North Queensland players are preparing for Greg Inglis to start at five-eighth for the first time since 2011 in a move that would not only set up a mouth-watering personal duel with Cowboys superstar Johnathan Thurston but may help determine the future of Alex Johnston at the Rabbitohs.

With regular five-eighth Luke Keary moving to halfback to cover the loss of Adam Reynolds, and John Sutton failing in his bid for an early return from the broken jaw he suffered in round two, Souths coach Michael Maguire has confirmed that Inglis is under consideration to fill the role in Monday's nights clash with North Queensland at ANZ Stadium.

Other options for Maguire are to play back-rower Glenn Stewart or rookie hooker Cameron McInnes at five-eighth.

The Rabbitohs captain shifted to five-eighth after the loss of Reynolds with a knee injury in the controversial 18-17 Good Friday defeat of Canterbury, with Johnston moving in from the wing to take his place at fullback.

The 20-year-old sensation scored 21 tries in 18 NRL appearances on the wing for Souths last season but is keen to play fullback and rival clubs Sydney Roosters and Parramatta are believed to be prepared to offer him the opportunity to wear the No.1 jersey in 2015.

How Johnston performs if given the chance at fullback against the Cowboys may have an impact on his market value as he could command more money if signed as a topline fullback than a winger.

To play the position regularly he would need to leave Souths as they have Inglis and would therefore not be in a position to offer Johnston the same money as other clubs who view him as a fullback.

However, until Sutton or Reynolds return there may be an opportunity for Johnston the play fullback and Inglis to return to the position he won the Clive Churchill Medal playing in Melbourne's 34-8 defeat of Manly in the 2008 grand final.

Inglis played the 2007 and 2008 seasons at five-eighth for the Storm but his only starting appearance in the No.6 jersey for Souths was round 25 of the 2011 season.

In 43 games at five-eighth, he has only played opposite Thurston three times but scored six tries in those encounters and came away the victor on each occasion.

Inglis and Thurston are currently the two most influential players in the NRL and there is no doubt both will be considered greats of the game after they retire.

Thurston has steered the Cowboys to back-to-back wins over Melbourne and Penrith, while Inglis has led the Rabbitohs to wins over Brisbane, Sydney Roosters, Wests Tigers and the Bulldogs this season.

While Inglis has been playing fullback and Thurston at halfback, the following statistics provided by Champion Data highlight their influence on games:

Points: Inglis 8, Thurston 28

Tries: Inglis 2, Thurston 0

Field goals: Inglis 0, Thurston 2

Try Assists: Inglis 4, Thurston 5;

Runs: Inglis 70, 31;

Metres: Inglis 683, 261

Line Breaks: Inglis 3, Thurston 1

Line Break Assists: Inglis 5, Thurston 8

Tackle Breaks: Inglis 29, Thurston 12

Kicks: Inglis 3, Thurston 54

Kick Metres: Inglis 88, Thurston 1603

Kick Return Metres: Inglis 229, Thurston 11

Maguire said the key to nullifying Thurston's impact on the game was to stop the Cowboys forward pack, led by Test props James Tamou and Matt Scott and Kiwi wrecking ball Jason Taumalolo.

"Everyone knows what they've got up front and when they're rolling forward, if teams allow that, then JT fires off the back of that," Maguire said.

"He's a quality player, Johnathan. He can come up with some great kicks, he finds the ability to get quick play-the-balls from attack. He's just a competitor."

Despite playing with his knee heavily strapped against Canterbury, Inglis is in no doubt for the match after training with Souths on Sunday, along with Stewart and hooker Isaac Luke, who both failed to finish the match due to concussion.