The seasons of North Queensland representative stars James Tamou and Michael Morgan hang in the balance after the Cowboys scored 50 unanswered points against the Warriors.
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NSW prop Tamou was carried off on a medicab 20 minutes into the round 24 match at Mt Smart Stadium, at which point his side trailed 16-0.
The departure of Tamou, who had previously undergone neck surgery, sparked a crushing Cowboys revival, but before halftime Paul Green's side also lost Queensland five-eighth Morgan.
"Jimmy Tamou taken to hospital as a precaution (neck injury)," the club tweeted after the game, "Morgo to get scans tomorrow on his ankle."
The Warriors recorded their sixth loss in a row at Mt Smart Stadium and did so in a way only this club can do.
Playing some of their best footy of the season, they raced out to a 16-0 lead after 12 minutes, but then completely fell apart to trail 24-16 at the break and eventually lost 16-50.
For a short while all of the misery there'd been around the club for over a month disappeared and with the young halves pairing of Mason Lino and Tuimoala Lolohea carving it up, it seemed that the 14,412 spectators at the stadium were witnessing the dawning of a new era.
However, all that hope and excitement disappeared as quickly as it materialised and this ended up being yet another disappointing night.
In the first play of the game the Warriors lost Jacob Lillyman with a broken cheekbone, following a charge where he smashed into Cowboys second rower Ethan Lowe. Like so many senior players at the club, Lillyman's season is over and he went straight to hospital.
However, the Warriors still started the match looking to chance their arm and seemed to play with a new found freedom. No longer were they burdened by the pressure of trying to make the top eight, it was just about getting stuck in.
Lino made a nice run across the face of the Cowboys' defence in the first few minutes and his halves partner, Lolohea produced a Shaun Johnson like run to give the Warriors their opening try in the sixth minute.
Three minutes later Lino put through a grubber that winger Kan Maumalo was able to latch onto and all of a sudden against the odds, the Warriors were up 10-0.
Incredibly they had their third try in the 12th minute with Lolohea making a break, running 20m, then putting a kick through for Dominique Peyroux to score from.
An equally loud cheer went up when Simon Mannering decked James Tamou in the 15th minute, which resulted in the Palmerston North born Kangaroo leaving the field on a stretcher.
There was a long stoppage while Tamou received medical attention and it ended up being the defining moment in the game. The Warriors lost their momentum and the Cowboys regrouped.
Kyle Feldt scored for the Cowboys shortly after the resumption and Thurston burst through the Warriors defence without being touched in the 23rd minute for their second try.
Five minutes later there was another lengthy stoppage when Michael Morgan badly damaged his ankle when being tackled and the Cowboys five-eighth must be in doubt to play again this season.
The Cowboys had four sets in a row late in the first half and eventually the Warriors cracked with Feldt running around the left edge defence for his second try.
Straight after, Maumalo knocked the ball on under his posts, giving the Cowboys one more attack and they made the most of it with Justin O'Neill scoring his side's fourth try in a row.
Ben Spina added to the Cowboys' tally with a try in the 47th minute, while Coen Hess, Kane Linnett and Feldt got his third and O'Neill his second as the Warriors ended their season at home in the most miserable fashion possible.
