Win and they would leapfrog Souths into the top eight, forcing Canberra into a must-win situation on Sunday against the Sharks.

A loss would condemn North Queensland to missing finals less than 12 months after they played a home preliminary final.

With everything to play for, the Cowboys were a shell of their 2022 selves.

Less than five minutes into the contest Peta Hiku rushed out of the line and failed to shut down the play with Stephen Crichton crossing for an easy try.

Crichton leapt over Chad Townsend for the Panthers’ second with Cowboys fullback Scott Drinkwater not even in the vicinity to contest the kick.

North Queensland were outplayed on both edges and through the middle, conceding five tries in a one-sided first half.

The game was basically over with 40 minutes left to play.

Cowboys coach Todd Payten was shattered after the loss as he searched for answers.

“We’re sitting here after 27 weeks and we’re going to watch the finals probably more than anything for that very reason – that we didn’t stop enough tries throughout the course of the season,” Payten said.

“That first period after 20 minutes, the only real bloke I saw standing up physically was Luce (Leilua).

“We were shell-shocked, our boys were looking at each other and waiting for someone else to do something when you’ve got to come together as a team and fight together.”

The weight of the defeat was not lost on the Cowboys mentor after fighting so hard to get the season back on track.

“There’s many reasons why I’m disappointed. I know how much talent we’ve got and how much hard work has gone into it, and to fight ourselves into the top eight five or six weeks ago and fall out of it, it’s disappointing,” Payten said.

“I’m not going to offer up excuses, at the end of the day we didn’t fight hard enough or stop enough tries. That’s why we’re watching finals.”

So where to now for the Cowboys?

The first priority has to be securing the long-term future of five-eighth Tom Dearden.

Veteran halfback Townsend has one more year on his contract to help 2024 recruit Jake Clifford’s transition into the team, while the promise of young guns Tom Duffy and Matthew Hunter leaves the future in good hands.

But Dearden is a proven performer on the biggest stages and he is the heart and soul of the backline.

Next up the Cowboys need to be tougher through the middle and improve their mental and physical resilience, whether by training harder than ever or by some smart recruiting.

As of Friday, Jordan McLean had not inked an extension for 2024 and losing a player of his size and calibre would be a big loss.

North Queensland needs a physically dominant meat and potatoes prop who will contribute 15 strong runs and 25 tackles a game to allow the strike edge forwards and Reuben Cotter to play to their potential.

The great Cowboys teams have always fed off the energy created by a player like Matt Scott.

The likes of Townsville Blackhawks under-21 stars Jamal Shibasaki and Jeremiah Matautia could fill that void in the next three years, but Payten would be wise to invest in a ready-made enforcer to fix his defensive issues.

Much was said about losing Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, but having a player like Tom Gilbert in 2023 could have made all the difference.

It will be a long off-season for North Queensland, but there were enough positives to give fans faith they will once again be a force in 2024 if they can address their glaring issues.