Round 25 Souths v Donkeys

RABBITOHS V BRONCOS - THURS 27 AUGUST, 7.45PM, ALLIANZ STADIUM | BUY TICKETS

Rabbitohs
1 Alex Johnston
2 Joel Reddy
3 Dylan Walker
4 Kirisome Auva'a
5 Bryson Goodwin
6 Luke Keary
7 Adam Reynolds
8 George Burgess
9 Issac Luke
10 David Tyrrell
11 Glenn Stewart
12 John Sutton
13 Kyle Turner

Interchange
14 Jason Clark
15 Chris Grevsmuhl
16 Tim Grant
17 Thomas Burgess

Coach: Michael Maguire

Donkeys
1 Darius Boyd
2 Corey Oates
3 Dale Copley
4 Justin Hodges (c)
5 Jordan Kahu
6 Anthony Milford
7 Ben Hunt
8 Sam Thaiday
9 Andrew McCullough
10 Adam Blair
11 Alex Glenn
12 Matt Gillett
13 Corey Parker

Interchange
14 Jarrod Wallace
15 Mitchell Dodds
16 Joe Ofahengaue
17 Kodi Nikorima

Coach: Wayne Bennett

Rabbitohs v Broncos preview

Tony Webeck Wed 26 Aug, 2015, 10:30am
By Tony Webeck*, Chief Queensland Correspondent, NRL.com

Rabbitohs v Broncos preview
South Sydney Rabbitohs v Brisbane Broncos
Allianz Stadium
Thursday, 7.45pm

So much has changed, yet it seems like only yesterday.

On the back of their drought-breaking premiership the Rabbitohs had scooped the Auckland Nines and then gone overseas to beat the best England has to offer.

Then, when Wayne Bennett sent out a Broncos team for the first time in seven seasons more than 36,000 fans turned out at Suncorp Stadium and more than a million tuned in at home to witness a 36-6 thumping by the defending champs.

Bookmakers quickly moved to shorten their odds of going back-to-back and an excitable Brisbane supporter base were forced to face the possibility that the Bennett blueprint was more a slow build rather than a quick fix.

But 24 weeks later and the Broncos have won 16 games compared to the Rabbitohs' 12 and are $4.75 with bookmakers to go all the way while the odds of South Sydney's title defence have drifted to $9.

Which brings us to Round 25 and a match that can see South Sydney secure a critical top four finish with a win or the Broncos secure home ground advantage in Week One of the finals should they defeat the Rabbitohs in Sydney for the first time in more than a decade.

Both teams are coming off losses to top opposition last week with the major casualty a knee injury to Rabbitohs fullback Greg Inglis that has required surgery this week.

Alex Johnston will assume the custodian role for the fifth time this year but a win-loss ratio of 1-3 when he has deputised in Inglis's absence will come as cold comfort to the Rabbitohs' faithful.

Off-setting the loss of Inglis are the returns of both Issac Luke and Luke Keary from suspension with Joel Reddy coming onto the wing to assume the position vacated by Johnston.

Having spent the week in Sydney following their 12-10 loss to the Roosters last Saturday night, Bennett has named the same 17 to take on South Sydney as they look to avoid a fourth loss in the space of five weeks.

Watch Out Rabbitohs: They won't shy away from the need to win the middle of the field but having shown a propensity to shift the ball amongst the forwards, the Rabbitohs will need to be aware of a Broncos team willing to try their luck on the edges. Blair, Parker, Thaiday and Wallace all have an ability to tip-on to runners on their outside so the big Bunnies bodies of the Burgess twins and Tim Grant will need to be conscious of their lateral movement in and around the ruck. The likes of Anthony Milford and Ben Hunt will punish a defensive line that offers up any type of gap on the edges.

Watch Out Broncos: The return of Issac Luke from a week's suspension will allow the Rabbitohs to revert to the game-plan that has served them so well in recent seasons. Just under 89 per cent of the Rabbitohs' hit-ups are taken through the middle third of the field, a retreating defensive line opening up space for Luke to generate even further momentum. Prior to Round 23 Luke had more than 50 extra dummy-half runs than the next No.9 in the competition and runs more than twice as often as his opposite on Thursday night, Andrew McCullough. Luke is the fulcrum from which all South Sydney's attack revolves around and with Inglis out of the picture, the Kiwi international's influence will need to be greater than ever.

Key Match-up: Luke Keary v Anthony Milford. Issac isn't the only Luke being welcomed back into the South Sydney fold this week with Luke Keary also a fresh inclusion following a week's suspension. It was the first game the 23-year-old had missed all season and the Rabbitohs' attack stuttered without his presence at five-eighth that has yielded nine try assists and 11 line-break assists. Although Keary and Milford won't directly face off against each other as both position themselves on the left side of their team's attack, their energy and ball-playing at the line will be key attacking weapons. In his first year at the club Milford leads the Broncos with 14 try assists and his combinations with Darius Boyd and Jack Reed have developed beautifully over the course of the season.

