It's much a case of history repeating in Townsville with North Queensland copping criticism for their paper-thin defence.
This was also the situation after the opening three weeks of the season, where the Cowboys slumped to a three-game losing streak while conceding 104 points.
They looked ill-prepared for the start of the campaign as Manly brushed them aside 42-12, before Cronulla put 36 points on them in front of their home fans.
Brisbane then also got the better of them the following week as the Broncos eased to a 26-16 win to pile the pressure onto Todd Payten.
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"I’m not going to lie, it’s been uncomfortable," Payten admitted ahead of his side’s first win this year in Round 4.
"Are our lads listening to it?" Payten wondered aloud as questions about his future popped up. "Am I listening to it? I know I’m not but I certainly feel it."
Their surprise win over Canberra handed them their first two competition points, while also releasing some of the pressure on the coach.
What followed was a four-game winning streak as the Cowboys appeared to have put their early woes firmly behind them. However, since they battered the Gold Coast 50-18 in Round 8, the wheels have come off again.
They were beaten by four points by the New Zealand Warriors at Magic Round and then battled to a high-scoring draw against Penrith a week later.
Across those two games, they conceded a total of 60 points, while scoring 56 themselves. Yet Payten reacted by dropping Jake Clifford as his first-choice halfback in Round 11 and moving Jaxon Purdue from out of the centres into the halves.
North QLD has won just one of their last five games since this possible season-defining decision.
The Cowboys’ defence is as leaky as ever - conceding 24 points to Manly and 28 to the Wests Tigers.
In their most recent three fixtures, they have conceded 138 points, as Melbourne, the Dolphins, and the Sydney Roosters have put them to the sword.
During this dire run - which has also occurred without their forward leader Jason Taumalolo being in the team - they have managed to cross for just 26 points themselves as their attack has malfunctioned.
"What we're 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," Corey Parker said on SENQ Breakfast.
"They are in huge trouble at the moment."
Payten has experienced a rollercoaster time while in charge in Townsville.
The coach endured a difficult first campaign in the hot seat back in 2021 as the Cowboys only narrowly avoided the wooden spoon.
But he became the talk of the NRL a season later as his hard-edged approach saw them surge up the ladder off the back of a resolute defence.
They ultimately fell just one game short of reaching the grand final, while Payten was named the Dally M Coach of the Year and was rewarded with a three-year contract extension.
North QLD failed to build on this momentum in 2023, with the club missing out on the finals as they finished in 11th spot.
However, Payten managed to guide his side back into the finals last year, although their defence was a cause for concern again as they conceded more points than any other team in the top eight.
This 18-month period of defensive frailty has led Parker to question whether the players or the coach are most to blame for the downfall in performance levels.
"This was a team that had a red-hot crack defensively and a steely mindset," Parker stated.
"What’s changed? 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."