Check out the match preview and prediction for the 2025 National Rugby League round 6 clash between the South Sydney Rabbitohs and the North Queensland Cowboys.
MATCHDAY NEWS
MATCHDAY SCHEDULE
South Sydney Rabbitohs vs North Queensland Cowboys
Venue: Optus Stadium, Perth
Date: Saturday 12th April, 5:30pm (ADST)
MATCHDAY TEAM NEWS
Rabbitohs: 1. Jye Gray 2. Alex Johnston 3. Euan Aitken 4. Jack Wighton 5. Isaiah Tass 6. Latrell Mitchell 7. Jayden Sullivan 8. Sean Keppie 9. Peter Mamouzelos 10. Tevita Tatola 11. Keaon Koloamatangi 12. Jai Arrow 13. Lachlan Hubner 14. Liam Le Blanc 15. Siliva Havili 16. Tallis Duncan 17. Davvy Moale 18. Thomas Fletcher 19. Salesi Ataata 20. Fletcher Myers 21. Haizyn Mellars 22. Nazareth Taua
Cowboys: 1. Scott Drinkwater 2. Robert Derby 3. Jaxon Purdue 4. Viliami Vailea 5. Murray Taulagi 6. Tom Dearden 7. Jake Clifford 8. Jordan McLean 9. Reece Robson 10. Jason Taumalolo 11. John Bateman 12. Kai O’Donnell 13. Reuben Cotter 14. Sam McIntyre 15. Jeremiah Nanai 16. Griffin Neame 17. Coen Hess 18. Harrison Edwards 19. Zac Laybutt 20. Thomas Duffy 21. Karl Lawton 22. Thomas Mikaele
Referee: Todd Smith
Bunker: Matt Noyen
MATCHDAY PREVIEW
Saturday’s second game from Optus Stadium in Perth sees the Rabbitohs take on the North Queensland Cowboys, with the Rabbitohs travelling very well on four wins and one loss, which is good enough for fifth on the ladder, while North Queensland have now won two in a row after an 0-3 start, beating no less than Penrith last weekend. In fact, Penrith’s last two losses were against both of these sides.
For South Sydney it is quite the turnaround: having finished second-last in 2024, they have now beaten two of the top four teams from last season. It is easy to say it is all down to Wayne Bennett, but it is hard to go past the legendary NRL coach as the key factor for the Rabbitohs’ revival in 2025 given that the squad remains relatively the same, aside from some savvy signings which looked like squad fillers at first but have turned out to be gold. Jamie Humphreys appeared to be one of those fringe players signed from Manly, but he ended up starting the season at halfback and starring for the Rabbitohs, except he was injured early last weekend and has been replaced by another off-season recruit in Jayden Sullivan, on loan from the Wests Tigers.
It’s a double change in the halves for South Sydney, as Cody Walker is also out through injury and his replacement is one of the biggest pieces of team news for round 6, because Latrell Mitchell is listed to wear the number six jersey. Mitchell had a decent first game for 2025 against the Roosters last weekend, throwing a flat final pass for the winning try, and playing in the halves should see him get a little more ball, which is a good thing. Mitchell moving from the centres allows another canny off-season signing in Euan Aitken to play his first game of the season. Aitken was a hard-working warrior for the Dolphins and it was no surprise that Bennett brought him back to Sydney with him for 2025. Another former Dolphin Lachlan Hubner returns from suspension this weekend and has been a revelation for the Rabbitohs. In other mixed news for South Sydney’s team list, Mikaele Ravalawa is out but replaced by try scoring machine Alex Johnston.
North Queensland are quite the opposite as they have no such team issues, with only a returning Reuben Cotter shifting the Cowboys pack back one place. And why would they need changes after their win against Penrith last weekend? Their two straight wins has eased pressure on head coach Todd Payton, who never seems to more than a couple of losses away from the threat of the sack.
Both sides haven’t been prolific in attack this season so far, with the Cowboys averaging 18.4 points per game (fourth lowest) and South Sydney’s 20.2 points per game the lowest return for a current top eight side. But Souths have been able to grind out the wins, as their 19.4 points against per game shows (fifth lowest). North Queensland meanwhile are averaging 28.4 points against per game. So it could be a tight arm wrestle this game, the way it seems Bennett likes it, so it may take one or two moments of brilliance to win it, which makes the halves battle and five eighth in particular important. Mitchell, brilliant but out of position against Tom Dearden, is one of the most consistent performers in this position week-on-week.
As previously mentioned the game is being played at Perth’s Optus Stadium, and the Rabbitohs haven’t had a great recent record in Western Australia, having lost their last four games in Perth at both Optus Stadium and nib Stadium. North Queensland have yet to play an NRL game in Perth, but it is a tough ask making one of the top travelling NRL teams in general make the extra effort to go to Perth. H2H stats between the sides are very even, with North Queensland leading the overall H2H since 1998 by one win, and South Sydney leading the H2H for the last 10 seasons by one win. These teams do tend to go on streaks, as the Cowboys have won the last two meetings, but the Rabbitohs won the previous seven, and Cowboys eight of the nine games before that.
MATCHDAY PREDICTION
Rabbitohs by 12 points.
Check out all the NRL Predictions here.
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