Rabbits keep season alive 

South Sydney kept their NRL finals hopes alive with a thrilling 20-14 upset win over North Queensland at Telstra Stadium on Sunday.

The Rabbitohs held off a late Cowboys fightback to remain two points outside the top eight and still well in the race for a finals berth.

Souths' young stars, 20-year-old hooker Issac Luke and 19-year-old halfback Eddie Paea were tremendous for the victors, who defended gallantly as they have all season.

The Rabbitohs trailed 10-8 midway through the second half after leading 8-4 at halftime before tries to Luke and five-eighth Ben Rogers set up the win, despite the Cowboys challenging late.

Paea also crossed for Souths while North Queensland points came through tries to Ashley Graham, Matt Bowen and Scott Minto.

The visitors had drawn level three minutes after the break when Matt Bowen got on the end of a dangerous Johnathan Thurston cut-out pass to cross out wide, the halfback then converting from the sideline to retain the lead for the Cowboys.

But Souths reclaimed the lead shortly after when Luke scored his first NRL try after an Ashley Graham mistake put Souths on the attack.

The ball went through several sets of hands before Luke received an overhead ball from Shane Rigon ball who beat two defenders to cross the line.

Souths then extended the lead in 59th minute when Rogers raced 50m to score after being put through by a lovely David Fa'alogo short ball.

A late Scott Minto try gave the Cowboys hope and Thurston bombed a certain try with a forward pass to Graham with 10 minutes to go.

Bunnies fullback Nathan Merritt then slotted a penalty with six minutes to go to extend the home side's lead and they were able to withstand some dangerous Cowboys attack in the dying moments.

North Queensland's loss was compounded by an ankle injury to Queensland forward Jacob Lillyman, who left the field just 26 minutes into the match and did not return.

The Cowboys opened the scoring in the 13th minute through winger Ashley Graham after they had been denied a try by the video referee two minutes earlier.

Souths hit back in the 23rd minute when Paea, playing in only his second NRL match in place of suspended Jeremy Smith, sliced through the Cowboys defensive line to cross next to the posts.

Souths carried the momentum in the latter stages of the half and Merritt extended their lead by a further two points a minute out from the break after Carl Webb was penalised for a high shot on Paea.