The edge of glory: Graham backs Rabbitohs right side to deliver

South Sydney are renowned for their lethal left-edge attack but Campbell Graham and his right-side men could prove the difference in Saturday night’s Preliminary Final showdown with Penrith.

With Alex Johnston breaking all manner of records in a 30-try season and Cody Walker and Latrell Mitchell laying the platform, the Rabbitohs' left side rightly gets plenty of headlines.

It also means they dominate the pre-game planning of opposition coaches, allowing Lachlan Ilias, Graham and Taane Milne to fly under the radar on the opposite side of the field.

“Having options on both sides in attack makes it harder to defend so it’s huge we pose a threat on the right,” Graham told pan66.com.

“At the back end of the season I was out for a fair portion with injury, so it was hard to build a combination over that period but I feel like the last few weeks we’ve combined pretty nicely.

“It was great to find a little bit of success against the Sharks but that will all mean nothing if we don’t back it up this weekend.”

Graham missed five games between Round 17-22 due to a facial fracture but annunced himself immediately upon return with a try in the narrow loss to their Preliminary Final opponents Penrith.

Milne, meanwhile, has bagged four tries in his past three games, with Graham heaping praise on Ilias for his willingness to play what's in front of him and bring the right-edge into play at every opportunity.

“It’s a credit to Lachie and what he brings as halfback, not shying away from opportunities that present themselves on the field,” Graham said.

“This year we’ve been able to show a little bit more of that attack on our side and therefore have a bit of consistency across the park in terms of our attacking options.

“And then we’ve also been able to get a bit of consistency with Taane on the wing, he’s high energy and pretty hostile. I have to try and keep a lid on him sometimes, but he’s been great for our edge.

“I love the energy he brings to the field; it really pumps you up playing alongside him.”

Graham is under no illusion about the task confronting the Rabbitohs on Saturday but there's a quiet confidence they can defy history by winning the premiership from seventh spot.

“This week is about thinking about coming up against the benchmark of the competition and knowing what it’s going to take to win,” he said.

“They’re the benchmark for a reason, they’ve got a lot of strike around the park and they work hard for each other which is where a lot of their successes come from.

“That hard work department is where we’re going to have to match them if we’re going to get the job done.

“I think a lot of people didn’t expect us to get this far but it’ll mean nothing if we don’t win so we’ve got to focus on doing a job.”

Meanwhile, Panthers winger Brian To’o is set for a switch to the left edge for Saturday night’s clash with Taylan May unlikely to play again this season due to a hamstring injury.

May is rated a 50-50 chance to make it back for the Grand Final if the Panthers advance but To'o and Charlie Staines will be the men looking to put the finishing touches on the attacking raids against Souths.

“He’s a bit upset, injuries come and go and sometimes they come unexpectedly,” To’o said of May.

“This one hit him pretty hard but he’s doing alright. He’s a strong boy, just upset the injury has come towards the end. He’s had the best season, he’s a freak and way better than me.”