Roar Guru
The St George-Illawarra Dragons made it tough, but the South Sydney Rabbitohs used a big final 10 minutes to run away with a 24-8 victory at the SCG.
>>MATCH REPORT: Reynolds leads Rabbitohs to victory
When Josh Dugan scored with 11 minutes left on the clock, you would’ve thought the Dragons were about ready to end their losing streak.
However, a big play from Greg Inglis ended the threat, and Adam Reynolds scored the sealing try of the ensuing set.
Luke Keary added one at the death, and the Rabbitohs’ are marching towards the Top 4.
South Sydney 24 def. St George-Illawarra 8
A blockbuster five weeks ago, this clash has lost some of its lustre in the last month or so. Nevertheless, we’ll still get a fierce clash between the St George-Illawarra Dragons and the South Sydney Rabbitohs on Saturday Night.
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The Dragons have been terrible over the last month, and many pundits are ready to call it season over for the club. The Dragons have lost six of their last eight, and they’re under immense pressure to retain their spot in the Top 8 after seemingly having a Top 4 spot sewn up eight weeks ago.
The injury bug hasn’t helped the Dragons, who have missed some very key players in their losing streak. It was the Rabbitohs’ that started the Dragons run of poor form, so they’ll be looking for some redemption on Saturday Night.
The Rabbitohs have been solid, yet not spectacular, so far in 2015. Last year’s premiers looked the goods in the first month of the season, but some inconsistent performances since then sees them looking up at the top four sides.
South Sydney had the bye last weekend, but it was a poor performance against the Panthers the week before that saw them drop to a 9-7 record. The minor premiership is probably already out of reach for the Redfern club, but a Top 4 spot is still very much alive, and this stands as a must win game.
The Dragons welcome back Josh Dugan and Benji Marshall for this match, who will replace Charly Runciman and Drew Hutchinson respectively. Tyson Frizell and Joel Thompson will also return for this clash, giving the Dragons some much-needed muscle in the forward pack.
Nathan Green and Mark Ioane drop out of the side, while Will Matthews and Jake Marketo will start on the bench.
Greg Inglis will return from Origin duty, meaning that Alex Johnston returns to the wing, and Joel Reddy drops out of the side completely.
Cameron McInnes will start at hooker in place of the suspended Issac Luke, while Tim Grant replaces Jason Clark in the side. He will come into the starting 13, meaning that Dave Tyrrell drops to the bench.
Prediction
This may be an unpopular opinion, but I believe the Dragons have shown some mental weakness over the past two months. They’ve dropped a few games that they should have won, and they’ll need to get some confidence back if they want the two points this weekend. Having said that, the Rabbitohs should be good enough to keep the Dragons in their slide.
Rabbitohs by 8