By Dion Kombeng – EM TV Sports, Port Moresby
The Sydney Roosters and North Queensland Cowboys have booked their spot in the grand final qualifier after chalking up wins in week two of the NRL finals series.
The Roosters, following their defeat by the Storm, were looking to bounce back when they faced the Canterbury Bulldogs. And bounce back they did.
In a physically tough encounter, both teams were barely separated with the Roosters slightly shading their cross-town rivals 8-4 at the main break.
The second half started with both sides still evenly matched, but in the 51st minute a controversial try to the Roosters through Kane Evans gave the men from Sydney’s east the momentum they needed to cruise to victory, eventually winning 38-12.
In the other semi final, the Cowboys went into the match determined to keep their NRL finals hopes alive when they faced the Cronulla Sharks.
The North Queenslanders took control of the match early on, dominating possession of the football and converting this possession into points on the board.
The Sharks had no reply as the Cowboys went on a scoring frenzy to see them book a spot in the grand final qualifier against the Melbourne Storm this coming weekend, with a 39-0 victory over the Sydneysiders.
The Roosters will battle it out against the Brisbane Broncos in the other qualifying final, with the winner moving on to the grand final and the loser heading home.
