North Queensland will breathe a little easier after thrashing the Warriors 48-4 at home as coach Todd Payten plots ahead of two huge fixtures to finish their season.
Payten's side consolidated their push for a top-two NRL finish with their biggest win of the season a week after being outmuscled by the Roosters in Sydney.
Twenty-four hours after Penrith dashed their hopes of contesting for the minor premiership, the second-placed Cowboys registered their 16th win of the season in an eight-try performance to almost guarantee them top four, and keep them ahead of a chasing Cronulla.
The win moves Payten's side to 34 competition points, two clear of the Sharks who face Manly on Saturday at 4 Pines Park, and with a superior points differential of 115 over them.
Should Cronulla dispose of the Sea Eagles, the two sides will be at each other's necks to secure second spot on the ladder and two guaranteed home finals in the post-season.
Cronulla have the easier run home, facing Canterbury and Newcastle to finish their season, while North Queensland play South Sydney away and minor premiers Penrith at home in round 25.
"It's awesome. This is what we play the game for," Payten said of their run home.
"We've worked really hard to get to where we are and what we have is an opportunity. We understand where we're at, the opportunity in front of us and we're going to go after it."
The Cowboys certainly went after it in their first home fixture after three consecutive away games.
Their habit of starting slow was put to bed quickly when Coen Hess crashed over Reece Walsh for their first in the sixth minute before going bang-bang three minutes later when Murray Taulagi sent Walsh flying and slammed the ball down.
Valentine Holmes slotted a penalty goal to make the score 12-0 with Marcelo Montoya firing back for the Warriors off a kick to briefly find the visitors back in the contest.
With five minutes before the break, Walsh spilled Chad Townsend's kick and Jeremiah Nanai crossed for his 17th try of the year.
A try to Peta Hiku against his former team after some slick work from Scott Drinkwater deflated the visitors, who entered the break 24-4 down.
The damage was done in the first half and further tries to Luciano Leilua, Townsend, and a first career double to Dearden had the home fans clamouring for 50 points.
But the Cowboys blew a number of chances in the final 15 minutes with Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow tackled dead in goal, Hiku dropping the ball over the line and Drinkwater's flare being too much for Hess who found himself in a rare spot on the wing.
Kicking eight of his nine attempts at goal, Holmes became just the third Cowboys player in history to score 200 points in a season alongside club legend Jonathan Thurston and Josh Hannay as North Queensland prepare for two major tests before a first finals appearance since 2017.
