Rabbitohs v Roosters preview

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South Sydney Rabbitohs v Sydney Roosters Friday 8:00pm at Accor Stadium, Sydney Olympic Park / Wanngal

One of rugby league's oldest rivalries reignites on Friday night when the Roosters and Rabbitohs face off at Accor Stadium in a game that is sure to deliver fireworks.

And with the NRL set to crack down on high tackles ahead of the weekend's action, you don't have to look back far to find a previous meeting between these two teams where tempers flared and the referees were forced to take matters into their own hands.

On that afternoon in Week 1 of the 2022 finals, a record seven players were sent to the sin bin.

It will be hard to top that on Friday night, but there is little doubting there will be plenty of feeling as South Sydney looks to build on an impressive 28-18 win over Penrith last week.

The second half left a lot to be desired, and there is an argument to be made that the Panthers were so poor in the first half that the Rabbitohs weren't really made to earn their 28-0 lead. 

But you have to give Souths some credit, especially given the contrast to the performance they dished up the week prior against Cronulla.

As for the Roosters, that 38-32 upset win over Penrith feels so long ago now after backing up that performance with two-straight losses. 

On both occasions the Roosters were right in the contest until the final 10 to 20 minutes where they fell off, and in the case of the Titans game it ended up being a rather comprehensive defeat.

In team news, Dally M leading fullback Jye Gray retains the No.1 jersey with Latrell Mitchell returning at centre, pushing Isaiah Tass to the wing with Alex Johnston (ribs) unavailable.

Elsewhere, Lachlan Hubner is back from suspension which shifts Tallis Duncan to the bench and Liam Le Blanc to 18th man despite his tenacious performance against Penrith last week.

As for the Roosters, Connor Watson (concussion) and forward Salesi Foketi (suspension) return to offset the loss of Victor Radley (cheekbone).

Zach Dockar-Clay moves to the bench and Hugo Savala drops out, while Lindsay Collins has been named to start at prop with Spencer Leniu shifting to the interchange.

Last Meeting: The Roosters closed out the regular season with a 36-28 win over the Rabbitohs.

Who to watch: Sometimes it's just obvious. All eyes will be on Latrell Mitchell as he returns, not just for the first time this year but at centre too. All off-season we had heard about how fit Mitchell was and how all that work in the summer had positioned himself to finally put it all together. A hamstring injury delayed Mitchell's start to the year but now he is back at the perfect time, with injuries ravaging South Sydney's backline, and it will be interesting to see whether he replicates the sort of impact he can have at centre in the Origin arena.

As for the Roosters, the inclusion of Connor Watson is a particularly big one. While Brandon Smith's move to the Tricolours hasn't worked out, one recruit who has definitely played his best football at the Roosters is Watson. His workrate is elite and he was all effort in the middle, particularly in that win against Penrith. It is hard to call him underrated given he got an Origin call-up last year, but it still seems to be somewhat underappreciated just what he brings as a culture setter with his work on both sides of the ball.

Favourite: The Rabbitohs are slight favourites to keep their momentum rolling after last week's win.

Tip: This truly could go either way. Both teams have been inconsistent to start the year, although the injection of Mitchell should give the Rabbitohs an extra edge on Friday night. Maybe a flash of Latrell brilliance will be the difference. South Sydney by four.

1. Jye Gray 2. Isaiah Tass 3. Latrell Mitchell 4. Jack Wighton 5. Mikaele Ravalawa 6. Cody Walker 7. Jamie Humphreys 8. Sean Keppie 9. Peter Mamouzelos 10. Tevita Tatola 11. Keaon Koloamatangi 12. Jai Arrow 13. Lachlan Hubner 14. Jayden Sullivan 15. Siliva Havili 16. Tallis Duncan 17. Davvy Moale 18. Liam Le Blanc 19. Fletcher Myers

1. James Tedesco 2. Daniel Tupou 21. Billy Smith 4. Robert Toia 5. Dominic Young 6. Sandon Smith 7. Chad Townsend 8. Lindsay Collins 9. Connor Watson 10. Naufahu Whyte 11. Angus Crichton 12. Siua Wong 13. Nat Butcher 14. Zach Dockar-Clay 15. Salesi Foketi 16. Blake Steep 17. Spencer Leniu 18. Hugo Savala 19. Makahesi Makatoa

Referees: Adam Gee; Sideline Officials: David Munro, Matt Noyen; Video Referees: Grant Atkins;