TOWNSVILLE, Australia (AP) — The North Queensland Cowboys led 19-0 at halftime and were as dominant in the second period to beat the Cronulla Sharks 39-0 Saturday to advance to the National Rugby League semifinals.
North Queensland, which scored seven tries, will play Melbourne next Saturday, with the winner advancing to the grand final on Oct. 4 in Sydney.
On Friday, the Sydney Roosters advanced to the semifinals with a 38-12 win over Canterbury and will play the Brisbane Broncos next Friday in Brisbane.
Melbourne beat the Roosters and Brisbane defeated North Queensland in the first round, giving them a bye through to the semifinals.
Under the NRL's second-chance playoff format for teams which finished in the top four, both the first-place Roosters and North Queensland stayed in the hunt for the title.
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