Round 2: Dragons v Rabbitohs preview
Dragons eye revenge in semi final rematch
Suffering the heartache of losing to South Sydney by a field goal last September, the St. George Illawarra Dragons will be hopeful of gaining a small consolation in their first meeting since the ill-fated semi final.
Forced to endure a pre-season wondering how things may have panned out if not for a costly last tackle option that allowed Rabbitohs halfback Adam Reynolds to nail his third one-pointer with seconds remaining, the joint venture looked far from top eight contenders in their 24-12 loss to the Cowboys last Saturday, but will be eager to build upon the result in first their home appearance of 2019.
Returning to the scene of last year's humiliating 38-0 shutout at the hands of the Bulldogs - the side's worst ever loss at Kogarah - coach Paul McGregor will be optimistic about his side's chances of bouncing back, having won 15 of 21 matches at the venue since taking over from Steve Price midway through 2014.
Already missing established forwards Jack de Belin (no-fault stand-down) and Korbin Sims (suspension), the Dragons will be without Tyson Frizell after he suffered a lacerated testicle in the loss to North Queensland. As a result of the injury reshuffle, Blake Lawrie will start for the second time in his career at lock, allowing Indigenous All Stars prop Josh Kerr to make his first grade debut off the bench.
Arguably the best performing side of the opening round, the South Sydney Rabbitohs will be chasing back-to-back wins for the fifth time since being readmitted into the competition on Thursday night.
Coming from behind at halftime to overpower the reigning premiers 26-16 at the Sydney Cricket Ground, the Rabbitohs record against their Round 2 opponents stands at eight wins from their past ten meetings, while managing just one victory from four visits to Kogarah since the Dragons merged with the Steelers two decades ago.
Making one change from the squad that triumphed last Friday, 2014 premiership winner Kyle Turner will play his first match in almost a year, replacing rookie fullback Corey Allan, after a solid showing in the Canterbury Cup NSW win over North Sydney last Sunday.
Last meeting: Finals Week 2 2018 - Rabbitohs 13 Dragons 12
Who to watch: Lighting up the NRL with blistering speed and 13 tries at fullback last season, the Dragons will need to utilise Matt Dufty to better effect if they seek to play him as an impact man off the bench. Forced out of his preferred number one jersey following Gareth Widdop's positional switch to accommodate the recruitment of Corey Norman, the 23-year-old speedster managed just 13 minutes against the Cowboys with his side down by two tries. Playing with the mentality of trying to score off every play upon his introduction into the match, the injection of Dufty earlier on Thursday night could prove to be a masterstroke by coach Paul McGregor in helping the Dragons claim their first win of the season.
Highly regarded by new coach Wayne Bennett to the extent captain Greg Inglis has been shifted to accommodate him, Rabbitohs centre Braidon Burns will be looking to show his attacking wares against last year's semi finalists. Debuting with South Sydney two years ago after being headhunted from the lower grades at Penrith, the 22-year-old struggled for game time in 2018, but looks set to become a permanent fixture in the number four jersey after an impressive off-season. Enjoying a strong showing against the Roosters last Friday highlighted by six tackle breaks, two offloads and over 150 running metres, the Coonamble Bears junior will be primed to perform on Thursday night as he faces off against Euan Aitken in a tantalising personal duel set to have major ramifications on the final result.
The favourite: After knocking off the defending premiers in the opening round, the Rabbitohs have been heavily backed to account for a Dragons outfit chasing their first win.
My tip: While St. George Illawarra should improve from last week's disappointing performance in Townsville, South Sydney's class will ensure the visitors maintain an unbeaten start to 2019. Rabbitohs by 20.
