The North Queensland Cowboys' 2026 season has begun with serious questions being asked around their discipline, fitness and defensive resilience after a heavy 44-16 defeat to the Wests Tigers at Leichhardt Oval - the Tigers' biggest win to open an NRL season.
While the Cowboys were first to register points through a penalty goal, their resistance quickly unravelled under sustained pressure and repeated six-again calls.
Within the opening 20 minutes, the Tigers had been awarded six set restarts, forcing the Cowboys into extended defensive sets that rapidly drained the forward pack.
The moment that best captured the Cowboys' defensive collapse came when Adam Doueihi slowly pulled himself over the line and directly under the posts.
Despite having multiple defenders in contact, Doueihi was able to push through soft resistance and ground the ball — a try that exposed both the fatigue and lack of defensive resolve building in the Cowboys' line.
An early sin bin to Kai O'Donnell for repeated infringements only worsened the situation, leaving the Cowboys to defend with 12 men while already under significant pressure.
With Reuben Cotter unavailable due to family matters, the reshuffled forward pack struggled to contain the Tigers' momentum.
Defensive edges began to open up as the match progressed, allowing debutant Kai Pearce-Paul to cross twice in the first half.
Errors prevented the Cowboys from building any response, including a crucial knock-on while attacking inside the Tigers' 20, while fatigue continued to show in both their line speed and contact.
The Tigers capitalised on the mounting defensive lapses throughout the match, eventually extending their lead after Scott Drinkwater failed to clean up a late kick, knocking the ball on and allowing Jeral Skelton to score.
For the Cowboys, the match served as an early warning sign.
Repeated six-again calls, poor discipline and a defensive line that struggled to withstand pressure combined to expose a side that faded quickly once the game began to accelerate.
On top of a Round 1 28-16 loss to the Knights in Vegas, scrutiny around Todd Payten's side could intensify very early in the season.
If he doesn't bounce back and lead his team to a victory soon, his job at North Queensland could be cut short. They are set to face the Titans next week at home.
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I mean even if they sack Payten they will still have the same players…and it’s the players who are actually out on the field. Let’s be realistic here…the Cowboys have one of the weaker squads on paper in the competition…so what are they suppose to do?