The 16th-placed Knights, after their sixth loss in a row, have the worst attack in the NRL. For the 11th time this season they were kept scoreless in the first half as the hosts took a 20-0 lead into the break in Townsville on Sunday.
It is the equal worst record in the State of Origin era, since 1980, in the "zero points in the first half" column, along with the 2014 Wests Tigers - and they still have three rounds to go.
Newcastle are just two points clear of Gold Coast and could still finish with the wooden spoon.
O'Brien is contracted until the end of 2027. The Knights have been without injured playmakers Kalyn Ponga and Fletcher Sharpe, but their impotent attack has been an issue all year.
Captain Dane Gagai said there were "no excuses" for the pathetic completion rate in the first half.O'Brien said his side "lacks some confidence" when things go wrong, as they often do.
The Cowboys, now 13th, look so much better when middle forward powerhouses Jason Taumalolo and Jordan McLean are on the field at the same time.
Injury has limited their liaisons this year, but they gave their side a flying start on Sunday.Â
Drinkwater has been North Queensland's most creative force this year. He entered the match with the equal most try assists (20) and soon went to work to add two more to that tally.
He finished the match with 22 points courtesy of two tries and seven goals.
"He had some brilliant touches and the most enjoyable part is that he is stopping tries and getting that part right," Cowboys coach Todd Payten said.
The 28-year-old whiz started and finished the opening try, around nice ball play by Viliami Vailea.
Drinkwater showed immense commitment in defence and dislodged the ball with a desperate effort as Knights prop Jacob Saifiti was about to score under the posts.
"It lifted everyone's confidence and energy. It set us up for the rest of the game," Payten said.
Cowboys rake Reece Robson spent 10 minutes in the sin bin for a professional foul, but the Knights attack was clueless.
They were made to pay when the hosts' co-captain Tom Dearden swooped on a Knights error when they failed to defuse a bomb, as they had for most of the half.
Winger Braidon Burns snared an intercept for an 85-metre try. A Gamilaroi man, the 29-year-old had a blinder in Indigenous round.
The Knights did not improve after the break. Drinkwater sent centre Jaxon Purdue on one of his graceful gallops to score in the 47th minute.
Knights winger Dominic Young grabbed a Jake Arthur bomb to get his side on the board, but Drinkwater grubbered to perfection for second-rower Jeremiah Nanai to score.
Drinkwater then backed up Dearden to add his second try.
Newcastle's 19-year-old debutant Connor Votano had a baptism of fire under the high ball with two early errors, but his teammates did not give him the support required.
Votano could have scored two tries, but was unable to latch on to passes that went above his head.
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