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The NRL's Magic Round has ended with South Sydney sealing a comfortable win over North Queensland at Lang Park.
Earlier there was plenty of drama and injuries as the Sydney Roosters edged out the Canberra Raiders in a top-four battle.
Souths go to second with win over Cowboys
NSW hooker Damien Cook has warmed up for State of Origin duty by inspiring South Sydney's 32-16 win over North Queensland.
But a head knock cut short Cowboys hooker Jake Granville's Queensland audition in an injury-riddled round-nine clash in front of 34,564 fans.
If Granville does get picked for next month's Origin opener in Brisbane, he was given a glimpse of what to expect on Sunday thanks to Cook's heroics.
Cook set up three tries and scored in the 50th minute as the Rabbitohs (8-1) rumbled to their fifth-straight win despite losing veteran back-rower John Sutton (ribs) and centre Kyle Turner (concussion).
Granville was keen to impress Queensland coach Kevin Walters with the Maroons' No.9 jersey up for grabs, due to injuries to Andrew McCullough and Nathan Friend.
He made an immediate impact when injected off the bench midway through the first half, helping North Queensland to cut Souths' early 18-0 lead to 18-10 by half-time.
However, Granville had to be helped from the ground in the 52nd minute when he came off second best in a tackle.
The Cowboys were also reeling from Test prop Jordan McLean breaking down with a second-half knee injury.
They still went down swinging with Tom Opacic's 73rd-minute try ensuring some anxious moments for the Rabbitohs.
But the Cowboys never really recovered from Cook's opening blitz.
South Sydney jumped to an 18-0 lead after just 23 minutes, with Cook setting up skipper Sam Burgess (11th minute), Cameron Murray (20th) and Turner (23rd).
It took Cook's season try-assist tally to 12 — he had a total of 10 in 2018.
NSW hopeful Cody Walker also put his hand up before Origin, slicing through five defenders to score in the 45th minute.
The Rabbitohs' pivot extended his season try tally to 10 along with 10 try assists.
North Queensland have slumped to a 3-6 record.
They have made the finals once in 11 seasons when starting 3-6, finishing seventh in 2004.
Wayne Bennett enjoyed just his third win in nine games at Lang Park as a non-Brisbane coach.
AAP
Roosters hang on after crazy Raiders comeback
Sydney Roosters winger Daniel Tupou has been taken to hospital amid a troubling injury toll during the NRL clash with Canberra.
Tupou got his head caught in an awkward tackle during the first half and lay prone while being treated for several minutes before being driven off on a medicab.
The club reportedly said he was taken to hospital as a precaution.
Star centre Latrell Mitchell sent a scare through the Roosters and NSW Origin camps after he came off with a groin injury, only to rejoin the action in the second-half.
After tearing apart the Wests Tigers with a three-try effort ranked by many as the best individual performance in recent memory, Mitchell looked in ominous early touch against the Raiders, scoring two tries.
However he pulled up lame as he crossed for his second in the 28th minute, clutching at his groin and in obvious pain.
After rejoining the action, he at times looked ginger and appeared to be having trouble running.
Skipper Boyd Cordner (head knock) was also forced from the field in the first half.
When James Tedesco crossed in the first minute after half-time, the Roosters were out to a 30-6 lead.
But Raiders full-back Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad got the comeback underway with a try in the 53rd minute, then Jack Wighton went over in the 64th minute, and Michael Oldfield got the margin back to a converted try with 10 minutes left.
The Roosters looked vulnerable, but they held on for the win.
ABC/AAP
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Topics: nrl, rugby-league, sport, australia, qld, brisbane-4000, nsw, bondi-junction-2022, act, canberra-2600, redfern-2016, townsville-4810
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