While Brent Tate says the North Queensland Cowboys will take an "us versus them" mentality into their elimination final against the Roosters, Maroons coach Mal Meninga has warned them not to let a week of off-field turbulence unsettle their performance.
The prelude to the game took another dramatic turn on Thursday when Roosters coach Trent Robinson teed off on the front page of the Townsville Bulletin, calling a Photoshopped image of Anthony Minichiello's face on an about to be roasted chicken "disrespectful".
Robinson also had a crack at his former assistant Paul Green, questioning his attack on the NRL judiciary after Cowboy forward Tariq Sims was banned over a grade-three shoulder charge. Sims pleaded guilty and will miss the rest of the finals.
Tate, who was forced to retire from rugby league after another serious knee injury, travelled south with his former Cowboys teammates on Thursday. He said the group had developed a siege mentality before one of the biggest games in the club's history.
"They've drummed that into the boys," he said before their departure. "I know as a player I felt like that, those guys heading down there ... I'm sure there will be that siege mentality. There's definitely that feeling of 'us versus them' at the moment."
North Queensland's sense of isolation has deepened over recent finals' campaigns as harsh refereeing decisions contributed to their early demises.
That has gone to another level this week. Green has been fined $10,000 for his comments about the judiciary and NRL boss Dave Smith was forced to publicly deny there was a conspiracy against the Cowboys.
Meninga has become a master of manipulating the emotion swirling around a vital game. During Queensland's record run of success in State of Origin, he created a perfect atmosphere for success by convincing his players they were playing against the odds, even while the team was full of superstars.
While he said this week's off-field dramas could be turned into an advantage, he has urged Green to ensure he is focused on the game plan and the fundamentals when the Cowboys take the field in Sydney.
"You can't not focus on your performance," Meninga said. "Those things are motivating, of course, and they've had a rough trot the last couple of years that have cost them the opportunity to play in a grand final.
"That won't be in their thinking, really, when they go on the field. If they do get a rough call, the best way to combat that is to make sure their next effort is spot on."
Tate said the loss of Sims would have an impact but he still believed the Cowboys were one of the few sides in the competition that could stop the Roosters in the middle of the park.
"You've got to try and limit their forwards. They've steamrolled a lot of teams this season. [Cowboys] Matt Scott and Ashton Sims have been in fantastic form. If there's a team in the comp that can stop their forwards, its ours."
