South Sydney captain Greg Inglis says the premiers can't use the absence of injured playmaker Adam Reynolds as any excuse for being knocked off the top of the NRL ladder.
The Rabbitohs' 30-12 capitulation at the hands of Johnathan Thurston-inspired North Queensland on Monday night handed Brisbane - who are riding a five-match winning streak - the competition lead six rounds in.
It may have been a different story had Inglis not been denied a try when Souths led 12-4 in the shadows of halftime at ANZ Stadium before Thurston helped the Cowboys pile on 26 unanswered points after the break.
It might also have been a much different outcome if Reynolds had played.
Inglis, though, doesn't deal in hypotheticals and says the Rabbitohs must move on with life without their crafty, goalkicking No.7.
"They're just excuses. We've got a lot of players there who we have a lot of confidence and belief that they can do the job," he said.
"They did in the first half ... we didn't turn up in the second half. Straight from the kick-off, they just steamrolled us."
Inglis had been tipped to start at five-eighth, but Souths coach Michael Maguire pulled a selection surprise by using ball-playing back-rower Glenn Stewart in the halves with Luke Keary.
Maguire is hopeful of having John Sutton back from a broken jaw for next Monday night's clash with Cronulla at Remondis Stadium.
Sutton was named to take on the Cowboys before being a late scratching.
"Our doctors were pretty confident. He's getting closer," Maguire said.
"We'll have to assess him through the week again.
"He is getting better, so time will tell."
Kangaroos centre Dylan Walker is in a similar boat to Sutton as he continues to recover from a broken hand.
"When you're dealing with bones, some bones heal a little bit quicker than others so we'll just have to assess that," Maguire said.
Back-rower Jason Clark took a head knock but is expected to play against the Sharks, while fellow forward Ben Lowe must await the match review committee's review of his alleged dangerous contact on Thurston's legs after being placed on report.
Sharks coach Shane Flanagan was spotted in the crowd at ANZ Stadium observing the game amongst Rabbitohs fans, but probably departed feeling much better about taking on the premiers than Thurston's resurgent Cowboys.
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