History: Played 31; Rabbitohs 9, Broncos 21, Drawn 1. South Sydney's Round 1 demolition of the Broncos was their second-biggest win over the boys from Brisbane and a fourth win on the trot against a team who won 16 of the first 21 meetings dating back to Round 14, 1988. The last time the Broncos defeated the Rabbitohs in Sydney was way back in Round 2, 2003 where the visitors scored five tries to three to win 22-20 at the Sydney Football Stadium.

Did You Know: Only three players remain from the two teams that fought out a 34-all draw in Round 25, 2004. John Sutton, Corey Parker and Sam Thaiday all took part that night with Parker converting a Neville Costigan try from the sideline in the dying stages to send the game into golden-point extra time. Seeking their first win over the Broncos in 15 years, Rabbitohs hearts sank when a field goal attempt from Joe Williams hit the post but neither side could find the match-winner in the 10 additional minutes. Sutton had made his NRL debut two months earlier against the Broncos, lining up in the centres and scoring a try in his team's 48-28 defeat.

What Are The Odds: Sportsbet customers have wagered 50 per cent more money on the Broncos in head-to-head betting, but Brisbane 1-12 is the most favoured winning margin. Jordan Kahu has been the best-backed player to score the opening try. Latest odds at Sportsbet.com.au.

Match Officials: Referee: Matt Cecchin; Assistant Referee: Gavin Morris; Touch Judges: Russell Turner and Chris Sutton; Video Referees: Bernard Sutton and Luke Patten.

Televised: Channel Nine – Live from 7.30pm.

How We See It: Two teams that had their colours lowered last weekend will be desperate to prove it was a bump in the road and not an ill-timed slump. The Rabbitohs were comprehensively outplayed while the Broncos went down to a brave Roosters team in a tight and gripping contest. A short turnaround doesn't help Brisbane's chances but the loss of Inglis is an even greater blow to the Bunnies. Broncos by four points.

Wow what a thumping by Brisbane. These Thursday games always catch me unaware.

Broncos blitz destroys Rabbitohs
http://www.nrl.com

The Brisbane Broncos smashed reigning premiers South Sydney 47-12 to temporarily return to the top of the NRL Telstra Premiership ladder and sound an ominous warning to every team in the competition.

In a night to remember for the Broncos, their 35-point victory has opened up the door for the Rabbitohs to finish the round as low as seventh - pending other results - in what has been a massive fall from grace following their amazing season start to the year.

What was Brisbane coach Wayne Bennett's first ever victory over opposite coach Michael Maguire, the game will be remembered most for halves Ben Hunt and Anthony Milford scoring five tries between them – including Hunt's first NRL hattrick.

Compounding South Sydney's woes was captain John Sutton's suspected broken leg suffered in the 50th minute, and hooker Issac Luke being placed on report for a shoulder charge soon after.

Stamping their authority on the game from the get-go and allaying concerns of falling flat following their five-day turnaround, Brisbane's first try came in the seventh minute when an Adam Blair offload helped produce a Milford line break for winger Jordan Kahu to score in the corner on the opposite side of the field.

The pressure doubled in the 13th minute when winger Corey Oates ran 95 metres to score, after catching an Adam Reynolds cross-field kick, despite the persistence of fullback Dylan Walker along the way.

The Broncos were able to go the length of the field off the ensuing kick-off, again when Blair put Milford through a gaping hole 10 metres out from their own try-line.

Putting team before personal glory, Milford sent it out wide to centre Jack Reed who ended the play by throwing inside for halfback Hunt to score under the posts.

Kahu scored his second in the 24th minute in what was a simple through-the-hands movement, in a passage of play that made it abundantly clear Rabbitoh Walker's fitness wasn't up to the rigours of playing fullback for an entire game.

Chris Grevsmuhl's try in the 29th minute was the lone highlight in the first half for the Rabbitohs, ensuring the half-time deficit was cut to 16.

Brisbane carried their dominance into the second half when Hunt scored his second after cheekily stealing the ball from Rabbitohs back-rower Glenn Stewart in the 46th minute.

Rabbitoh Luke darted from dummy half to score in the 56th minute brought some relief, but it all came undone for them when Milford scored with no-one in front of him from a Hunt grubber in the 63rd minute.

Hunt's first ever NRL hattrick came three minutes later when a 30 metre line break from dummy half by Justin Hodges allowed the Broncos captain to send his halfback over.

Milford's second of the evening came four minutes from time when Hunt weaved his way through non extistent Rabbitohs defence to send his halves partner in, while Milford's field goal capped of the victory.

Brisbane Broncos 47 (Ben Hunt 3, Jordan Kahu 2, Anthony Milford 2, Corey Oates Tries; Corey Parker 6, Jordan Kahu Goals, Anthony Milford Field Goal) defeated South Sydney Rabbitohs 12 (Chris Grevsmuhl, Issac Luke Tries; Adam Reynolds 2 Goals) at Allianz Stadium. Crowd: 12,036. Half-time: Brisbane 22-6. On Report: Issac Luke (Rabbitohs).

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Souths were woeful & don't deserve to play finals footy

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Originally Posted by TITAN PETE

Souths were woeful & don't deserve to play finals footy

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Yup.. Going by that woeful performance last night Souths deserve to be down the bottom of the ladder battling it out for the spoon this year along side us.