Origin II can't come soon enough for those north of the Tweed Brisbane Broncos players react after losing their match against the Warriors played at Suncorp Stadium last week SO Queensland fans, you thought things couldn't get any worse after losing to NSW in the opening State of Origin game. Well, think again. It turns out that was only the entree. In the space of six days, all three NRL clubs based in the sunshine state have suffered in one way or the other. The Cowboys coach is facing the sack and one of its star players the courts. The Broncos are reeling from two heavy defeats - the last time they were on the end of such a beating in successive games was four years ago. The Gold Coast is at least in the top eight, although it is on the search for its third chief executive in less than a year after David May announced his sudden and shock resignation. The malaise which afflicted the Origin side has spread to the clubs from which it garners most of its talent. Nowhere is it worse than in Townsville. The Cowboys, among the pre-season favourites to win their first premiership, are closer to the bottom of the table than the top. Coach Neil Henry's squad is the envy of the NRL, yet his job now teeters on the brink. There were reports he would be sacked this week. That now appears unlikely, although don't bet against it happening next week if North Queensland loses to St George Illawarra on Friday night. The Cowboys have the bye the week after, so it would give his replacement time to settle in. North Queensland was unlucky in last year's finals series, their elimination aided by some controversial refereeing decisions, but even that can't disguise their record over the past five years. A mythical table over that period would leave them in 10th place, with a regular season record of 49 wins and 60 losses. Worse still, their away record hasn't improved. The Cowboys have traditionally struggled outside Townsville. Last year, they won more than they lost for the first time in Henry's tenure. This season, old habits have returned. The Cowboys are 2-6 on the road. That's simply not good enough. Excuses can be made, most notably the form of fullback Matt Bowen. But Bowen aside, North Queensland boasts a roster which should have them entrenched in the top eight. If their record wasn't bad enough, prop James Tamou is now in the dock after being arrested on allegations of high-range drink driving. It's a terrible look given the club's plight and Tamou's standing as one of the club's senior players. The response will be intriguing. The Cowboys need their best players on the park but they also need to make a stand. When the club is battling, everyone needs to put their shoulder to the wheel. Tamou was at the wheel alright. Only he shouldn't have been. The buck inevitably stops with the coach. That man is Henry and he is fighting for his life. His woes have helped deflect some of the spotlight off Brisbane coach Anthony Griffin, although he is very much under the microscope after the Broncos loss to Canberra. Brisbane fans have every right to ask questions as the game's flagship club barely clings to the top eight. The Broncos haven't adequately replaced Darren Lockyer and the man who was supposed to fill those shoes - Corey Norman - will join Parramatta next season. That alone encapsulates what is wrong at the Broncos - a young star leaving to join a Sydney club which on the surface appears in disarray. Yet Norman felt it was a better option. Alarm bells should be ringing at Red Hill. Worse still, the club has made no signings of note for next year. It's hard to see how things can improve. Canterbury superstar Ben Barba keeps getting linked with Brisbane, but that won't solve the Broncos problems in the halves and forwards. The Broncos need to win seven of their remaining 11 games to stand a chance of playing finals football. After Monday night's game against the Wests Tigers, they play four of their next five on the road, including trips to Auckland, Melbourne and Townsville. Good luck. As for the Gold Coast, at least things are going swimmingly on the field. The Titans are the only Queensland side in the top eight, remarkable given the state the club was in last season. May's resignation came from left field, but the club appears to have clean air ahead after the turbulence of 2012. As it stands, the Titans are carrying the hopes of an entire state. At least until Origin II in a fortnight.