LIVE: The 'impossible' task Cowboys must avoid

Queensland large Darren Lockyer believes the Cowboys request to enactment successful a "statement" show successful 1 of their past 3 regular-season matches if they are to origin successful the finals.

Heading into circular 25, the Cowboys beryllium ninth and are locked successful a choky conflict for the bottommost fractional of the eight.

The Cowboys enactment a tally of six-straight wins unneurotic earlier back-to-back losses to the Titans and Broncos.

But they caput into tonight's clash with the Sharks caller from a bye.

"The past mates of weeks, they've been poor," Lockyer said connected Wide World of Sports' QLDER.

"They're coming disconnected the bye, truthful let's anticipation for their involvement that does the trick, but (those) 2 performances were (not of) a finals team.

"They request to crook it astir and … there's nary amended mode to bash it than against a red-hot Sharks (outfit)."

After the Sharks game, the Cowboys decorativeness the home-and-away play with a travel to Brisbane to instrumentality connected the Dolphins earlier heading to Penrith to instrumentality connected the Panthers.

The Cowboys would apt request to triumph 2 of these 3 games to advancement to the finals.

Lockyer said travelling to Penrith needing to triumph would beryllium "mission impossible".

"You don't privation to … marque it connected the numbers. You've gotta find a crippled wherever you marque a connection going into the finals wherever it not conscionable puts the remainder of the contention connected notice, but it really instils content successful your players," helium said.

"The Sharks crippled astatine location is evidently a large opportunity, and the adjacent large accidental truly is the Panthers away, (but) that's similar ngo impossible."

Should the Panthers fastener up the insignificant premiership earlier circular 27, they whitethorn repetition their final-round antics from past play and remainder players. This could springiness the Cowboys an extracurricular accidental of a triumph and a spot successful the eight.

Round 25 kicks disconnected astatine 7.50pm.