NRL: Dire Warriors destroyed by Cowboys

Tuimoala Lolohea looks on as the Warriors capitulated against the Cowboys. Photo / Getty

It seems like no side possesses the ability to go from delightful to dire quite like the Warriors.

Tonight's 50-16 loss to the North Queensland Cowboys read like a microcosm of their 2015 season. Breathtaking beautiful football turned to poor, plodding play in a blink of eye, sending the last hopeful glimpse of finals football flittering away in the Mount Smart Stadium breeze.

You could accuse the Warriors of dark arts, such was the speed a 16-0 lead vanished from view, with the Cowboys piling on 50 straight points to embarrass the hosts.

Coming into the clash on a five game losing streak, a Warriors win was always going to be a tough proposition against the third-placed Cowboys.

However, a sparkling start had the Mount Smart faithful dreaming of a bright send-off in their home season finale, with 20-year old Tuimoala Lolohea having a magical opening ten minutes.

A superb solo effort started the show, with Lolohea and his new bleach-blonde hairstyle emerging from what seemed an impenetrable enclosure of Cowboys defenders with an array of steps and fends to score a remarkable opening try.

His partner in the halves - 21 year old debutant Mason Lino - also started strongly, with a deflected grubber leading to a try for Ken Maumalo, before Lolohea started a flowing move from halfway, placing a pinpoint grubber which sat up for Dominique Peyroux to give the hosts a 16-0 lead through 11 minutes of play.

That was where the pleasure turned to pain.

Despite losing key contributors James Tamou and Michael Morgan to a neck and ankle injuries respectively, the Cowboys flicked the switch, tearing up the Warriors' defensive edges time after time.

After Lolohea's opening salvo, Johnathan Thurston took back the halfback reigns, controlling the game with aplomb. He first set up winger Kyle Feldt to cross in the corner, before a draw and pass from hooker Jake Granville gave Thurston room to run through a gaping hole and dot down himself.

The Warriors never looked like finding a plug to stop the flow of points, with Feldt adding a second before Justin O'Neill profited from a Maumalo howler to make it 24-16 at the break.

Whatever was uttered in the sheds at halftime had no effect, with Ben Spina and Coen Hess continuing the rampage before Feldt brought up his hat-trick in the 65th minute.

Further tries to Kane Linnett and a second to O'Neill brought up the half-century, and sent the Warriors trudging back to the pavilion.