The race for the NRL's top eight is still alive after a controversial late penalty consigned North Queensland to a 32-30 loss to Parramatta at CommBank Stadium.
With a chance to lock in a finals spot beckoning, the Cowboys' defence crumbled on Saturday night as they let in six Eels tries.
The defining moment then came with four minutes to play, when Mitch Moses set up for a Parramatta field goal with scores locked at 30-30.
The Eels halfback eventually ran it on the last, was ankle-tapped by Heilum Luki and spilled the ball forward while falling.
But Moses reviewed the call, and the bunker found he had been collected in the head by Tom Chester while just inches above the ground.
The result means Canterbury are still alive in the race for the finals, albeit still two points behind the Cowboys and with North Queensland having a bye next week.
Manly also remain in the hunt, but would need to win their last three and have the Cowboys drop their final two games at home against Wests Tigers and Canberra.
As tough as the late penalty may have been for North Queensland, their defence remains a massive issue just weeks out from the finals.
A fortnight after leaking 82 points to the Sydney Roosters, it was poor again on Saturday night.
The tone was set when Parramatta winger Brian Kelly went 60 metres from the opening kick-off, while the Cowboys also conceded six first-half penalties.
Luki could also find himself in trouble with the match review committee, after being sin-binned in the opening half for a high shot on Luca Moretti.
There is no doubt North Queensland's attack has the spark to put points on, with halfback Jaxon Purdue again impressing.
He put on a long cut-out ball for a Braidon Burns try in the first half, then stepped Teancum Brown and fullback Apa Twidle for a second-half try of his own.
Reed Mahoney also starred out of dummy-half, burrowing over for the night's first try, before going short to Reuben Cotter and putting him over after the break.
The Cowboys also put on one of the tries of the year with scores locked at 24-24, with the ball going from right to left and back to the right through five passes and two kicks before Chester crossed.
Not to be outdone, Parramatta also had plenty of attacking flair.
It was big prop Junior Paulo who responded to level the scores at 30-30, with a lofted 35-metre cut-out ball in the lead-up to a Jordan Samrani try.
Moses also had three try assists and broke through the line in the lead-up to a Tallyn Da Silva penalty try.
And his off-contract halves partner Ronald Volkman again pushed his case for another deal, scoring one try and putting a grubber-kick in for a Josh Addo-Carr four-pointer.