South Sydney Rabbitohs
20
Match Complete
St. George Illawarra Dragons
16
78 | C. Norman | |||
78 | M. Ravalawa | |||
74 | T. Sloan | |||
69 | C. Norman | |||
68 | T. Sloan | |||
B. Taaffe | 43 | |||
T. Milne | 42 | |||
C. Graham | 27 | |||
C. Graham | 20 | |||
B. Taaffe | 17 | |||
L. Ilias | 6 |
4 | Tries | 3 | ||
1 | Conversions | 2 | ||
1 | Penalty Goals | 0 | ||
0 | Field Goals | 0 |
Show Preview
Life without Latrell Mitchell begins for the South Sydney Rabbitohs as Wayne Bennett pulls out a host of other first-choice names for their clash with the St George Illawarra Dragons. Tune into events from the Sunshine Coast with live scores on The Roar from 7:35pm (AEST).
The Rabbitohs’ immovable position in third for the finals has enabled Bennett to give much of his side a pre-finals bye, with Adam Reynolds, Damien Cook, Dane Gagai, Liam Knight and Tom Burgess joining Mitchell on the sidelines. It says a lot about their depth, and the Dragons’ woes this season, that they are still slight favourites for this match despite those outs.
For those named, though, it’s a chance to cement a spot in the 17 for the finals. The man with the most pressure will undoubtedly be Blake Taaffe, the first-choice replacement at fullback for Mitchell. Having played just four games, it’s a major show of faith from Bennett to give Taaffe the job – but with Alex Johnston and Cody Walker also options to fill the number one role for finals, the youngster will need to put his best foot forward here to be certain of retaining it for finals.
The Dragons head in off the back of a seven-match losing streak, including defeat last week to the equally out of sorts Cowboys. Minus captain Ben Hunt, the bottom has quickly fallen out for Anthony Griffin’s men, and with finals hopes now officially cooked, all they’ve got to play for is pride.
Zac Lomax will miss with a thumb injury in a further blow, while Gerard Beale returns to the starting line-up.
Kick-off: 7:35pm (AEST)
Venue: Sunshine Coast Stadium
TV: Channel Nine, Fox League
Online: Kayo Sports, Foxtel Now, Foxtel GO
Betting: Rabbitohs $1.69, Dragons $2.16 (odds via PlayUp)
South Sydney Rabbitohs
1. Blake Taaffe, 2. Taane Milne, 3. Braidon Burns, 4. Campbell Graham, 5. Jaxson Paulo, 6. Benji Marshall, 7. Lachlan Ilias, 8. Tevita Tatola, 9. Peter Mamouzelos, 10. Patrick Mago, 11. Jaydn Su’A, 12. Jacob Host, 13. Mark Nicholls (c)
Bench/Reserves: 14. Dean Hawkins, 15. Tautau Moga, 16. Jed Cartwright, 17. Davvy Moale | 18. Jai Arrow, 19. Cameron Murray, 20. Alex Johnston, 21. Cody Walker
St George Illawarra Dragons
1. Tyrell Sloan, 2. Mat Feagai, 3. Jack Bird, 4. Gerard Beale, 5. Mikaele Ravalawa, 6. Talatau Amone, 7. Corey Norman, 8. Blake Lawrie, 9. Jayden Sullivan, 10. Josh McGuire, 11. Billy Burns, 12. Tariq Sims (c), 13. Jack de Belin
Bench/Reserves: 14. Freddy Lussick, 15. Tyrell Fuimaono, 16. Daniel Alvaro, 17. Poasa Faamausili | 18. Jackson Ford, 19. Adam Clune, 20. Cody Ramsey, 21. Kaide Ellis
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