South Sydney secured a finals berth after downing an 11-man North Queensland side 20-10 in a tense battle at Accor Stadium that may have cost the Cowboys a home final.
With the Roosters beating the Storm and Canberra defeating Manly, the Rabbitohs needed the two competition points to book their place in the finals or face a must win derby clash at the new Allianz Stadium next Friday night.
The winner of the Roosters-Rabbitohs match may now have the chance to secure fifth spot by leapfrogging the loser of Thursday night's Storm-Eels clash.
The Cowboys meet Penrith next weekend and they now need to win and hope the Sharks lose to Newcastle to regain second place and secure a home final in the opening weekend of the play-offs.
North Queensland finished the match with 11-men after prop Coen Hess and winger Kyle Feldt were sin-binned in the dying minutes as Souths tried to hang on to a 14-10 lead.
Drama late in the game
Feldt was given his marching orders for a professional foul but Hess faces a nervous wait to learn if he is charged by the match review committee after launching himself at Souths centre Campbell Graham in the 74th minute.
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Match snapshot
- Both teams were missing key members of their spine after Souths hooker Damien Cook was a late withdrawal with COVID and Tom Dearden was ruled out earlier in the week with a ruptured testicle.
- Cowboys coach Todd Payten named Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow in the No.1 jersey and shifted Scott Drinkwater to five-eighth in place of Dearden and the pair combined to put winger Murray Taulagi over for a ninth minute try.
Taulagi finishes a clever Cowboys try
- The Rabbitohs hit back soon after when halfback Lachlan Ilias put second-rower Keaon Koloamatangi over on an angle run and with Latrell Mitchell having landed a fifth minute penalty goal the home team took the lead.
- Souths' left side attack then clicked into gear, with captain Cameron Murray linking with Cody Walker and Mitchell to send Alex Johnston over for his 28th try of the season nine minutes before halftime.
Latrell sends try-scoring freak Johnston in
- A 68th minute try by 2015 grand final hero Kyle Feldt ensured a tense finish to the match as the Rabbitohs tried to defend a 14-10 lead.
- The Cowboys had a chance to snatch victory late in the match after Taane Milne put down a Drinkwater kick but a loose pass from Luciano Leilua went to ground and they imploded as Hess and Feldt were sin-binned.
- England prop Tom Burgess ensured a place in the finals for the Rabbitohs when he crashed over to score in the 78th minute.
Burgess barges over to seal the win
Play of the game
The Cowboys were trailing 14-6 with the clock running down when Chad Townsend ran on the last tackle and sent Kyle Feldt into the clear before the veteran winger kicked ahead and beat Latrell Mitchell to the ball to score and get his side back in the game.
Wow! Feldt stunner puts the Cowboys back in it
What they said
"It was a bit of an anxious week because we sort of knew what was at stake. It was all about the two points and nothing changed for us, we tried to keep it about that but it definitely allows the shackles to come off moving forward. Obviously getting there is the hardest part, especially off the back of the start we had but in the last 11 weeks we have won nine and were starting to play some good footy. We still had to do the job tonight and have cemented a spot so we can start planning forward and thinking about the next month ahead," - Rabbitohs coach Jason Demetriou.
Rabbitohs: Round 24
"I am disappointed but I really like the way we defended for large periods against a good attacking outfit. In the end it was our execution that let us down. We hadn't spoken at all about what was at stake but given the result it puts it out of our hands. I would rather be in control of our own destiny," - Cowboys coach Todd Payten.
Cowboys: Round 24
What's next
The Rabbitohs meet the Roosters in the opening of the new Allianz Stadium next Friday night, with the winner having the chance to secure fifth place on for-and-against if Parramatta lose to Melbourne the night before.
The loser is likely to finish seventh, meaning that if the Eels beat the Storm to claim fourth spot, the Roosters and Rabbitohs could face off again a week later in a sudden death finals match.
Damien Cook is unlikely to return for Souths after testing positive for COVID on the eve of the Cowboys clash due to seven day isolation requirements.
The Cowboys play minor premiers Penrith and a loss could see them drop to fourth position if the Storm beat the Eels - meaning they would travel to Sydney to face the premiers again in the first week of the finals.
Star five-eighth Tom Dearden is unlikely to play until the finals after undergoing surgury for a ruptured testicle, while prop Coen Hess may face a judiciary charge.