His captain may have played it down but
Broncos skipper Corey Parker did his best to shut down talk of exorcising their demons against 2015 grand final conquerors North Queensland at what is tipped to be a packed Suncorp Stadium.
"It's a great week to be writing about footy," Parker said.
"But for us it is another competition game."
Fans may feel differently - a sell-out crowd of 52,500 has been tipped for the clash.
And Brisbane forward Thaiday looked forward to the spectacle.
"People are still talking about it," Thaiday told Broncos TV when asked about the 2015 grand final.
"I am looking forward to a packed stadium.
"We will show Sydney teams what a stadium should look like when you are playing a big game.
"I am always excited to play the Cowboys."
Thaiday believed the blockbuster was just what Brisbane needed after their shock one-point loss in Penrith last round.
"The good thing is we have a short week, (we can) get over it (Penrith) and prepare for a cracker of a match against the Cowboys," he said.
"It's a blessing in disguise."
Broncos backrower Matt Gillett said there would be no repeat of their second-half fadeout against Penrith.
"There was not enough energy and determination in defence, we played into their hands and that showed on the scoreboard," Gillett said.
Brisbane will be without centre Jack Reed who is expected to miss just one match after undergoing surgery to repair a damaged retina.
He experienced blurred vision after a tackle against Penrith.
Jordan Kahu slots into Reed's centre vacancy with Lachlan Maranta on the wing in his first match back from off-season wrist surgery.
Maranta - Brisbane's 2015 top try-scorer with 15 in 20 games - had not been expected to return to the field until next month.
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