Round 12: Rabbitohs v Eels preview
The South Sydney Rabbitohs are on top of the competition ladder for the first time in 2023 after a 20-0 victory over the Wests Tigers whilst the Brisbane Broncos slipped up against the Melbourne Storm last Thursday.
This leads to the Rabbitohs Indigenous Round clash with the Parramatta Eels on Friday night at Allianz Stadium in Sydney, the home of the Gadigal and Bidjigal peoples.
The Rabbitohs continue to push their premiership credentials becoming the first team to win six games in a row in 2023. The streak includes impressive victories over the Broncos, Penrith Panthers and the Melbourne Storm, all who are considered amongst the better teams in the competition.
Their attack has been excellent in 2023, especially during the winning streak, scoring 20 or more points in each of the six games but it's been their defence that has been most impressive. During the streak the Rabbitohs have kept every team to under 20 points, and for the entire season, just once has a team scored 20 points against the bunnies. Souths' defence ranks second in the competition behind Penrith, and their attack ranks fourth behind the Broncos, Eels and Sharks.
The form of players such as Campbell Graham and Latrell Mitchell have been pivotal to the Rabbitohs success so far, with both players expected to be called up to the New South Wales squad, it's important that they cash in on their form and extend their streak to seven wins on Friday night before those players alongside others depart for representative duties. They face a Parramatta side that has been inconsistent at best this season, possessing a defence that has been leaky. Souths' attack will be licking their lips at the opportunity of taking on the Eels defence in the aim of sending another message to the competition about their intent for the 2023 season.
That shaky defence has been costly for the Eels in 2023. In seven of their 11 games, the Eels have conceded over 20 points which has hampered their ability to move upwards on the ladder after one win from their first five games, albeit against tough opposition. Despite their record of 4-7, the Eels haven't lost a game by more than 10 points and are generally in the game for the duration of the 80 minutes.
The return of Mitchell Moses will hopefully bring some attacking spark back to the team after their eight-point loss to the Canberra Raiders last weekend, but it's their defence that has been the main issue. Conceding 20 plus points makes it incredibly difficult to win, especially when coming up against a defence like the Rabbitohs that has been brilliant at shutting down opposition attacks this year.
To win this, it'll require the Eels best performance of the year and given their record over the past month, this doesn't seem likely. However, Brad Arthur will have his team up for this match as the Eels can similarly send a message to the competition by knocking off the lead leaders, shouting in the process "We're coming for you!"
The only change for the Rabbitohs for Friday night's clash is the omission of Jed Cartwright who won't be available under concussion protocols, and is replaced by Daniel Suluka-Fifta on the bench. The Eels welcome back Mitchell Moses after returning from the same protocol, pushing Jake Arthur out of the side. The other two changes see Sean Russell come in for Haze Dunster on the wing, whilst Shaun Lane sits out with a hamstring injury, pushing Bryce Cartwright into the starting team and Makahesi Makatoa onto the bench.
Last meeting: Round 22 2022 - Eels 0 Rabbitohs 26
Who to watch: Campbell Graham and Latrell Mitchell have been two players at the forefront of the Rabbitohs success in 2023. Firstly, Graham has been a machine this season, scoring 11 tries from the same number of games and is having the best season of his career to date. 146 metres and 16 tackles per game highlights his output from centre and as now one of the best attacking and defensive centres in the game, he is poised for an Origin debut. Secondly, Mitchell has once again been outstanding for the Rabbitohs. The fullback has scored all nine of his tries in his last six games and has assisted a further six throughout the season. He is one of the most dangerous players in the game and will be keen to demonstrate this again on Friday night.
For the Eels, the halves pairing of Mitchell Moses and Dylan Brown are going to have to conjure up something special in attack if they're to offset the points they're likely to concede. Moses, returning from concussion, has scored four tries and assisted seven this season, and he'll have to add to those tallies on Friday night if the Eels are to win. His kicking game will be a focal point for the Eels and with seven forced drop outs, you can see why they'll look to use that to their advantage. Brown has had a relatively quiet season, despite running for a career-high 145 metres per game. After scoring 11 tries last season, the five-eighth has scored just a sole four-pointer in 2023 but has assisted 11 so far. Brown will have to be more threatening to the Rabbitohs line in this clash.
Favourite: Souths are the favourite for this clash and it's easy to see why. They've won their last six games in relatively convincing fashion and are sitting on top of the table with eight wins from 11 games. Parramatta have struggled defensively this season and it'll be hard to turn that around against the brilliant Souths attack.
My tip: Souths have won their last six matches against the Eels, and none of them have been close. The smallest margin of victory came in the 2020 finals where Souths won by 14 points. In fact, the Eels have won only one of their last nine against the Rabbitohs, dating back to the start of the 2018 season. Souths should be too strong defensively to lose this one. Souths by 12.
