Rabbitohs NRL squad for Gadhu Gathering in Indigenous Round 23 against Eels

The South Sydney Rabbitohs are pleased to announce their squad for the second Gadhu Gathering in Indigenous Round 23 against the Parramatta Eels to be played this Saturday 8 August at 7:35pm at Allianz Stadium on the lands of the Gadigal and Bidigal People of the Dharawal nation.

Tickets are available from Ticketmaster by clicking HERE.

Members Ticket Information can be found HERE.

Rabbitohs Head Coach Wayne Bennett has named captain Cameron Murray, and First Nations players Tallis Duncan and David Fifita, to all return to the Rabbitohs line up for Saturday’s clash. Proud Wiradjuri man, Jack Wighton, is in line to play his 50th NRL game for South Sydney since joining the Club in 2024.

For the second year, Gadhu Gathering, held during the first week of the NRL’s Indigenous Round, will see four Sydney-based clubs come together in partnership with Venues NSW at Allianz Stadium on the lands of the Gadigal and Bidigal People of the Dharawal nation, in a special two-day festival celebrating Rugby League and Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander culture. The word ‘gadhu’ refers to a large body of water such as the ocean in Dharawal language, the overarching language spoken by the Aboriginal people belonging to Coastal Sydney. Gadhu Gathering symbolises the gathering or coming together of communities to celebrate a shared passion for rugby league and culture.

A huge line up of Indigenous sporting greats, musical superstars and grassroots Rugby League participants will headline the entertainment at the Rabbitohs’ Indigenous Round game at Allianz Stadium.

Three of the biggest names in Australian sport will feature as the Indigenous sporting greats appearing at the game. 400-metre Olympic Gold Medallist from the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games and former Australian of the Year, proud Kuku Yalanji and Birra Gubba woman, Cathy Freeman OAM will ring the Rabbitohs’ Legacy Bell as the teams enter the arena. She will be joined by proud Dunghutti man and Rabbitohs premiership winner, Greg Inglis, as well as South Sydney legend and proud Wiradjuri man, Nathan Merritt, who will lead the Rabbitohs team out onto the field before kick off. All three legends of Australian sport will take part in delivering the Eric Simms Medal to field. The Eric Simms Medal, which is presented to the player-of-the-match at full time, will be presented to Eric’s daughter and Worimi woman, Chelsea, and son and Worimi man, Nathan, before kick-off of the NRL fixture, in a nod to the long connection the Rabbitohs have with Indigenous greats of the game.

The Eric Simms Medal is named after one of Rugby League’s greatest players, and a true South Sydney legend, proud Worimi man, Eric Simms. Mr Simms played in six Grand Finals for South Sydney between 1965 and 1971, winning four Premierships in 1967, 1968, 1970 and 1971, being named the man-of-the-match in the 1968 Grand Final. The goalkicking fullback played 206 first grade games for South Sydney, scoring 23 tries, 802 goals and 87 field goals for a total of 1841 points, a Club record at the time which stood for 46 years.

ARIA Award-winning artist Budjerah will team up with Australian hip-hop sensation Kobie Dee to headline the musical entertainment at half time of the South Sydney Rabbitohs vs Parramatta Eels Gadhu Gathering match at Allianz Stadium.

In a world-first collaboration, Budjerah, a proud Coodjinburra man from the Bundjalung nation, will collaborate with Kobie Dee, a proud Gomeroi man from Maroubra in South Sydney, Bidjigal land, to perform Mary J. Blige’s Family Affair in the biggest celebration of Indigenous culture during the two weeks of Indigenous Rounds across the NRL.

Multi-ARIA Award winner and platinum-selling artist Budjerah is one of Australia's most exciting new voices. With more than 60 million combined career streams to date, including his platinum hit single Therapy, he is on the cusp of becoming a household name. Budjerah has won Breakthrough Artist in 2021 and Best Soul/R&B Release in 2022, amongst 15 ARIA Award nominations, and has performed alongside global superstars including Ed Sheeran and Kylie Minogue. Fresh from the release of his debut album, Gentleman, Budjerah will perform a new song from the record as part of this special stadium performance before joining Kobie Dee for an epic game day show at Allianz Stadium on Saturday 8 August.

Rabbitohs supporter Kobie Dee has an innate gift for storytelling and connecting with young people. A two-time Gold Record artist with multiple ARIA Award nominations, Kobie has performed alongside artists such as Joey Bada$$, Jords, Briggs, Jessica Mauboy, Nooky and Barkaa throughout his career. He has also been nominated for a raft of awards, including Artist of the Year at the 2023 National Indigenous Music Awards, as well as winning Best Live Act at the FBi SMAC Awards and the Done Good Award from Triple J. With more than 60 million streams of his music, Kobie Dee will hit the stage alongside Budjerah for this monster half time show!

