Round 6: Bulldogs v Rabbitohs preview
A premiership heavyweight and contender on the rise meet in the latest instalment of NRL's annual Good Friday afternoon clash.
For the Bulldogs, it seems much of the fan base is largely resigned to defeat this week in the wake of a crippling injury toll to the team's forward pack.
Fortunately for Cameron Ciraldo's side, both Max King (eye) and Jacob Preston (hand) have been named and are a chancing of suiting up in a much-needed boost up front.
The good news stops there though, with Raymond Faitala-Mariner (head knock), Viliame Kikau (head knock), Jayden Okunbor (suspension), Tevita Pangai Junior (calf), Fa'amanu Brown (elbow), Chris Patolo (knee), Franklin Pele (arm), Luke Thompson (foot) and Bailey Biondi-Odo (ACL) all still sidelined.
Faitala-Mariner, Pele and Okunbor are the new faces unavailable this week, with Harrison Edwards starting at lock while Jackson Topine and Jayden Tanner figure on the bench.
It leaves the Bulldogs severely undermanned against a Rabbitohs side that had to overcome its own string of injuries up front earlier in the season, with Jai Arrow (hamstring), Siliva Havili (ankle), Liam Knight (knee) and Shaquai Mitchell (foot) all yet to return.
Winger Alex Johnston (head knock) joins them on the sidelines this week but prop Tevita Tatola is a welcome inclusion after being held out for a few weeks with a knee injury.
The Bulldogs enter Friday's game off a thrilling 15-14 golden point win over the Cowboys, with Matt Burton and Josh Addo-Carr heroics sealing a last-gasp win on Sunday night.
It's a short turnaround for Canterbury-Bankstown, who face a South Sydney outfit coming off an 18-10 loss to Melbourne last Friday.
Souths have won nine of the past 11 games between the teams, including a Good Friday win in Round 6 last year, and have scored 30-plus points in four-straight games against the Bulldogs.
Last meeting: Round 18 2022 - Bulldogs 28 Rabbitohs 36
Who to watch: If the Bulldogs are to pull off a Good Friday miracle, it will come on the back of a man-of-the-match performance from one of their big-name recruits. Matt Burton and Josh Addo-Carr, both brought to the club ahead of the 2022 season, had their moments last Sunday. The same goes for Reed Mahoney, who put Jacob Preston over with a clever pass from dummy-half. But the Bulldogs will need even more from the crafty hooker, who won't have the same platform to work with playing behind a depleted pack against Souths. It will only be more important that Mahoney picks his time to run the ball and also put in long clearing kicks to help the Bulldogs earn field position and be less reliant on the power game.
There has been plenty of talk about Latrell Mitchell increasing his involvement in attack, including from Rabbitohs coach Jason Demetriou and there may not be a more perfect opportunity for that to happen. South Sydney has the clear advantage up front, even with a few injuries of its own, and should be able to lay the kind of platform that will allow Mitchell to thrive. Mitchell starred the last time these two sides met, scoring a try to go with 137 run metres, one linebreak, three try assists and three linebreak assists. Even half of that output from Mitchell on Friday will be enough to see the Rabbitohs home on Friday.
Favourite: Undermanned and off a short turnaround, the Bulldogs are clear outsiders for this game.
My tip: They should be able to keep it close early but look for the Bulldogs to fall away late as the Rabbitohs finish comfortable winners on Good Friday. South Sydney by 20.
