The North Queensland Cowboys' finals chances are hanging on by a thread after slumping to a third straight defeat, this time a 43-24 dismantling at the hands of the Dolphins on Thursday night.
The result drops the Cowboys to 12th on the ladder with just 17 competition points, a points differential of -163, and only six-games remaining in the regular season.
It's a position that not only places them five points adrift of the top-eight, but raises serious questions about whether the side is capable of turning its season around.
While the final stretch of their draw is arguably favourable, they'll likely need to win at least five of their last six matches to even be in the conversation.
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Mounting pressure on Payten
Their Round 20 loss was the second time this year the Cowboys have been blown off the park by the Dolphins.
In his post-match press conference, head coach Todd Payten was blunt about his side's performance.
"They were just on different pages at different moments and it was really costly," he said.
It was a troubling admission for a team that still has mathematical finals hopes, but has lost six of its last seven games - including twice conceding over 40-points.
Time is running out on Cowboys finals hopes
Statistically, the Cowboys still have a glimmer of hope. 30 premiership points were required last season to make the top-eight.
Former New South Wales halfback Greg Alexander was frank in his assessment on SEN 1170 Breakfast.
"Put a line through the Cowboys after last night, it’s the end of them," he said.
"Even though their draw is favourable, and they still have a bye up their sleeves, I can’t see the Cowboys rallying after that."
North Queensland now faces a critical fortnight against the 11th-placed Dragons and 10th-placed Sharks.
Win both, and the conversation changes. Lose either, and the curtain may fall on a season that promised far more than it's delivered.
Cowboys run home
| Round | Date | Match | Time | Venue |
| 21 | Fri. July 25 | Cowboys vs. Dragons | 6:00pm (AEST) | Queensland Country Bank Stadium |
| 22 | Sun. August 3 | Sharks vs. Cowboys | 4:05pm (AEST) | Shark Park |
| 23 | Sun. August 10 | Eels vs. Cowboys | 4:05pm (AEST) | CommBank Stadium |
| 24 | Sun. August 17 | Cowboys vs. Knights | 4:05pm (AEST) | Queensland Country Bank Stadium |
| 25 | Sun. August 24 | Tigers vs. Cowboys | 4:05pm (AEST) | Leichhardt Oval |
| 26 | Sat. August 30 | Cowboys vs. Broncos | 7:35pm (AEST) | Queensland Country Bank Stadium |
| 27 | - | BYE | - | - |