With two competition points in hand after a successful trip to the Gold Coast in round 14 and a bit of pep in their step, it’s now time for the red and green to play host to the Brisbane Broncos, under the bright lights of Friday Night Football at Accor Stadium!
There will likely be plenty of cause for confidence in the Rabbitohs’ camp ahead of this clash. This positive streak, combined with a favourable track record of winning six of their last eleven encounters with Brisbane, fuels the team's confidence ahead of this clash.
Travelling back all the way to round 15 of 2021, you’ll find yourself watching a 46-0 thrashing, served up to the Broncos courtesy of South Sydney. It was a truly memorable night for the Rabbitohs. Not only was it their biggest ever win over Brisbane, but it was the first and only time they’ve held the Broncos to nil. It wouldn’t surprise anyone to know that Alex Johnston crossed the stripe twice that night. So too did Campbell Graham.
Latrell Mitchell certainly had an outing too. He opened the scoring in the tenth minute after being on the receiving end of a wild inside ball from Cody Walker close to the line, that not even the cameraman saw coming. He also laid on Graham’s first try with a beautiful single-motion catch-and-pass, while providing plenty of impact coming out of his own end too.
Speaking of Mitchell, his recent masterclass against the Gold Coast was nothing short of spectacular. With stats including six successful kicks from seven attempts, scoring the opening try, and setting up three more, his numbers were superb. His off-the-ball work was just as impactful, especially his cover tackle on speedster Alofiana Khan-Pereira in the 50th minute, which surely had the Rabbitohs' fans and Members rising in applause.
Halves Cody Walker and Jack Wighton will take plenty out of their first outing together as a pairing last week. With Cody doing the organising and Jack injecting himself where he sees fit, the pair have clear strengths that complement one another’s games. The ongoing partnership is one to watch as they continue to synergise their distinct play styles.
Coach Ben Hornby has opted for continuity in selection, retaining the same 17 that overcame the Titans, with the exception of significant inclusion, captain Cameron Murray. As the captain of the team, what he brings to the table goes way beyond his tireless tackling in defence and his crisp ball-playing and lightning quick play-the-balls in attack.
As impressive as those things are, it’s the intangibles like his leadership and his effort areas that make him of such immense value to the Rabbitohs. He will certainly be hoping that these things can help get South Sydney over the line against Brisbane on Friday.
Stat Attack
- The Rabbitohs have an impressive record against the Broncos, having won six of their last eleven clashes.
- The Rabbitohs have had a happy time against the Broncos at Accor Stadium where they have won three of their last four games.
- This game will be the 50th meeting between the Rabbitohs and the Broncos.
- Last time the Rabbitohs and Broncos clashed in round 15 was 2021. The Rabbitohs won 46-0.
