HOLD fire on the Glory Glory to South Sydney rendition to ring in smashing the 43-season premiership drought, Johnathan Thurston has outlined the blueprint to beat the Bunnies.

Just when South Sydney were being declared good things to make it all the way to the grand final, enter a North Queensland side who completed 33 sets from 35 attempts and a JT masterclass.

In a victory which had September stamped all over it, the Cowboys notched their third win away from Townsville for the season by bringing the South Sydney juggernaut to a screeching halt.

The reality check for the Rabbitohs hit an even worse obstacle late in the second half when halfback Adam Reynolds pulled up with a what looked like a hamstring strain and was forced from the field.

For the Cowboys, everything Thurston touched turned to gold with the halfback having a hand in all four North Queensland tries and earning his side four repeat sets with brilliant short kicks.

In what was unquestionably the Cowboys biggest scalp away from Townsville this season, they ambushed Souths on the back of a 94 per cent completion rate.

“It was a big win, it was a big game for us. We prepared that way, treating it like a semi final and playing in Sydney against a side that have been in great form,” Cowboys co-captain Matt Scott said.

“We knew it was important for our preparation and if we want to play semi final footy, these are the type of games we’ve got to win.”

Rookie winger Kyle Feldt, the player called in to replace the suspended ex-Shark Matthew Wright, outlined the Cowboys intentions in the fourth minute when he dragged Greg Inglis over the sideline to earn his side a repeat set.

The Cowboys then scored some brilliantly constructed tries through Jason Taumalolo and Feldt before the rookie winger’s second try was awarded off a blatant obstruction.

It pushed the Cowboys to a 16-0 lead just before halftime, with a second half try to Antonio Winterstein meaning the comeback mountain was too big for the Bunnies to climb.

Cowboys forward Tariq Sims clearly impeded Rabbitohs opposite Chris McQueen out of the contest, with Feldt then cutting back in-field into the gap in the defensive line.

“It would be great if they could check those sort of things because it was a blatant obstruction,” Maguire said.

MATCH CENTRE: RABBITOHS V COWBOYS

“They swing the game. You play you’re game differently at times when there’s different pressures. In saying that we didn’t play the way we know we can but things like that definitely change the outcomes of games. It’s pretty obvious.”

As if the obstruction miss wasn’t bad enough, then the video referees opted not to award South Sydney livewire Luke Keary what appeared to be a fair try in the second half.

On Reynolds, Maguire said: “He should be OK, it was more of a spasm from what I’m told but we’ll have to have the scans and check tomorrow.”

Cowboys coach Paul Green stopped short of labelling it his side’s best performance of the season.

“Really satisfied with the win, very happy, against a team that everyone is saying are potential premiership favourites and deservedly so,” Green said.

“They were obviously down on troops so while we’re really happy with the two points, they can get a lot better.”

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NORTH QUEENSLAND 22 (K Feldt 2 J Taumalolo A Winterstein tries J Thurston 3 goals) bt SOUTH SYDNEY 10 (A Johnston J Picker tries A Reynolds goal) at ANZ Stadium. Referee: Jared Maxwell, Chris Butler. Crowd: 17,171