When North Queensland co-captain Tom Dearden asserted his hatred of Brisbane, following an interjection by his coach Todd Payten, it revealed plenty about the history of the fierce rivalry between the clubs and the immediate future.
"I hate the Broncos so I'm looking forward to playing against them next week," Dearden said, to finish a moment of pure theatre in the post-match press conference after the Cowboys' 36-16 loss to the Dolphins in Brisbane on Sunday.