You have skipped the navigation, tab for page content
Match Preview

Rabbitohs v Knights: Cook, Murray rested; Young, Watson start

Author
pan66.com
Timestamp

South Sydney had the bye in round 13 to rest up after their big win over the Eels a week prior, while the Knights come into this one off a battering from those very same Eels.

Missing a stack of regular first-graders and with new half Jake Clifford on club debut, the Knights were off the pace from the get-go against a fired-up Parramatta, going down 40-4 on Old Boys' Day and quickly consigning an impressive round 12 win over Manly to the memory bank. 

They may not get too many reinforcements this week but will be hopeful of having Origin prop Daniel Saifiti available, while Souths will be sweating on Damien Cook, Latrell Mitchell, Cameron Murray, Dane Gagai, Jai Arrow and Jaydn Su'A getting through Wednesday night without incident. 

Souths will be hoping their two stumbles against the Panthers and Storm are put behind them and enter this clash in fourth place while the Knights drop to 14th with the Sharks and Raiders leapfrogging them thanks to bye points.

The rundown

Team news

Rabbitohs: Origin duo Damien Cook and Cameron Murray will be rested from the South Sydney team that will face Newcastle on Saturday.

Benji Marshall will slot in at hooker and Hame Sele is the new lock with Murray out. Liam Knight and rookie hooker Peter Mamouzelos join the interchange.

Jaydn Su'A and Latrell Mitchell will back up from the match in Townsville.

The Rabbitohs had already ruled out Maroons representatives Dane Gagai and Jai Arrow. 

Josh Mansour and Tautau Moga dropped out of the extended squad 24 hours before kick-off.

The Rabbitohs have won 10 of their past 12 games against the Knights.

Knights: Connor Watson replaces Phoenix Crossland in the halves, Sauaso Sue starts at lock and Mitche Barnett moves to the bench. Matthew Croker joins the interchange.

Brayden Musgrove dropped out of the side on Friday and his place on the wing is taken by Dominic Young, who plays his second game of the season.

Blues prop Daniel Saifiti has been named to back up after getting through 50 minutes in Origin I.

An injury to Starford To'a will see Kurt Mann shift to the centres and Enari Tuala onto the wing.

Jirah Momoisea was the other player to drop out of the squad on Friday.

The Knights have won three of their past four games at Stadium Australia.

Team Lists

Backs

  • Fullback for Rabbitohs is number 1 Latrell Mitchell
    Fullback for Knights is number 1 Tex Hoy
  • Winger for Rabbitohs is number 2 Alex Johnston
    Winger for Knights is number 2 Enari Tuala
  • Centre for Rabbitohs is number 3 Braidon Burns
    Centre for Knights is number 3 Kurt Mann
  • Centre for Rabbitohs is number 4 Campbell Graham
    Centre for Knights is number 4 Bradman Best
  • Winger for Rabbitohs is number 5 Taane Milne
    Winger for Knights is number 21 Dominic Young
  • Five-Eighth for Rabbitohs is number 6 Cody Walker
    Five-Eighth for Knights is number 14 Connor Watson
  • Halfback for Rabbitohs is number 7 Adam Reynolds
    Halfback for Knights is number 6 Jake Clifford

Forwards

  • Prop for Rabbitohs is number 8 Mark Nicholls
    Prop for Knights is number 8 Jacob Saifiti
  • Hooker for Rabbitohs is number 14 Benji Marshall
    Hooker for Knights is number 9 Jayden Brailey
  • Prop for Rabbitohs is number 10 Tevita Tatola
    Prop for Knights is number 10 Daniel Saifiti
  • 2nd Row for Rabbitohs is number 11 Keaon Koloamatangi
    2nd Row for Knights is number 11 Brodie Jones
  • 2nd Row for Rabbitohs is number 12 Jacob Host
    2nd Row for Knights is number 12 Lachlan  Fitzgibbon
  • Lock for Rabbitohs is number 16 Hame Sele
    Lock for Knights is number 15 Sauaso Sue

Interchange

  • Interchange for Rabbitohs is number 15 Jaydn Su'a
    Interchange for Knights is number 13 Mitchell Barnett
  • Interchange for Rabbitohs is number 17 Thomas Burgess
    Interchange for Knights is number 16 Josh King
  • Interchange for Rabbitohs is number 18 Liam Knight
    Interchange for Knights is number 17 Jack Johns
  • Interchange for Rabbitohs is number 23 Peter Mamouzelos
    Interchange for Knights is number 20 Mat Croker

Reserves

  • Reserve for Rabbitohs is number 20 Blake Taaffe
    Reserve for Knights is number 18 Gehamat Shibasaki

Match Officials

  • Referee: Chris Butler
  • Touch Judge: Ziggy Przeklasa-Adamski
  • Senior Review Official: Steve Chiddy

Last updated:

Key match-up

Damien Cook v Jayden Brailey: Assuming Cook backs up from Origin, which he usually does, the work of the two No.9s will be vital. Brailey has been a little quiet of late while Cook's form picked up just in time for Origin. 

Cook had a try and a try assist in his last outing against the Eels having registering none of either since round four. Brailey still leads Cook in both departments so far this year with three tries to two and four assists to three. 

Stat attack

Souths flyer Alex Johnston had a whopping six line breaks in his three-try last-start outing against the Eels (the most by any player in one game this year), taking him to 18 for the season - three clear of Josh Addo-Carr and Reuben Garrick in joint second place on 15. 

 

Head to and get pickin’ to win a share of $100,000 cash every week!

Related

Acknowledgement of Country

National Rugby League respects and honours the Traditional Custodians of the land and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and future. We acknowledge the stories, traditions and living cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on the lands we meet, gather and play on.