KEY POINTS:
BRISBANE - North Queensland skipper Johnathan Thurston has cast aside the New Zealand Warriors' inconsistent away form, warning they will be "hurting bad" following their National Rugby League home loss to Parramatta.
The Warriors are tough to beat in Auckland but on the road they have won just
five of 12 games this season.
Thurston said semifinals football was a completely different ball game and the Warriors would be fired up in Townsville on Sunday after losing 10-12 to the Eels last Friday.
"It's semifinals football and anything can happen," said Thurston, who scored two tries and kicked four goals in the Cowboys' thrilling 20-18 win against the Bulldogs last Saturday.
"If we go in with that attitude, (that they're not as good away) we might as well not turn up."
Thurston said warhorse forwards Steve Price and the ageless Ruben Wiki were giving the Warriors' halves momentum which could be difficult to stop in the elimination final.
"He (Price) has been leading them well along with Rubes (Ruben Wiki)," Thurston said.
"They've got a very good forward pack and their halves have been getting some really good momentum off it."
The Cowboys continue to hold out hope power forward Carl Webb, who had scans today for a calf injury, will be right to play against the bruising Warriors pack.
But they've endured enough adversity already this season, losing four key forwards, to be prepared for bad news if it comes.
Webb spent time in a hyperbaric chamber on Monday in a bid to speed up his recovery with his scan results unlikely to be known until Tuesday.
"He didn't look real good after the game but we've got our fingers crossed he'll be okay," retiring centre and the club's last foundation player Paul Bowman said.
"Obviously you feel sorry for players when they get injured at this time of the year.
"But they are going to get him in the hyperbaric chamber and do everything possible and maybe he'll be able to play a part this weekend or afterwards.
"We just have to move on. We've had a number of those setbacks throughout the year and lost a lot players which has steeled the group, so we're prepared for it."
Bowman said he thought the Cowboys were "gone" when Bulldogs winger Hazem El Masri latched on to a Brent Sherwin chip kick in the final minutes of last Saturday's game.
"When he caught the ball I thought he was going to score untouched," Bowman said.
"It was an incredible effort by Mark Henry to pull him down from behind and for Matt (Bowen) to come flying over the top.
"Dead set, when he caught the ball I thought he had to be offside or he is going to score untouched.
"Guys just keep turning up in defence and everyone has a lot of trust that his mates will turn up for them.
"It's been happening in every game now and it's getting better and better."
- AAP