NRL Grand Final: Melbourne Storm beat North Queensland Cowboys

-BBC SPORT

Melbourne Storm won their third National Rugby League title by beating North Queensland Cowboys 34-6 in the Grand Final.

Full-back Billy Slater was awarded the Clive Churchill Medal for the second time of his career after a man-of-the-match performance.

Skipper Cameron Smith, the 2017 Player of the Year, scored five conversions as the dominant Storm ran in six tries.

Josh Addo-Carr scored two tries - his 20th and 21st for Storm this season.

It was a second Premiership title for the long-serving 'big three' of hooker Smith, halfback Cronk and fullback Slater, who were playing together for a final time.

"We have so much respect for the Cowboys as a football team. They should hold their heads proud," Slater, 34, said.

"I have played alongside Cooper for the last 17 years and he has made me a better player and made us a better team."

Melbourne's latest NRL title follows successes in 1999 and 2012.

The Cowboys had hoped to launch an unlikely comeback when Te Maire Martin opened the second-half scoring early on.

However, their hopes quickly diminished as Storm's Dale Finucane scored his first try in four Grand Final appearances shortly afterwards, before Addo-Carr rounded off a fantastic day for Melbourne.

The Cowboys were without injured co-captains Johnathan Thurston and Matt Scott.

US rapper Macklemore performed his pro-gay anthem Same Love before kick-off despite calls in Australia to ban him from doing so.