Keppie ready to go all out for Arrow

Sean Keppie says the Rabbitohs are playing for Jai Arrow this season, with the forward revealing the impact Arrow's situation has had on the playing group ahead of Thursday night's crucial clash with Manly.

Playing For Jai

Sean Keppie has opened up about the difficulty of focusing on football when the playing group has been dealing with Jai Arrow's personal situation, but says it has given the team added motivation to perform for their teammate.

The prop acknowledged the challenge of switching focus to footy during a difficult period for the Club, admitting it hit the entire playing group hard. However, Keppie said Arrow's contribution to South Sydney has given the team a clear purpose this season.

"Everything we do now this year is for that man, so I think if we can just go out and play the way that we should, it'll do him proud as well," Keppie said.

On a personal level, Keppie reflected on the role Arrow played in his transition to the Rabbitohs. "That man played a lot of role on how I came into this club as well. He was the one who welcomed me, he's a good man, he was very funny. So what he done for me personally, I think I owe a lot to him to how I should be playing this year," he said.

Crucial Clash With Sea Eagles

Thursday night's match against Manly looms as a pivotal moment in South Sydney's season, with both sides sitting on equal points on the ladder. A win would lift the Rabbitohs back into the top four, at least temporarily, making it one of the most important games of the campaign so far.

Keppie said the team is taking their remaining fixtures in blocks, with this stretch of the season particularly crucial for their final ladder position. "This part of the season's probably the most important to us, stringing a few wins together. We've got a tough couple of games coming up and I think if we can string a few wins together, it's gonna go a long way for where we finish on the table," he said.

Despite facing his former club, Keppie insisted he's not approaching the game with any extra emotion, preferring to keep his focus on his own performance rather than letting things become personal.

Addressing Defensive Issues

After a tough couple of weeks that exposed defensive frailties, Keppie said the playing group has looked inward to identify what went wrong and worked hard at training to address those issues.

The prop emphasised the importance of focusing on what the team can control, emphasising a next man up mentality in the face of adversity.

"Whoever comes back is gonna be a plus for us, but again though we do have a lot of backups there, so whoever's gonna be in the team that week is gonna put their best foot forward," Keppie said.