The South Sydney Rabbitohs and North Queensland Cowboys were supposed to be a marquee game for the NRL's Magic Round, but the prime time Saturday clash has turned into a race to the bottom on the back of dismal form for both clubs.
Held at Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium, the clash is scheduled to kick-off at 7:45pm (AEST) on Saturday, May 18.
The Rabbitohs, coming off last season's dismal fadeout, have been the major disappointment to start the new campaign, currently anchored to the bottom of the table.
Their extreme injury list has been a problem, but their level of play has been well below par, with Jason Demetriou sacked some weeks ago.
There has been no bounce back yet under interim coach Ben Hornby, but it could come here against a Cowboys side who have run into their own troubles.
Despite a hot start to the season, the Cowboys have won just one of their last seven games and now sit well outside the top eight, desperate for a win to stay in touch.
A loss in this clash would be a disaster for the Cowboys, particularly after they managed to bottle a seemingly unloseable game against a Titans side with multiple injuries last weekend.
In a change from most weeks, the third game on Saturday will be available to watch on two channels.
The first of those, as is the case with every single game of the regular season, is Fox Sports who will broadcast the game on Channel 502 (Fox League) from around 7:30pm (AEST) or at the conclusion of the earlier clash between the Cronulla Sharks and Sydney Roosters.
To watch the coverage on Fox Sports, you will need a valid Foxtel TV subscription with the sports package.
As it's Magic Round, Channel 9 will also cover the late game on Saturday, with their broadcast to commence from 7pm (AEST) - 45 minutes prior to kick-off.
That means you can live stream the game on both Kayo Sports and 9 Now, while New Zealand will have to tune into Sky Sports, and globally, the game will be available on the Watch NRL platform.
South Sydney Rabbitohs
1. Latrell Mitchell 2. Alex Johnston 3. Jack Wighton 4. Izaac Tu'itupou Thompson 5. Jacob Gagai 6. Cody Walker 7. Dion Teaupa 8. Davvy Moale 9. Damien Cook 10. Sean Keppie 11. Keaon Koloamatangi 12. Jai Arrow 13. Siliva Havili
Interchange: 14. Peter Mamouzelos 15. Tallis Duncan 16. Thomas Burgess 17. Taane Milne 19. Matthew French 20. Adam Christensen
North Queensland Cowboys
1. Scott Drinkwater 21. Braidon Burns 3. Valentine Holmes 4. Viliami Vailea 5. Murray Taulagi 6. Tom Dearden 7. Chad Townsend 8. Jordan McLean 9. Reece Robson 10. Griffin Neame 11. Heilum Luki 12. Jeremiah Nanai 13. Reuben Cotter
Interchange: 14. Sam McIntyre 15. Thomas Mikaele 16. Kulikefu Finefeuiaki 17. Jason Taumalolo 20. Harrison Edwards 19. Jake Clifford
Click through to Zero Tackle's match centre for updated teams, live scores and stats from the game.
Kick-off: Saturday, May 18, 7:35pm (AEST)
Venue: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Overall record: Played 40, Rabbitohs 21, Cowboys 18, Drawn 1
Last meeting: 2023, Round 17, Rabbitohs 6 defeated by Cowboys 31 at Accor Stadium, Homebush
Referee: Peter Gough
There is little surprise that South Sydney come into this game as the rank outsiders, paying $3.30 to get the job done. The Cowboys are well short on the value front at just $1.33, although with a 8.5 line, there is a bit there for punters.
Plenty of points are being expected to, with 50.5 set as the over/under.
Murray Taulagi, returning from injury, is the favourite to go over for the first try at $8.50, closley followed by Alex Johnston ($10), Braidon Burns ($10) and Scott Drinkwater ($11).
Odds taken from PointsBet, correct at 11pm, Friday, May 18.
Think. Is this a bet you really want to place?
This is one of those games where it's hard to know exactly what to think. The Cowboys rightly come in as favourites given the form and injury list of their opposition, but they haven't exactly set the world on fire.
After butchering their clash with the Titans last week, really, anything is possible.
The Rabbitohs face an uphill battle, and probably should lose, but certainly aren't out of it.
Cowboys by 12.