What promised to be the year of steady improvement for the Cowboys began with four straight losses which saw Murray Hurst replaced a head coach after just a month.
Under Graham Murray the Cowboys registered eight wins, including two sets of back-to-back victories later in the season.
The season ended with the Cowboys best finish to a season, winning four of the last seven matches.
Most of the Cowboys 2002 team experienced back-to-back victories in Cowboys colours for the first time when the Raiders and Eagles were defeated in rounds 18 and 19.
The rise in prominence of Matthew Bowen and Ty Williams, and the brilliant performance of veteran Matt Sing, were highlights for the Cowboys, as was the selection of two players in the Queensland State of Origin squad.
One of the Club's few remaining 1995 originals, Peter Jones, retired at the end of 2002, registering 131 matches in first grade, all with the North Queensland Cowboys.
Season statistics
- Captain: Paul Bowman
- Coaches: Murray Hurst, Graham Murray
- Principal Sponsor: CHR Employment Services
- Wins: 8, Losses: 16
- Points for: 496, Points against: 803
- Top point scorer: Josh Hannay (106)
- Finished: 11th
- Average home crowd: 12,133
- Player of the Year - Matt Sing
Representative Players
- John Buttigieg, John Doyle: Queensland State of Origin
- Graham Murray: City Origin Coach
