The Warriors and Rabbitohs will go head to head on Friday at ANZ Stadium in Sydney. Both teams are almost sitting equal in terms of their performance this year. The Rabbitohs are currently sitting at 11th on the NRL table and have had 8 wins and 13 losses. The Warriors are sitting 12th on the table while they have 7 wins and 14 losses under their belt. The two teams will be playing for pride and to give their faithful fans something to finally be happy about.
LAST TIME OUT
Unfortunately for loyal Warriors fans, round 23 was another disappointment in a long chapter that has been the 2017 season. The team was lacking star players as well as passion and commitment. Many thought the Warriors were going to come out firing as they had nothing to lose and a prove to point but instead, fans had to endure a pathetic performance as they let the Raiders pass their defensive line with ease multiple times. Weak defence and too many errors was the cause of the Warriors downfall against the large Raiders pack who steamrolled the team at their home ground in Auckland 36-16.
The Rabbitohs had a good game in round 23 which was a nice change for fans. The team looked good on attack and confidently held out the Bulldogs poor attack as they usually rely on their strong defence to win games instead. The Bunnies dominated in the first half and managed to rack up 14 points while the Doggies only scored a penalty goal on the 40th minute. The Rabbitohs successfully won their second match in a row beating the Bulldogs 28-14.
KEY BATTLE
The battle for this match will be whether the Warriors can find their spark and utilise key players to push through the Rabbitohs strong defence. The Warriors have a winning team on paper, but lately they have not been able to work together to produce a cohesive, top 8-level performance. The Rabbitohs attack will also be their saviour in Friday’s match as over the last three weeks the team has made a combined 14 line breaks and an average of 24 points per game. If the Rabbitohs can continue to perform as they have been, The Warriors defence will be up for a tough battle.
PREDICTION
My prediction for Fridays match is the Rabbitohs attack will prove too much for the Warriors weak defence. The Warriors also have a history of underperforming away from home and with the added drama of the club being sold, I believe the team will be too unsettled, therefore the Rabbitohs will come out with the win for their third match in a row.
Rabbitohs by 10
New Zealand Warriors vs South Sydney Rabbitohs at ANZ Stadium Sydney, 6pm (AEST), 8.00pm (NZT) Friday
Squads
Warriors
1. Roger Tuivasa-sheck
2. David Fusitua
3. Blake Ayshford
4. Solomone Kata
5. Ken Maumalo
6. Kieran Foran
7. Mafoa’aeata Hingano
8. Jacob Lillyman
9. Nathaniel Roache
10. Sam Lisone
11. Bunty Afoa
12. Ryan Hoffman
13. Simon Mannering
14. Issac Luke
15. Chris Satae
16. Isaiah Papalii
17. Charlie Gubb
18. Mason Lino
20. Toafofoa Sipley
21. James Bell
22. Charnze Nicoll-klokstad
Rabbitohs
1. Alex Johnston
2. Bryson Goodwin
3. Aaron Gray
4. Tyrell Fuimaono
5. Campbell Graham
6. Cody Walker
7. Adam Reynolds
8. Thomas Burgess
9. Damien Cook
10. Sam Burgess
11. John Sutton
12. Angus Crichton
13. Cameron Murray
14. Robbie Farah
15. George Burgess
16. Kyle Turner
17. Zane Musgrove
18. Jack Gosiewski
19. Robert Jennings
20. David Tyrrell
21. Luke Kelly
