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Parker: What is wrong with diabolical Cowboys?
Charles Goodsir • June 24th, 2025 12:21 pm
The North Queensland Cowboys’ resilience and attitude has been called into question by SEN’s Corey Parker following a disastrous month.
The Cowboys have conceded 166 points in their last four matches including a 58-4 thrashing at home against the Dolphins and a 42-8 scoreline against the Sydney Roosters in Round 16. It has left Todd Payten’s men with the worst points differential in the competition at -140.
Parker has called the Cowboys’ recent performances as inexcusable given the amount of talent on the roster including seven current State of Origin representatives for both Queensland and New South Wales.
“Here’s the reality ahead of Round 17 for the Cowboys; they have five wins,” Parker said on SENQ Breakfast.
“They have beaten the Gold Coast Titans, who are sitting 17th on the competition ladder.
“South Sydney, who are 16th. The Wests Tigers who are sitting 14th.
“The beat the Panthers back in Round 4 who were 0-4 at the time and a shadow of their former selves.
“They also beat the Canberra Raiders.
“However, their points differential is -140. They are conceding 30 plus points a game. 10 times this season, they have conceded 30 points or more.
“The Cowboys have conceded 100 points in the last two games alone.
“What we are seeing from the Cowboys at the moment is diabolical and I can’t for the life of me understand what is going on up there.
“They are in huge trouble at the moment. The list they have at the moment should be doing far better than what we are seeing.
“What is Todd Payten saying to this team? They have well and truly underperformed.”
The Cowboys were once renowned for their gritty defence. In the 2022 season, North Queensland boasted the second best defence in the competition behind eventual Premiers Penrith.
In that season, the Cowboys hosted a preliminary final and were inches away from a Grand Final berth.
Three years later, the Cowboys have conceded the equal-most points in the competition alongside the last placed Titans.
“What’s changed? This was a team that had a red-hot crack defensively and a steely mindset,” Parker added.
“Is it personnel? Is it the coach or is it a combination of both?
"It’s just unacceptable for the Cowboys, with that roster, to be tossing up what they’ve been tossing up.
“There is no resilience from the Cowboys this season.
“The Cowboys take on the Gold Coast Titans this weekend. It’s a bit of a ‘StinkBowl’ to be fair.”
The Cowboys travel to the Gold Coast in Round 17 before heading back home to Townsville in Round 18 to host the Melbourne Storm.
