The Cowboys had never won three straight games without Johnathan Thurston. But having broken new ground, are they ready to confound their critics again?

No Johnathan Thurston, no worries. But a fourth straight loss was another nail in the coffin of the Canberra Raiders' finals hopes.

It's becoming do-or-die for the Canberra Raiders, but Canberra Stadium is planning an icy reception.

Canberra Raiders back-up hooker Adam Clydsdale is set to join Edrick Lee at Cronulla for the rest of the season.

North Queensland assistant coach Todd Payten revealed Shaun Fensom was "rightfully disappointed" with how he left Canberra.

Canberra Raiders coach Ricky Stuart says Green Machine fans are unfairly labelled as fickle. And the numbers back him up.

The North Queensland Cowboys might not have JT, but they still have JT.

It'll take more than the pressure of playing for his career to stop Dave Taylor.

What does Canberra Raiders coach Ricky Stuart hope Dave Taylor will bring against North Queensland?

"If I didn't get abused three or four times a game, I wasn't playing" Ricky Stuart says on-field spat nothing unusual.

Cameron King is set to end a 733-day wait for an NRL recall when he answers Parramatta's hooking crisis in Thursday's clash against Canterbury.

The Cowboys have notched a last-ditch win against Penrith, despite missing star playmaker Johnathan Thurston.

Johnathan Thurston feared he would compromise his health after football if he delayed shoulder surgery and tried to nurse his battered body through to a State of Origin farewell next month.

• UPDATED

Johnathan Thurston will be robbed of his State of Origin farewell with a shoulder injury set to rule the Maroons No.6 out of next month's decider and potentially the rest of the season.

The Storm and Cowboy battled it out at AAMI Park on Saturday with the Storm claiming the win.

Te Maire Martin has opened up about his abrupt exit from the Penrith Panthers, admitting he became a "passenger" in his final games before he was axed to reserved grade.

• Live

Follow along as Melbourne Storm host the North Queensland Cowboys.

Johnathan Thurston walked a fine line when he told the referees to "take control" - and then heeded his own advice - as the Cowboys' superstar put NSW on notice after almost single handedly skinning the Eels.

Maroons utility Michael Morgan helped put the disappointment of a State of Origin opening loss behind him by guiding North Queensland to a much-needed 20-8 home NRL win on Saturday night over Gold Coast.