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North QLD Cowboys vs South Sydney Rabbitohs NRL Round 12 Tips - Cows punish undermanned Rabbits

Jeremy Darke

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Last updated: Fri 22 May 2026 08:56

Jeremy Darke 22 May 2026

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Cowboys expected to win against undermanned Rabbitohs.
Scott Drinkwater tipped to score his fifth try in 5 games.
Souths likely held under 24.5 points; Cowboys to cover spread.
Kick off is at 4:05 PM (AEST) on Sunday, 24th May at Queensland Country Bank Stadium

North QLD Cowboys vs South Sydney Rabbitohs NRL Round 12 Tips

North QLD Cowboys vs South Sydney Rabbitohs, Round 12 2026 - Expert Prediction

The Cowboys will get the job done against an undermanned South Sydney with Scott Drinkwater continuing his clinical form at the back for North Queensland.

North QLD Cowboys vs South Sydney Rabbitohs, Round 12 2026 - Expert Prediction
Head to Head
North QLD Cowboys Form Analysis
South Sydney Rabbitohs Form Analysis
North QLD Cowboys vs South Sydney Rabbitohs Team List & Team News
North QLD Cowboys vs South Sydney Rabbitohs NRL 2026 Round 12 FAQ’s

The Cowboys return home with momentum after an impressive upset win over the Roosters and now face a South Sydney side dealing with several key absences. Todd Payten’s men have quietly built strong form over the last month, winning three of their last five games while averaging 25.6 points per match.

North Queensland’s middle rotation continues to improve and their ability to control territory through kick metres and yardage sets has become a major strength.

South Sydney still possess attacking firepower, but this matchup looks much tougher than recent weeks. The Rabbitohs are missing key names including Cameron Murray and Latrell Mitchell, while North Queensland’s defensive structure at home has generally held up well against quality opposition.

The Cowboys have also won three straight against Souths, however the pair haven’t played each other in North Queensland in over 5 seasons.

The Cowboys’ physical pack, combined with Scott Drinkwater’s involvement around the ball, shapes as the key difference in Townsville, especially considering all of the outs the Rabbitohs have at the moment.

North Queensland have covered the line in their last 3 matches against South Sydney
South Sydney have scored 22 points or less in their last 4 matches against North Queensland.
South were held to just 10 points against the Dolphins last week.
Scott Drinkwater has scored 4 tries in his last 4 games.

Head to Head

North Queensland have won the last three meetings against South Sydney including a 24-16 victory last season.

The last 4 matches between the Rabbitohs and Cowboys has gone under the game total.

North QLD Cowboys Form Analysis

The Cowboys produced one of their toughest wins of the season last round, defeating the Roosters 18-12 despite missing key personnel. Liam Sutton impressed on debut in the halves, while Jake Clifford controlled territory brilliantly and Scott Drinkwater again played a major attacking role.

North Queensland have now won three of their last five matches and continue to improve defensively after a shaky start to the season. They rank near the top of the competition in both run metres and linebreak generation, while their kicking game has helped consistently win field position battles.

The Cowboys also look far more balanced offensively than earlier in the year. Drinkwater remains the focal point around sweeping shifts and support play and comes into this game having scored 4 tries across his last 4 matches.

South Sydney Rabbitohs Form Analysis

South Sydney remain dangerous with the ball but enter this matchup understrength and vulnerable defensively. The Rabbitohs have averaged 32.4 points over their last five games, although those numbers have been boosted by high-scoring wins over Melbourne and Cronulla.

The concern here is the missing personnel. Cameron Murray and Latrell Mitchell are massive outs both defensively and in transition attack, while Campbell Graham’s absence weakens the outside backs even further. Cody Walker will still create chances, but Souths now rely heavily on their spine producing points through broken play.

Defensively, the Rabbitohs continue to concede too many metres through the middle and have struggled to contain stronger forward packs away from home. North Queensland’s physical style and territorial game plan could frustrate Souths and force them into low-quality attacking sets.

North QLD Cowboys vs South Sydney Rabbitohs Team List & Team News

Team News and Lists are in our dedicated Round 12 Team List Article.

North QLD Cowboys vs South Sydney Rabbitohs NRL 2026 Round 12 FAQ’s

How to livestream North QLD Cowboys vs South Sydney Rabbitohs NRL 2026 Round 12?

You can livestream the North QLD Cowboys vs South Sydney Rabbitohs NRL 2026 Round 12 game via Fox Sports or Kayo Sports. If you are watching from outside of Australia the WatchNRL app is the perfect solution.

How to buy tickets to North QLD Cowboys vs South Sydney Rabbitohs NRL 2026 Round 12?

To buy tickets to the North QLD Cowboys vs South Sydney Rabbitohs NRL 2026 Round 12 game check the NRL website or the official North QLD Cowboys site.

Verdict

North QLD Cowboys v South Sydney Rabbitohs NRL Round 12 Tips

The Cowboys will kick away and cover the 4.5 points as the favourite holding Souths under 24.5 points. Scott Drinkwater will cross for his fifth in 5 matches.

North Queensland -4.5

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