The South Sydney Rabbitohs are pleased to announce their NRL squad for round 11 against the Penrith Panthers to be played at Apex Oval in Dubbo this Sunday 23 May at 2pm, the first NRL premiership match to be played at the iconic regional venue.
Rabbitohs fullback Latrell Mitchell returns from suspension this week, moving Cody Walker back into five-eighth and Benji Marshall to a utility role from the interchange bench. Josh Mansour returns on the wing from injury to play against his former club. Jacob Host also returns from injury on the interchange bench.
The Rabbitohs will be wearing their 2021 Indigenous Jersey against the Panthers in Dubbo, commencing a fortnight of celebrations around the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures which are woven into the fabric of the South Sydney club.
The jersey design was facilitated by Uncle Joe Walker, an Aboriginal artist from northern New South Wales and the uncle of Rabbitohs player Cody Walker, and was designed by seven participants from Souths Cares’ community programs - Imogen Grant, Mia Gregory, Tyreece Lyons, Melodey Roberts, Adrian Scanlon, Jayden Simms and Natalie Travato.
The designs on the front of the jersey depict the totems of the sand goanna and the whale which represents the Redfern and La Perouse areas respectively, highlighting the Countries on which the Rabbitohs live and work each day.
The same elements are repeated on the back of the jersey, along with the footprints of the seven Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players that represent the Rabbitohs’ top squad – Cody Walker, Latrell Mitchell, Alex Johnston, Dane Gagai, Braidon Burns, Troy Dargan and Joshua Cook.
Aboriginal Warrior, Pemulwuy, is also represented having led a resistance against settlers and fought for his land in 1790.
Along the sides of the jersey are the handprints of the young Souths Cares designers that assisted with the creation of the design.
The Rabbitohs will wear the Indigenous jersey in two back-to-back matches against the Panthers at home at Apex Oval in Dubbo on Sunday and against the Parramatta Eels in the NRL’s Indigenous Round at home at Stadium Australia in round 12.
Sunday’s match at Apex Oval is sold out with over 11,000 Members and supporters expected to take in the first NRL fixture to be played at the ground which has previously hosted pre-season, City vs Country and international matches. The NRL fixture will commence at 2pm with the NSW Cup match scheduled to start at 11:30am. Gates will open at 11am.
The South Sydney Rabbitohs’ squad for Sunday’s clash with the Panthers is:
1) Latrell Mitchell
2) Alex Johnston
3) Dane Gagai
4) Braidon Burns
5) Josh Mansour
6) Cody Walker
7) Adam Reynolds (c)
8) Thomas Burgess
9) Damien Cook
10) Junior Tatola
11) Keaon Koloamatangi
12) Jaydn Su’A
13) Liam Knight
Interchange:
14) Benji Marshall
15) Mark Nicholls
16) Jacob Host
17) Jai Arrow
18) Dean Hawkins
19) Hame Sele
20) Patrick Mago
21) Campbell Graham
Head Coach – Wayne Bennett
