The one big question Parker has about the Cowboys' Premiership credentials

The North Queensland Cowboys are still alive in the 2024 NRL finals series after a nail-bitting 28-16 win over the Newcastle Knights on Saturday night.

Although the scoreline looks favourable towards the Cowboys, Todd Payten’s side had to hold off a resurgent Knights outfit until the final moments of the clash.

North Queensland’s world-class attack was on full display in the elimination final but the side’s inconsistency in defence was also a factor in the game.

The issues with consistency have plagued the side all year and SEN’s Corey Parker admitted he is still hesitant to put all of his faith into their Premiership credentials based on that.

When asked on SENQ Mornings if the Cowboys could put pressure on either Penrith or Melbourne, Parker answered: “The short answer to that is yes, they are good enough.”

“Do you have trust that they will be able to do that? That’s the big question.

“I can’t trust them at the moment, in the sense that, can they turn up for an 80-minute performance, defend like they need to defend.

“On the weekend, I think at halftime, there was 300 odd missed tackles to the Cowboys, they tightened it up in the second half but if you do that against the Melbourne Storm or Penrith Panthers, they’ll just make you pay.

“They need to be able to dial that in right from the start, so that’s the big question, if they’re good enough, absolutely they can score points but defensively it’s been an issue.

“They can score the points, no two ways about that, they’ve got key players in all the right positions, it’s just can they defend?”

The Cowboys face the Cronulla Sharks on Friday night at Allianz Stadium, with the winner meeting the Panthers in a preliminary final.