It was a game the Warriors needed to win to revive their stuttering season, and a strong start was backed up by a firm finish to move last year's beaten finalists back within two points off the top eight.
After losing three of their last four games the Warriors would have given a warm welcome to a severely-depleted North Queensland side, but it didn't always look like the visitors would lay down.
Missing four starters to Origin duty, the Cowboys forced their way back into the match after the hosts jumped out to a 16-0 lead and pulled within four midway through the second spell.
But the Warriors remained composed and Nathan Friend, returning after six weeks out with a broken jaw, delivered a decisive blow with 10 minutes left to seal his side's seventh win from 15 games.
That win looked in no doubt early as the Warriors wasted no time in taking advantage of the debilitated Cowboys, racing out to a 16-0 lead.
After four minutes, Feleti Mateo found Shaun Johnson in some space on the left wing and the halfback broke Ray Johnson's tackle before firing a simple inside pass for Ben Henry to cross.
A quick exchange of passes between James Maloney and Kevin Locke then exposed the Cowboys' fringe defence on the right and allowed Konrad Hurrell to hustle over.
And it was soon three in 13 minutes, with Locke besting opposite number Matt Bowen to gather Maloney's midfield bomb and set up Henry for his double.
The Warriors looked in the mood to take out some recent frustrations on the Cowboys, but the visitors forced their way back into the match and were the better side for the rest of the half.
Matt Bowen had a hand in almost everything good for the Cowboys and it was his pass which put Kane Linnett through half a hole on 20 minutes to put North Queensland on the board.
The Warriors re-established their 16-point advantage when Mateo's perfect pass enabled Jacob Lillyman to score against his former side, but some more creative play from Bowen eventually saw Ashley Graham dive over in the right corner for his competition-leading 15th try.
That sent the sides to the break with the Cowboys, despite trailing by 10, probably happier with how they finished the half.
The break seemed to do the Warriors some good, and they started the second spell strongly with Bill Tupou agonisingly close to crossing in the right corner, but the Cowboys closed the gap further with a sucker punch midway through the half.
Gavin Cooper was the beneficiary from some destructive work by Joel Riethmuller and Michael Morgan, being given an open route to the tryline to reduce the deficit to four points.
The Warriors refused to allow the Cowboys any closer, setting up camp in the visitors' half and forcing four repeat sets. The pressure eventually told, with Friend muscling his way over from dummy-half to give his side some breathing room.
And, from the kick-off, Johnson's break allowed Lewis Brown to dart over and clinch the points.
Warriors 35 (Henry 2, Hurrell, Lillyman, Friend, Brown tries; Maloney 5 cons, field goal)
Cowboys 18 (Linnet, Graham, Cooper tries; Bowen 3 cons)
HT: 22-12
