CAN everybody cool down a little? Would everyone just take a nice deep breath? Let's try to regain a little perspective here, shall we.

Nobody's saying the 7-tackle-try affair was anything but a farce, but if you're banging the "North Queensland was robbed" drum today, here are seven things you should consider.

WHY NORTH QUEENSLAND FANS SHOULD STOP WHINGEING

1. The 7-tackle try happened in the eighth minute

And none of the North Queensland players noticed at the time. That's not to excuse it, or to suggest that stuff-ups which happen early in a match are somehow less important than blunders which happen later. But North Queensland had 72 minutes to recover and get back on that horse. How ironic that a team called the "Cowboys" couldn't do that.

2. Referees/umpires will always make mistakes

One thing we're taught as kids is that if a blind bloke with a beanie rolled down over his eyes makes the world's stupidest ruling, you accept it. You just accept it. You might hate it and you might know in your heart it's wrong, but if you bleat on and on about how unfair it is, you do two things. Firstly, you teach kids disrespect for all officials. And secondly, you start to lose your dignity very quickly.

media_camera Artist's impression of an NRL referee's handiwork.

3. You can't reschedule the game

That'd be unfair to both Cronulla and the Cowboys, and would hand the Manly Sea Eagles a saloon passage to the Preliminary Final. Outraged Cowboys fans would be much better served venting their fury at refs boss Daniel Anderson and daring him to find a way to stop this ever happening again. Ever. Or better still, having the ability to rub out the try as soon as everyone has realised the error.

4. You can't blame David Smith for this

The NRL boss was David Smith in his former life as a banker, then had a blokey makeover and is now "Dave Smith". He's still hopeless at his job, though. Every rugby league fan in Australia cringes when he says "our game" and everyone can see he is not the man to take the game into the future. Not with the shocking crowds and TV figures this year. Having said all that, this wasn't his fault. The buck stops with him, sure, but he didn't personally prevent four officials from counting to six.

media_camera Deliberate or accidental? The video highlights page of the nrl.com website is one thing you may well be able to blame david Smith for.

5. The Cowboys finished eighth. Eighth.

And last year they finished fifth. That's not to deny them their natural justice, but the fact remains, no NRL team from outside the NRL top four has won the premiership this millennium. So all this whingeing is fair enough to a point, but let's not pretend anyone was robbed of a premiership, eh?

6. Nobody likes Sydney. Take a ticket and join the queue

Cowboys star Johnathan Thurston says he hates Sydney. If he thinks he's breaking new ground with this sentiment, forget it. Everyone already openly hates Sydney. The whole of Queensland hates Sydney, Melbourne hates Sydney and people who live in Sydney hate Sydney most of all because of the mortgages/rent here. Just one little thought, though. The city of Sydney didn't deny Thurston and his team this victory. Oh, and Thurston won a premiership playing for a Sydney club back in 2004. Maybe he should toss his medal in the harbour next time he comes here.

7. There is no conspiracy against North Queensland

media_camera Image from the "North Queensland Cowboys Were Robbed" Facebook page

Sensible rugby league fans are desperate for their code to thrive far and wide. While many fans, and some bigwigs at the NRL, would no doubt love the romanticism of a Roosters/Rabbitohs grand final featuring two foundation clubs, even the dopey officials at NRL HQ know they have to spread the game's wings. Picking on non-Sydney clubs is hardly a sensible way to achieve this.

Having said that, the NRL should now make some sort of special gesture towards North Queensland. An Origin game in Townsville, perhaps? It'd cost them a heap of revenue, but flush with TV deal funds, this is something they could afford. Perhaps that's what outraged Cowboys fans should be arguing for today. Season 2013 is over for the North Queensland NRL team. But maybe there's a way the North Queensland region can still win.

Originally published as Hey North Queensland, you lost. Get over it.