The third game on Saturday for NRL Round 21 is between Nth Queensland Cowboys and South Sydney Rabbitohs. The opening bounce is set to commence at 7.30pm with the game to be played at 1300SMILES Stadium. The favourite for the match is away team South Sydney Rabbitohs. View our preview and teams for the game between Nth Queensland Cowboys and South Sydney Rabbitohs.
1300Smiles Stadium
Saturday 7.30pm
Nth Queensland Cowboys $3.20 vs South Sydney Rabbitohs $1.35 at Sportsbet Australia get a $250 FREE BET on this match
Nth Queensland Cowboys $3.40 vs South Sydney Rabbitohs $1.33 at Luxbet Australia get a $500 FREE BET on this match
Odds Comparison by NRL Odds:
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| Nth Queensland Cowboys | 3.20 | 3.65 | 3.40 | 3.65 | 3.20 | 3.22 |
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South Sydney Rabbitohs
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1.35 | 1.28 | 1.33 | 1.28 | 1.35 | 1.36 |
Preview:
When Brisbane’s Justin Hodges scored late in last week’s win over North Queensland, it not only dashed the Cowboys hopes of making this year’s finals but it also finalised their coach Neil Henry’s, tenure at the club.
It was North Queensland’s third successive loss and their twelfth of the season, quite remarkably when you look at their playing roster which boasts several Origin and International players.
So this week, when they line up to take on South Sydney, they’ll be out to salvage a bit of pride and to impress whoever will be at the helm of the club in 2014.
The Rabbitohs, after a surprise loss to St. George in round 19, immediately returned to form with a comprehensive victory of the struggling Titans outfit on the Gold Coast last week (32 – 4)
This match sees them on the road again – next week they travel to Melbourne to take on the Storm – so it’ll be interesting to see how they back last week’s effort up and handle the travel.
It’s been fair starts only by the Bunnies in recent matches and they’ll be looking to address this aspect of their game as, against a potentially dangerous side with now nothing to lose, a similar start may see them playing catch-up.
That seems to be the only concern here though as the Rabbitohs hold a 4 – 0 record of the Cowboys in recent times, including a solid 28 – 10 victory back in round 9 of this year.
With their sigjhts firmly set on the Minor Premiership, Souths will not take this game lightly and prove too strong.
Teams:
Nth Queensland Cowboys:
Matthew Bowen, Kyle Feldt, Brent Tate, Kane Linnett, Antonio Winterstein, Johnathan Thurston (capt), Michael Morgan, Matthew Scott (capt), Ray Thompson, James Tamou, Gavin Cooper, Glenn Hall, Joel Riethmuller. Interchange: Scott Moore, Tariq Sims, Jason Taumalolo, Ashton Sims, Scott Bolton, Rory Kostjasyn (two to be omitted). 
South Sydney Rabbitohs:
Nathan Merritt, Dylan Farrell, Bryson Goodwin, Dylan Walker, Matt King, John Sutton (capt), Adam Reynolds, Sam Burgess, Issac Luke, George Burgess, Chris McQueen, Ben Te’o, Ben Lowe. Interchange: Luke Keary, Roy Asotasi, Jeff Lima, Thomas Burgess, Dave Tyrrell, Justin Hunt (two to be omitted).
Injury ends Johnson’s NRL career
At least North Queensland coach Neil Henry could see the funny side of ex-Queensland lock Dallas Johnson’s NRL career being ended by a knee injury.
Henry has not had much to laugh about since being told he will not be required next year after the Cowboys’ NRL finals hopes were all but extinguished by last round’s 18-16 loss to Brisbane.
However, he still couldn’t help break into an ironic chuckle when confirming Johnson had suffered a serious knee injury against the Broncos and would not play again.
Johnson had announced just last week that he would retire at the end of the NRL season.
But his farewell was brought forward six weeks after tearing an anterior cruciate ligament falling awkwardly in a tackle on Friday night – hardly a fitting swansong for one of league’s hardest players.
“It’s ironic that a guy who plays such a physical game has done his knee in a real innocuous situation,” Henry said.
“He has been hit from behind and fallen over someone – not a big collision by charging into a defender or carrying the ball.
“He is obviously very distressed about it, he just loves playing footy.
“Everyone likes to go out on their own terms and that has been taken away from him.
“Our thoughts are with him but the facts are he’s done.”
In a stellar 11-season career, Johnson played 222 NRL games including four straight grand finals during his stint with Melbourne (2003-2009).
After spending 2010 with English Super League club Calatan Dragons, Johnson played 67 games for the Cowboys.
He played 12 Origins for Queensland and a 2007 Test for Australia.
Johnson, 30, will be replaced at lock by Joel Riethmuller for Saturday night’s home clash with South Sydney.
Kyle Feldt – the National Youth Competition’s all-time leading points scorer – will make his NRL debut on the wing, replacing Kalifa Faifai Loa in the only other starting side change.
English hooker Scott Moore, back-rowers Tariq Sims and Jason Taumalolo, prop Scott Bolton and utility forward Rory Kostjasyn are the new faces on a six-man bench.