lost in last year's title game and should now know how to win one.
As in all the playoff games so far, the side that did the most tackling lost.
Manly were always in control over a North Queensland side depleted by injury and ran home 28-6, though it was 6-all at the break. None of the Cowboys' regular starting pack turned out at Aussie Stadium on Saturday night, Carl Webb ruled out late for the second week in a row and veteran Jason Smith withdrawn with an ankle strain.
The Storm's test at the Telstra Dome in Melbourne yesterday was far harder and will stand them in good stead for Sunday's grand final.
The Eels scored first, the 40th try of the finals series and the 20th to follow a penalty, when Krisnan Inu ran at the markers after a Timana Tahu break and then provided a quick play-the-ball to opposite wing Eric Grothe.
At 25 minutes the Storm forced a goal-line drop-out and then provided quick shovelling to their wing Steve Turner to level.
But after that the Eels self-destructed under pressure from the Storm. Tahu repeatedly broke Storm teenage sensation Israel Folau but the Storm adjusted, the Eels didn't.
The Melbourne side attacked down their left side and scored twice more.
Twice, Kiwi Krisnan Inu was tackled out on the corner posts and the video refs denied points.
Saturday night's game opened with three disallowed tries, the video referee denying the Cowboys once and Manly twice with obstruction calls.
After the second call against Manly, their fullback Brett Stewart went from dummy-half just two minutes later for the first try at the 30-minute mark.
Cowboys bench forward Jacob Lillyman barged over right on the hooter to level things.
Eagles half Matt Orford produced a great kicking game to dominate field position and eventually that told.
Their hooker Michael Monghan was outstanding for the first quarter until he was concussed, and again when he came back on after half-time. His dummy-half running cut the Cowboys up. His 181m gained was bettered only by second-rower Anthony Watmough with 183m.
It was Watmough who broke the deadlock, taking a quick tap from a penalty and sprinting to score at 44 minutes.
Centre Steve Bell and five-eighth Jamie Lyon ran in off the back of good forwards work at 53 and 71 minutes and lock Luke Williamson got the last of five tries.
Eagles centre Steve Matai left the field for a time with a left ankle injury that was strapped pre-game. Their wing Chris Hicks withdrew with an ankle strain and both must pass fitness tests.
The Storm have concerns over fullback Billy Slater who was sidelined for some time with a knee injury and secondrower Jeremy Smith who is on report for a high tackle.
Manly have won six titles, their last in a 1996 20-8 over the Dragons, and were beaten 22-16 by Newcastle in their last grand final appearance in 1997.
Captain Matt Orford said the Eagles are ready to end the drought.
"It's been a long year, we've worked so hard for this and towards the end of that game it was an awesome feeling," Orford said. "But you don't want to be too carried away, we're not satisfied yet."
Watmough said he knew back in April the Sea Eagles could win the premiership.
Manly won their first six games, but more significantly had conceded fewer than two tries per game to lead the table.
"We just had to get that confidence and as soon as we had that belief after six or seven rounds we knew we could put a dent in it and really take on anyone," said Watmough.
"[It was] maybe a little bit [of a surprise] at the start of the year but as soon as we put six or seven wins together we knew we had a good team and if we stuffed it up it would only be our own fault.
"We've definitely been the second form team of the competition all year. We're confident in our own ability and we've got one more big week to go."
The Melbourne Storm have made two grand finals since their birth out of the Super League war in 1998, winning 20-18 over St George in 1999 and losing 15-8 to the Broncos last season.
As a pre-game warning for Manly, Eels coach Michael Hagan said: "If they start well and they lead, they're very hard to beat."