The North Queensland Cowboys put up the worst defensive display in NRL history on Thursday evening. Cast the mind back just five days, and the Cowboys knocked over the Brisbane Broncos in an always tense Queensland derby. That was their third win in four starts too, with the same Cowboys team who had the wheels fall off on Thursday recording wins over the Penrith Panthers and Manly Sea Eagles recently. Because to be a professional rugby league player and defend like the Cowboys did on Thursday isn't good enough. Payten must surely know that, even if now isn't the time for those questions to be answered.