Round 10: Dragons v Rabbitohs preview
Rotten Rabbitohs seek fortune change against inconsistent Dragons
Kogarah plays host to the St George Illawarra Dragons and the South Sydney Rabbitohs on Saturday evening as the NRL reaches round ten. Despite some promising signs for the home side, they have now lost back to back matches. The bunnies are still reeling from the sacking of Jason Demetriou, with Ben Hornby taking the reins only last week. Injuries are yet another issue facing Souths.
The Dragons head into the round sitting 13th on the ladder having dropped rapidly over the past two weeks. Despite leading at the break against the Sharks last week, it was Cronulla-Sutherland who prevailed 20-10 at a waterlogged Shark Park. Mikaele Ravalawa crossed for a double whilst forward Tom Eisenhuth had a cracking game in his first performance in the back row for the Dragons.
Christian Tuipulotu is unavailable for personal reasons, but the return of Moses Suli for the Dragons will help them compensate in the outside backs. Zac Lomax is back on the wing due to these changes. Luciano Leilua has not been included in the 17 but could be a late inclusion as he draws close to returning from injury. Tyrell Sloan will line up at fullback despite being charged with a trip last week.
The Rabbitohs are sitting dead last with just one win from eight games to start the 2024 season.
They were looking re-energised following Demetriou's departure, bounding out to an early 12-0 lead against Penrith on Thursday night to open round nine. But it didn't last long, with Jai Arrow heading to the sin bin and some quick Penrith points turning the tide of the clash. The Panthers ran away with the game 42-12, and whilst that is not unexpected, Rabbitohs fans could choose to take some hope from the first ten minutes of their performance.
The Bunnies are now officially in the midst of a massive injury crisis, with Cameron Murray, Jye Gray, and Dean Hawkins all falling to injury just last Thursday. Dion Teaupa is set to make his NRL debut in the halfback role, becoming the Rabbitohs' third choice number seven this season. Gehamat Shibasaki will make his first appearance for the Rabbitohs, lining up on the wing, whilst Siliva Havili takes Murray's role at lock. With Jacob Host missing through suspension, Matt French will make his debut off the bench.
These two sides met in their annual pre-season Charity Shield clash, with the Rabbitohs finishing 28-6 winners.
Last meeting: Round 24 2023 - Rabbitohs 26 Dragons 14 (Barlow Park, Cairns)
Who to watch: Fa'amanu Brown made his Dragons debut just a few weeks ago after starting off 2024 on the other side of the world, playing with Hull FC. St George is his seventh professional club on either side of the world, with the journeyman overcoming severe injury to maintain his rugby league career. The 29 year old Sharks junior will line up this Saturday on the bench, with his minutes largely dependent on the performance of the starting spine and how the game is flowing. Having played 35 minutes against the Roosters, coach Shane Fitzgibbon gave him only 12 to work with last week. Known for tries out of dummy-half, Brown could act as an important surge of energy for the Dragons this weekend.
Matt French has been playing big minutes off the bench for the bunnies in NSW Cup so far this season, but handling the step up to first grade will certainly be a challenge. At 24, French has five years of reserve grade appearances under his belt with three different clubs, however he has struggled for consistent gametime, with ten games being the most he has played in a season at NSW Cup level. Keep an eye on French's role off the bench, especially amidst an injury-caused weak forward pack.
Favourite: In what would come as a shock to fans pre-season, the Dragons are the comfortable favourites to beat the Rabbitohs this weekend.
My tip: This is a great opportunity for Ben Hornby to get his maiden win as an NRL coach, and I reckon the Rabbitohs will take it, especially with an extra 3 days turnaround compared to their opponents. South Sydney by 8.
