The South Sydney Rabbitohs and the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks have had some wonderful contests in the past, and this Saturday at Accor Stadium should be no different, with plenty at stake in this match for both sides.
A journey back through the archives shows the Red and Green with a slight edge over the boys from the Shire in recent times, with the Rabbitohs holding a 6-4 winning record over the Sharks in their last ten outings.
Souths Members and fans will look back with particular fondness on the 2022 elimination final clash with Cronulla. The Rabbitohs got the job done convincingly on this occasion, inflicting a 38-12 scoreline on their opponents in front of almost 40,000 people at Allianz Stadium, ending the Sharks’ season in the process whilst extending their own by another week. Winger Taane Milne scored a double that day, while Cody Walker and Cameron Murray also had games to remember.
Speaking of Cameron Murray, this Saturday will mark the 50th occasion that the inspirational lock forward captains his beloved Rabbitohs. It’s a fantastic achievement for Murray, who has played all of his 152 NRL games to date with the Cardinal and Myrtle. He will certainly be looking to put in an absolute shift in the middle when he leads his troops into battle this Saturday.
Following his captain’s lead will be young star Tyrone Munro, who makes his first appearance of the season after overcoming an injury that kept him out of the first five rounds.
Munro may have only played three NRL games, but that hasn’t stopped him making an impact already, scoring three tries for a 100% strike rate, and turning heads with his blistering pace and graceful ball-running. The 19-year-old has been named to start on the wing, and will be hopeful of a big performance to help him cement his spot in Jason Demetriou’s side going forward.
The absence of Latrell Mitchell will see the headgear-wearing livewire Jye Gray make his NRL debut at fullback. The former Queensland under 19s Origin representative garnered attention from fans in this year’s Charity Shield match, where he ran for 171 metres and set up a try in what was an impressive second-half stint.
The 20-year-old will be looking to impose his speed and evasiveness on the contest, as he has done in the Knock-On Effect Cup this season, to make an impact on debut at NRL level and spark the South Sydney attack.
Stat Attack
- The Rabbitohs have won six of their last ten matches against the Sharks.
- Souths have not played Cronulla at Accor Stadium since 2020.
- Tyrone Munro’s last played in the NRL in round 23 2023, which was coincidentally also against the Sharks.
- South Sydney have won their last seven consecutive matches against Cronulla at Accor Stadium – a streak that goes all the way back to round seven, 2009.
- Cameron Murray will captain the Rabbitohs for the 50th time after taking over as skipper at the start of the 2022 season.
