Round 5: Rabbitohs v Storm preview
Both teams are coming off a win and hope to keep the momentum going in this Friday night clash.
South Sydney have had an up and down season so far, currently sitting in 8th position with an equal number of wins and losses. They managed to gain a win against Manly last week, where Lachlan Ilias kicked his first field goal in golden point.
Melbourne have also lacked the usual energy surge that the side has possessed in past seasons, however after 2 back-to-back losses, the side managed to claim victory over the West Tigers last week, with the return of Cameron Munster providing a much-needed boost.
Rabbitohs prop Hame Sele returns this week after missing last round due the new 11-day concussion protocol and will join the team on the bench. Alex Johnston suffered a thigh cork against Manly last week but will be good to go, leaving the starting side unchanged.
With Melbourne halfback Jahrome Hughes still missing from the side due to suspension, Jonah Pezet will continue to play in his place. Tom Eizenhuth joins the starting 17 side, after being 18th man last week, with Tyran Wishart being dropped to the reserves.
Come Friday night these teams both have something to prove, and it'll be interesting to see which side claims victory. Over the opening 4 rounds both the Rabbitohs and Storm have had their fair mix of excellent attack and plays mottled with poor line defence, and this game might just come down to the closing minutes.
Last meeting: Round 19 2022 - Rabbitohs 24 Storm 12
Who to watch: I'm excited and curious for the battle between the two counterpart five-eighths.
Cody Walker is a player driven by emotion, and it has been proven that this emotion impacts the end score for the Rabbitohs. He had an excellent game last week against Manly, where he scored his 13th career double, and I am really hoping to see him continue with these strong attacking plays.
After battling a finger injury suffered in Round 1, Cameron Munster returned last week to put Melbourne over the edge, where he assisted with one try and scored a four-pointer himself. I'm looking forward to seeing some more Munster magic on Friday night, hoping to see him score another try or two.
Favourite: The home side are slightly favoured to claim victory against the visiting Melbourne side.
My tip: I think it'll be a close game, with both sides sitting in similar situations with spotty defence and attack, and both still unable to play a full flawless 80 minutes of footy. However, I believe with Munster back in the side, Melbourne will just have the edge to defeat the Rabbitohs. Melbourne by 8.
