Cowboys corral rusty Rabbitohs

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South Sydney Rabbitohs v North Queensland Cowboys

North Queensland have relied on a 15-minute second half surge to account for a spirited South Sydney side 24-16 in the second game of an Optus Stadium double header in Perth on Saturday afternoon.

Like the earlier game between Cronulla and Manly, points were at a premium in the first quarter of the contest, with the scoreboard attendant untroubled until the 18th minute when North Queensland kicked a penalty goal off the back of a scrum timer penalty.

Following Scott Drinkwater's two-pointer, the Bunnies hit back with a four-pointer - Euan Aitken getting his maiden four-pointer at his fourth NRL club off a good Latrell Mitchell pass before the line.

The Rabbitohs held the 4-2 lead til the shadows of halftime when Murray Taulagi got on the end of a solid left side raid and scored out wide. Drinkwater's conversion attempt was wide, so it was 6-4 Cowboys at the break.

Souths surged out of the blocks after halftime, with Jai Arrow scoring off a set where they had earned a handy penalty. Mitchell's conversion gave them a 10-6 lead.

With 23 minutes left on the clock a crucial decision went against the Rabbitohs when Jack Wighton tackled a runaway Scott Drinkwater in an apparent tryster, but the Souths centre was penalised for a hip-drop.

From there, North Queensland ripped it up. Sam McIntyre pounced on a Reece Robson grubber to level things, before a Jaxon Purdue double in the following 12 minutes saw them suddenly lead 22-10.

Souths made it interesting after wrestling momentum back with eight minutes left when Mitchell and Jye Gray combined to narrow the margin to six, but a late Cowboys penalty goal and sin-bin of Sean Keppie for the Bunnies meant the game finished 24-16 to the Townsville club.

The Cowboys enjoy the bye over the Easter Weekend before hosting the Titans in ANZAC Round; Souths are ‘away' to the Bulldogs on Good Friday at Accor Stadium next weekend before heading to Melbourne for ANZAC Day.