It was easy to surmise that once they lost Johnathan Thurston (in addition to Matt Scott) the season was over for North Queensland. And so it appeared, before the Red V parted and they found themselves in the finals after all. This team has plenty of remnants from the one that stole it in 2015 and they've done the job as underdogs two weeks in a row. There's a bit of a bubble up there in the tropics but given their talent and experience, as well as the rise and rise and rise of Michael Morgan, folks should hardly be so surprised at their efforts. They are a massive chance to reach another grand final.

Can Latrell Mitchell handle the hype?

It's amazing what one fend can do. When Mitchell brushed off James Roberts to score the winner against the Broncos, it took just seconds for everyone to wonder if they were watching the second coming of Greg Inglis. A talented, powerful, Indigenous three-quarter, Mitchell has talent to burn and the physical gifts to be a handful for anyone in the competition. Yet the mention of he and Inglis in the same sentence can only raise expectations and the Cowboys aren't likely to give him the same sort of room as a wonky Broncos defence. Of course, there's a good bet he will only rise to the occasion. Already, he's one of the best stories of the finals series.

Can North Queensland deal with the Roosters' forward power?

Like the rest of their team, the Cowboys pack has probably been sold short. Scott hasn't been there all season - or will he? - but that doesn't mean their big men haven't been effective. Ethan Lowe and Scott Bolton have been huge and Jason Taumalolo (more expansive detail on him next) is probably the best running forward in the game. However, they have their work cut out. Dylan Napa and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves were superb against Brisbane, bossing the first 20 minutes to set up the win. Boyd Cordner has returned to top form and runs edge lines as well as anyone in the game, while the tricolours have a handy lock of their own in Isaac Liu.

Has anyone found a way to curtail Taumalolo since this time last week?

No.

Can the Roosters assemble an 80-minute performance?

They start fast and all, the triple colours. Only the Storm tend to get out of the blocks faster, scoring 33 tries in the opening 20 minutes of games compared to a very respectable 30 by the Roosters. But they do have a tendency to give teams a peak after that, especially when the starting big men are rotated to the bench. Brisbane had a sniff and only needed to be a shade better to pinch it in week one. The Cowboys are building very nicely and while they can take their time to get rolling, are a clinical semi-final team that will keep coming until the siren. If the Roosters want to get to the decider, they can't afford to have a breather against an underdog side motivated to prove everyone wrong. Again.