Robbie Fowler's North Queensland have emerged as genuine A-League play-off contenders just 10 weeks after being written off as the competition's whipping boys.

Regarded as fellow expansion club Gold Coast's "poor foster sister" at the season's kick-off, the Fury are now Queensland's form team after back-to-back wins over Perth and United.

NQ completely outplayed the Coast at a near empty Skilled Park on Saturday night with Fowler slotting a 64th-minute stunner before putting away a penalty for his eighth goal from 13 matches.

The 2-0 result highlighted how far the Fury has come and the competition's landscape has changed since falling to a 5-0 hammering in their last visit to the tourist strip in round two.

They have jumped to 15 points, two ahead of Brisbane Roar and just five behind Gold Coast.

Beset by injuries and departures as they sank to three opening losses, coach Ian Ferguson and captain Fowler have managed to instil great spirit and character in the battling outfit.

"Since then we've progressively got better," the former Liverpool star said. "We've lost (one) in the last 10 games.

"We're going the right way. At the start of the season we said as long as we're competitive we'll see where that takes us. Since the 5-0 defeat we've proved a few people wrong.

"We've worked hard as a team, we've conceded a few silly goals and we've held our hands up, but what I will say is our back four has been criticised a lot but (Saturday) night they were magnificent."

While NQ are learning from early mistakes and building a firm platform, one-time high-flyers Gold Coast have crashed to earth.

Added to billionaire owner Clive Palmer's unpopular crowd capping measures, Miron Bleiberg's star-studded team appears to be imploding following last weekend's 6-0 loss in Wellington.

Skipper Jason Culina was too angry to conduct post-match media duties after their fifth defeat but vice-captain Michael Thwaite impressed the importance of creating a positive culture.

"We need to stick together," Thwaite said. "I think we're learning about what it needs to create a culture in the A-League. "Most of the teams have been around and know how to handle big defeats and how to handle going 1-0 down, I think we're still learning that.

"Where learning what it means to have a culture, what the real Gold Coast United means."

The central defender credited Fowler for breaking the game open with a superb 64th-minute left-footer after a scintillating run by David Williams.

"I think Robbie outsmarted us," Thwaite said.

"When (replacement Dyron) Daal came on (Fowler) he dropped off into the midfield and he created another link between their midfield and their attack.

"Credit to Robbie for the goal, he seems to be scoring most of the goals of the week so that's probably another one."