The North Queensland Cowboys enter 2026 as one of the competition's most under pressure teams. There have been finals appearances, but the consistency hasn't been there, and 2025 saw another downturn for the North Queensland outfit. That shouldn't be happening to a team playing with the likes of Scott Drinkwater, Tom Dearden and Jeremiah Nanai. What is clear is that the Cowboys need to turn things around if the playing group want to avoid a cull, and if Payten wants to continue in his job. And there are some enormous selection questions facing the Cowboys as they head into the new year surrounding both their young talent and veterans alike.