The night’s Welcome to Country will be presented by Bidjigal Elder, Aunty Barb Simms. The Glen for Men and Women will take to the field for cultural dance performances, as well as Didgeridoo performances from Muruwari/Yuwalaraay man Matthew Doyle, Muruwari/Yuwalaraay man Glen Doyle, Muruwari/Yuwalaraay, Ngarigo/Gunai/Kurnai man Yarraan Doyle, Gamilaroi and Mandandanji man Nathan Leslie, Yuin (walbunja clan), Gunai and Dhunghutti man Brock Tutt, Biripi, Worimi and Wiradjuri man Josh Sly, and Gamilaraay, Anaiwan and Yuin man Raph Hanz, including a rendition of Glory, Glory to South Sydney at run-out. Our MC for the evening will be acclaimed Australian actor and presenter on stage and screen, proud Wiradjuri/Ngunnawal man Luke Carroll.

Pre-game, the future stars of Rugby League will play on the Allianz Stadium turf as Mini League teams from La Perouse Panthers, Redfern All Blacks and Deadly Choices play on the big stage. The curtain raiser match will see the NSW Police Force Indigenous Trackers take on the Royal Australian Navy Indigenous Tridents in the first ever clash of these two teams.

South Sydney players will be wearing the Rabbitohs’ 2026 Indigenous Jersey for this game. The jersey celebrates the National NAIDOC theme, 50 Years of Deadly. It's a tribute to the people who built this movement: the Elders who stood firm, the organisers who made space, the artists who turned resistance into expression, and the communities who keep showing up, year after year. It's also about the future, the next 50 years.

Designed by proud Wahlabul Man, Uncle Joe Walker, every stitch is a tribute to the people who built this movement. Every element of the jersey carries meaning, from the panels across the front to the totems along the hem. Each patterned panel on the jersey represents a decade of NAIDOC, five panels in total, tracing fifty years of culture, resilience and celebration.

The totems of our Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander players sit along the bottom of the jersey, carrying their culture and Country into every game.

The upper back of the jersey features Winmarra Foundation branding. Co-founded by Latrell Mitchell and Sunny Brar, the Winmarra Foundation is a not-for-profit charity dedicated to empowering young Australians by providing unique experiences that aid in the development of their cultural identity and leadership skills. To learn more about Winmarra Foundation, visit www.winmarrafoundation.org.

The team at Souths Cares will also be celebrating their 20th anniversary at this Saturday night’s game. In 2006, the South Sydney Rabbitohs launched Souths Cares with a simple idea: if the community had fought to save the Club, the Club should give back. 20 years on, Souths Cares supports more than 35,000 people each year through programs focused on education, employment, health and wellbeing, with a strong focus on supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Support the work of Souths Cares by making a donation.

The clubs have collaborated with renowned local Indigenous artist, Shane Youngberry to create striking visual depictions that represent the spirit of the Gadhu Gathering. Shane, a member of the Gweagal Clan of the Dharawal Nation and the Dunghutti Nation, has drawn on his cultural knowledge and storytelling to design an artwork that reflects the connection between saltwater, community, and Rugby League.

Gates at Allianz Stadium are scheduled to open at 5:15pm with the curtain raiser match set to commence at 5:25pm and the NRL fixture at 7:35pm.

Tickets are available from Ticketmaster by clicking HERE.

Members Ticket Information can be found HERE.

Gadhu Gathering is supported proudly by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW.

The South Sydney Rabbitohs’ squad for Saturday’s clash with the Eels is:

1- Matt Dufty
2- Alex Johnston
3- Tallis Duncan
4- Jack Wighton
5- Campbell Graham
6- Cody Walker
7- Ashton Ward
8- Junior Tatola
9- Brandon Smith
10- Keaon Koloamatangi
11- David Fifita
12- Adam Elliott
13- Cameron Murray (c)

Interchange:
14- Jye Gray
15- Lachlan Hubner
16- Sean Keppie
17- Jamie Humphreys
18- Jayden Sullivan
19- Thomas Fletcher
20- Liam Le Blanc
21- Moala Graham-Taufa
22- John Radel

Head Coach – Wayne Bennett

The Gadhu Gathering is supported proudly by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW. 

www.sydney.com