Cowboys reflect on 'terrible' form ahead of Warriors clash Cowboys prop James Tamou. Source: Townsville Bulletin COWBOYS front-rower James Tamou may be brutal on the field but he can be philosophical off it. In order to prime the team for Monday's clash with the Warriors in Auckland, Tamou said the players had to look at themselves in the mirror, and it was not at all pleasant. It was a tough one to swallow. We watched video of that and agreed it was terrible," Tamou said of vision of the Cowboys most recent loss to Newcastle. Tamou and co-captain Matt Scott are Australia's and North Queensland's prime movers. They are the reason why many have predicted the club can reach its second grand final this year. Yet they were off-colour against the Knights, prompting a healing session among the forwards, led by Scott and experienced pack mates Dallas Johnson and Scott Moore. "We expect a lot more of ourselves, and that's not happening right now," Tamou said. We've all had a long, hard look at ourselves. North Queensland is also preparing a protective strategy for playmaker Johnathan Thurston, who will have Simon Mannering running at him on the Cowboys' left edge all afternoon. "He's got some size on him," Cowboys winger Antonio Winterstein said of Mannering. People don't often realise how big he is until you face up to him. We've got a job to do there, protecting Johnathan from their big men.