North Queensland have kept their hopes of a top-two finish alive by defeating an understrength Penrith outfit 38-8 at Queensland Country Bank Stadium.
The Cowboys' chances of hosting Cronulla in the first week of the finals now hinge on Newcastle upsetting the Sharks on Sunday afternoon.
If the Sharks win, the Cowboys will instead travel to Pointsbet Stadium, where they are on a five-game losing streak that pre-dates their maiden premiership win in 2015.
The minor premiership locked away a fortnight ago, the Panthers rested 11 of their stars for Saturday night's game and fielded a team unrecognisable from that which won last year's grand final.
Three debutants and only one premiership Panther, Scott Sorensen, took the field.
Between them, North Queensland's Chad Townsend, Jason Taumalolo and Kyle Feldt brought 154 more games of first-grade experience into the game than the entire Penrith 17 (465).
But the gulf in experience only began showing on the scoreboard midway through the first half when humid conditions took their toll on the young Penrith forward pack.
The Cowboys did much of the damage on the left edge, with Robert Jennings and Christian Crichton unable to contain State of Origin duo Murray Taulagi and Valentine Holmes, who combined for three of their side's four first-half tries.
A contender for a place in the Dally M Team of the Year, Holmes had his third brace as the hour-mark approached and earned an early mark in preparation for the finals series.
Penrith brought renewed intensity to the second half to ensure the Cowboys didn't turn the result into a cricket score as it appeared they might in the shadows of half-time.
The Panthers pegged a try back through Jennings and then another when Sunia Turuva slid over while Penrith debutant Thomas Jenkins was in the sin bin for a professional foul.
But the Cowboys never looked fazed and sealed the result when Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow and Reece Robson scored in quick succession late.
Penrith's back-up halfback Sean O'Sullivan left the game in the final 10 minutes with an apparent injury concern and did not return.
The Panthers chartered a private plane to fly home on Saturday night and on arrival in Sydney will immediately begin preparations for their qualifying final against arch-rivals Parramatta, the side responsible for two of their four defeats this year.
