Suttons South Sydney Present
Rabbitohs v Bulldogs
Friday 25 March 2016
4:00pm - NRL Kick Off
The Good Friday rivalry between the South Sydney Rabbitohs and the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs is about to be upon us for yet another season, and with both teams having started 2016 in promising fashion, Round 4 is set for another classic traditional encounter.
The clash between the two clubs has gained a solid reputation as one of the game’s showpiece events, with crowds in excess of 40,000 regularly turning out to cheer on their teams.
The atmosphere has unsurprisingly made it as much a fan-favourite as a player favourite.
“It’s probably one of my favourite games of the year,” said Rabbitohs five-eighth, Luke Keary.
“It was a cracker last year – we’ve had big crowds and we’re expecting another big one this Friday.”
After experiencing the ferocity of the last Good Friday clash, Keary knows exactly what to expect from the Bulldogs, who will be looking to bounce back from their Round 3 loss at the hands of the Parramatta Eels and regather some momentum.
“I’m expecting them to be just as physical on Friday,” said Keary.
Click here to check out the Rabbitohs line-up for Good Friday!
Rabbitohs Head Coach, Michael Maguire, named his strongest available side on Tuesday, with energetic forward, Nathan Brown set to deputise for Sam Burgess who will be rested for the clash after his injury against the Dragons.
After coming up short in Round 3 by two points against the Saints, Maguire is aware that improvements will be made by the side when they take the field against the ‘Dogs.
“There are areas from our game last week that we’re looking forward to improving,” said Maguire.
“The standards we set are very high and we need to make sure we are meeting those,
“When you meet those, you get to build pressure within what you are doing.”
Maguire is adamant that the preparation leading into this week’s game will play a significant role in determining the way in which the game is played as well as the result.
“Moving forward, it’s all about today’s training building into Friday’s game,” said Maguire.
“It’s really a preparation to make sure that we’re working hard for each other and enjoying playing with each other.”
All tickets to the Good Friday match include entry and return travel on Sydney Trains and Olympic Park Major Event Buses, so leave the car at home and take advantage of the additional and direct public transport services in place. All fans who have not pre-booked parking should not drive.
The Rabbitohs will take on the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in the annual Good Friday blockbuster at ANZ Stadium this Friday at 4pm. Click here to purchase your tickets.
Spotlight – Paul Carter
Rabbitohs back-rower, Paul Carter, was cleared to play in the Good Friday match on Wednesday after successfully having a judiciary charge downgraded by the Match Review Committee – and it’s just as well. Carter has been in solid form since the beginning of the season plying his trade in the Club’s second-row. Last week against the Dragons, Carter came within a whisker of scoring what could have been the winning try, but also produced a herculean defensive effort with a whopping 61 tackles to his name.
NYC
Rabbitohs v Bulldogs
Friday 25 March 2016
1:45pm - NYC Kick Off
The South Sydney Rabbitohs NYC (under 20s) side will go in search of their second win of the 2016 season when they come up against the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in the curtain-raiser to the Good Friday Showdown.
The Bulldogs come into the match having gone down to Parramatta by 30-20 last week, while David Penna’s Rabbitohs will be looking to bounce back from a last-minute two-point loss to the St George Illawarra Dragons at the SCG.
With the lead changing on a number of occasions at drenched Cricket Ground, the Rabbitohs looked to be in the box seat for the win in the dying stages of last week’s match. But the bounce of the ball would ultimately go in favour of the Red V.
Look to the halves combination of Liam Coleman and Chad O’Donnell this week to guide the men in Red and Green around the park. Both players have produced a number of pin-point kicks that have either served to improve Souths’ tactical on-field position, or have produced points outright.
