Rabbitohs v Bulldogs preview

South Sydney Rabbitohs v Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
ANZ Stadium - Friday 7:45pm

Strap yourselves in for the grudge match of the season.

Last meeting: Round 5 2015 - Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 17 South Sydney Rabbitohs 18

Five months after one the most controversial match since "The Battle of Brookvale", last year's Grand Finalists will resume hostilities to determine their place in the finals. For the Rabbitohs, after a series of unconvincing efforts against Penrith and Manly, the reigning premiers hit back in a big way last Thursday by knocking off the Cowboys in Townsville. However the win on the field looks set to have a massive impact on Friday night's match, as the suspensions of Luke Keary and Issac Luke will force a major reshuffle for the Rabbitohs. Former captain John Sutton will revert back into the halves as he has done frequently throughout his career, while former Titan Paul Carter will take over at hooker after making his comeback last week. Returning from suspension, Glenn Stewart will bring up his 200th NRL game off the bench.

For much of 2015 the Bulldogs have failed to live up to their potential, but with September less than a fortnight away, Des Hasler will have his side primed for a big performance. Having suffered devastating losses in their past two encounters with South Sydney, Canterbury will be out to test themselves against one of the competition heavyweights. With Michael Lichaa out for the remainder of the season, Damien Cook will start the match at hooker; however, don't be surprised to see the former Dragons start off the bench with Josh Jackson acting out of dummy half. Due to depart for Hull FC at the end of the year, Frank Pritchard will play his 100th game for the Bulldogs after joining from Penrith in 2011.

Who to watch: Unlucky not to win the Clive Churchill Medal last season, George Burgess will have his sights firmly set on asserting his dominance over the gigantic Canterbury forward pack. Failing to run for over 100 metres only twice in 2015, Burgess will be instrumental in laying the platform for the Rabbitohs playmakers, who will be tested without Keary and Luke. If the English international can get South Sydney rolling forward early on, the Bunnies will be in a prime position to defend their title with a top four finish.

If there's one player with a score to settle on Friday night it's James Graham. Having paid the price for his passion in the infamous Good Friday clash, Graham will have been counting down the days to get square against the Rabbitohs. Absent throughout 2015 due to injury and suspension, the Canterbury captain will have his eyes firmly set on coming away with the two points to ensure the Bulldogs see off the challenges of the Dragons and Sea Eagles for a place in the top eight.

The favourite: With Issac Luke and Luke Keary absent from the Rabbitohs side, the Bulldogs are expected to take advantage on Friday night.

My tip: There has been an expectation on Canterbury which hasn't quite come to fruition so far in 2015; facing off against the Rabbitohs, the Bulldogs will have an abundance of motivation to get over the line. Bulldogs by 4.

1. Greg Inglis 2. Alex Johnston 3. Dylan Walker 4. Kirisome Auva'a 5. Bryson Goodwin 6. John Sutton 7. Adam Reynolds 8. George Burgess 9. Paul Carter 10. David Tyrrell 11. Kyle Turner 12. Jason Clark 13. Chris McQueen
Interchange: 14. Chris Grevsmuhl 15. Glenn Stewart 16. Tim Grant 17. Thomas Burgess 18. Nathan Brown 19. Joel Reddy 20. Cody Walker

1. Brett Morris 2. Curtis Rona 3. Josh Morris 4. Timoteo Lafai 5. Sam Perrett 6. Moses Mbye 7. Trent Hodkinson 8. Sam Kasiano 9. Damien Cook 10. James Graham 11. Josh Jackson 12. Frank Pritchard 13. Greg Eastwood
Interchange: 14. Lloyd Perrett 15. Shaun Lane 16. David Klemmer 17. Tim Browne 19. Danny Fualalo

Referees: Jared Maxwell, Gavin Morris; Sideline Officials: Brett Suttor, Jeff Younis; Video Referees: Bernard Sutton, Ben Galea;

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