The second leg of the Perth double-headers pits a depleted Rabbitohs side against a Cowboys team riding high on confidence off the back of two straight wins.
Wayne Bennett’s Bunnies welcomed back superstar Latrell Mitchell in style with a courageous win over the Roosters but it came at a cost with Cody Walker, Jamie Humphreys and Mikaele Ravalawa all succumbing to hamstring injuries.
North Queensland come into Round 6 on the back of a hard-fought win over defending premiers Penrith in Sydney.
The Cowboys – who are on an 11-day away trip – hit the lead with two tries in the first 10 minutes after half-time and they successfully defended their own line throughout the rest of the contest to claim the win.
Team News
Rabbitohs: A new halves pairing with Latrell Mitchell moving to five-eighth and Jayden Sullivan to halfback in place of Cody Walker and Jamie Humphreys, who suffered hamstring injuries against the Roosters. Tryscoring machine Alex Johnston (ribs) returns on the wing while Euan Aitken (pectoral) will play his first game for the season in the centres. Liam Le Blanc has joined the bench. No changes in Friday’s 24-hour update, with Thomas Fletcher and Salesi Ataata remaining in the extended squad.
Cowboys: John Bateman will miss Saturday’s game due to illness, with Jeremiah Nanai taking his place in the starting side. Harrison Edwards has been added to the interchange and Zac Laybutt and Thomas Mikaele remain in the reserves. Reuben Cotter has trained throughout the week and has successfully overcome the illness that kept him out of last Friday’s win over Penrith. The co-captain’s return has seen Sam McIntyre revert to the bench.