COWBOYS DARE TO DREAM

WHY not us?

It was the catchcry that inspired the Sharks’ epic charge to their maiden premiership last season after 49 years of failure.

Now North Queensland have adopted a similar mantra as the injury-ravaged Cowboys prepare to ride their luck by becoming finals giantkillers – starting against Cronulla on Sunday.

The Cowboys were getting ready for Mad Monday when the Bulldogs’ stunning upset of the Dragons on Sunday gave North Queensland a stay of execution and a chance to clinch a second NRL title in three years.

The Sharks will start raging favourites at Allianz Stadium but Maroons ace Gavin Cooper has a message for critics who believe the Cowboys will be simply making up the numbers in the playoffs. “Why not us?” Cooper said. “We have shown we can mix it with the teams up the top of the ladder.

“We’ve put in some good performances but we will need our best performance of the year this week.

“If we don’t, we’ll get bounced clean out and then we would have been just making up the numbers.”

While the Cowboys must defy enormous odds to clinch another title, Parramatta’s class of 2009 are evidence an eighth-placed team can mount a playoffs surge to qualify for the grand final.

The Eels, inspired at the time by Dally M sensation Jarryd Hayne, ultimately fell at the final hurdle against the Storm, but Cooper is determined for the Cowboys to make a statement against the Sharks.

After all, North Queensland have sufficient motivation. In last year’s finals, the Sharks tore the Cowboys apart in the first half at Allianz Stadium, bolting to a 14-0 halftime lead before going on with the job to end North Queensland’s title defence.

Cooper insists this week isn’t about revenge.

“That was 12 months ago,” Cooper said of last year’s finals exit against Cronulla.

“I really don’t think it will be spoken about.”