Rabbitohs v Panthers
Friday 24 June
Pepper Stadium
Kick-off, 7:50pm
Round 16 of the Telstra Premiership will see the South Sydney Rabbitohs head to Sydney’s west to do battle with the Penrith Panthers at Pepper Stadium on Friday night.
The trip to Penrith will provide the Red and Greens with the chance to bounce back from their 30-12 loss at the hands of the Parramatta Eels in Round 15, when they square off against a hungry Panthers outfit looking to find their way back into the top eight.
Despite featuring at five-eighth in recent weeks, captain Greg Inglis will shift to the centres in a new look backline that also sees Aaron Gray move to the centres and Tautalatasi Tasi make his debut on the wing.
After making his Club debut in Round 9, Patrice Siolo returns to the side from injury (knee), alongside Jack Gosiewski, who was left out of the side against the Eels.
On the other side of the spectrum, a refreshed Panthers side will look to come out firing after their Round 15 bye. Having secured an impressive 31-24 come from behind victory against the Sea Eagles in Round 14, the men from the foot of the mountains will come into the clash with their tails up, looking to claim the two premiership points.
The Rabbitohs will need to make improvements to their game if they are to claim victory against the Panthers and turn their season around, a sentiment held by front-rower, Thomas Burgess.
“We need to get the little things right this week and the results will take care of themselves,” said Burgess.
“It’s not the most complex game in the world. If you hold onto the ball and don’t give away penalties, you give yourself a good chance of winning.
“When you have a few losses, obviously you’ve got to keep spirits up and that’s what we’ve been doing.”
Spotlight: Greg Inglis
Making his return from the State of Origin arena, the spotlight will be on Greg Inglis as he takes the field for his second game of football in three days.
As the captain of the side, Inglis will be fired up to lead his Rabbitohs team mates at the foot of the mountain after helping to secure the Queenslanders' tenth State of Origin series victory in the past 11 seasons.
'GI' is not stranger to the centre position, having excelled in the position since making his NRL debut back in 2005. He is regarded as the best centre in the world by many pundits, due to his blockbusting performances for Club, State and Country for over a decade.
Inglis will play a crucial role in determining the result of the match and as usual shape up as a match breaker for the Red and Greens.
NYC
Rabbitohs v Panthers
Friday 24 June
Pepper Stadium
Kick-off, 5:35pm
The South Sydney Rabbitohs NYC (Under 20s) side will take on the table-topping Penrith Panthers in the curtain-raiser for the NRL fixture on Friday night.
Despite suffering a defeat at the hands of the fourth-placed Parramatta Eels in Round 15, the Red and Greens showed patches of promise in their 22-16 loss, highlighting the ability of the young side.
The Panthers enjoyed a bye in Round 15 after defeating the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 60-6 in Round 14, extending their winning streak to 11 matches.
Look to winger, Mawene Hiroti, to provide the Rabbitohs with attacking flair out wide. The young Rabbitoh has enjoyed a stellar season to date scoring tries and kicking goals in both the SG Ball and Holden Cup.
