Round 25: Knights v Rabbitohs preview
Finals on the line as Rabbitohs look to avoid becoming Newcastle's next victim
Sunday afternoon will dish up the second of three straight home games for the Newcastle Knights, with the South Sydney Rabbitohs making the trip North along the coast. With a solitary point separating the two clubs on the competition ladder, this game shapes as vitally important to the finals make-up and the fortunes of both teams in 2023.
The home side will be hoping for another big turnout at McDonald Jones Stadium, as their winning streak continues. With six wins on the trot, what looked just a month ago to be a failed season now appears much more hopeful. With the finals well within their sights, Newcastle will be looking to carry their momentum into a potential elimination final in September. Last week, they smashed the Bulldogs for the second time this year, recording a resounding 42-6 victory which they'll want to replicate this weekend.
Bradman Best is set to return from his sideline stint, with Enari Tuala dropping out of the 17 to make way. Jackson Hastings has been named to play this weekend despite some injury concerns after last week's win against Canterbury-Bankstown.
After high hopes pre-season, the South Sydney Rabbitohs have come crashing down to Earth throughout 2023. With a top eight finish very much in doubt, they have plenty of work to do over the next three weeks in order to keep their season alive. Last week they recorded a much-needed win over rivals St George Illawarra Dragons, 26-14. This weekend's game will be their fifth and final straight game played outside of Sydney, with the FIFA World Cup seeing the Bunnies play in Tamworth, Perth, Cairns, and on the Sunshine Coast over the past month or so.
There are minimal changes to the South Sydney 17, with Michael Chee Kam joining the bench, forcing Benjamin Lovett out of the side. Late changes have been commonplace for the Bunnies however, so keep an ear out for any match-day switches.
The Knights have won just two of their past fourteen meetings with Souths.
Last meeting: Round 17, 2022 - Newcastle Knights 28 South Sydney Rabbitohs 40
Who to watch: Greg Marzhew has proved to be somewhat of a star at Newcastle this year. The winger is enjoying his first year with the Knights, and despite starting the season in reserve grade, he has shown exactly why he should be a part of Newcastle's long term NRL side. The 26 year old was somewhat of a latecomer to the NRL fold, not making his first grade debut until 2021 with the Titans, and spending a lot of time with Burleigh in the QRL. He is contracted with Newcastle until the end of 2025, so he will have plenty of time to make up for missing the team bus (for which he was dropped back in June) to the club.
Experienced all-rounder Taane Milne is now in his third year with the Rabbitohs, having emerged from reserve grade obscurity post the Covid shutdown in 2020. At the time he was a part of the Warriors reserve grade set-up, whilst simultaneously making International appearances for Fiji. But Milne had been around first class set-ups prior to Covid as well, making NRL appearances for the Dragons back in 2016 and 2017. Lining up this weekend on the wing, Milne can cover a range of positions in the backs and forwards.
Favourite: Despite Newcastle's undeniably impressive winning run, the South Sydney Rabbitohs are currently the bookmakers' favourites.
My tip: The Rabbitohs have looked shaky at best over the past month, and despite recording a victory last time out, I think they're destined to become Newcastle's seventh consecutive victim. Knights by 14.
