NRL Round 25 Preview: Bulldogs v Rabbitohs

The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs host the South Sydney Rabbitohs at ANZ Stadium on Thursday, August 28 in Round 25 of the NRL. The match kicks off at 10.45pm.

What: NRL Round 25
Who: Bulldogs v Rabbitohs
When: Thursday, August 28 – 7.45pm
Where: ANZ Stadium
I Can Watch It On: Channel 9

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Things You Need To Know:
Bulldogs coach Des Hasler has named an unchanged side after they made it two wins on the trot with a 30-10 victory over Wests Tigers last Thursday. Five-eighth Josh Reynolds has one more week to serve on his three-game ban. The Dogs are sixth on 30 points, equal with Melbourne with two rounds remaining. They'll play finals footy this season but  need at least one more win to be a chance of a hosting an elimination final in Week 1.

The Rabbitohs welcome George Burgess back from suspension for his chicken wing on Manly's Steve Matai, forcing big brother Luke to an extended bench. Adam Reynolds looks set to play despite aggravating his hammy last week while John Sutton is a chance to return from his knee injury. The Bunnies were ambushed by a rampant North Queensland on Saturday night, going down 22-10 to end their five-game winning streak. Michael Maguire's men blew the chance to claim spot against the Cowboys. They are second on equal points with the Roosters, two points behind Manly.

Reason To Watch:
It's hard to get a gauge on both of these teams' form. The Dogs were ordinary against the injury-ravaged Tigers, losing the second half. The Rabbitohs ran into a red-hot opponent last start but how they bounce back will tell us what this year's Bunnies are really made of.

Reason To Turn Away:
If Sutton returns and he disrupts the combination halves Luke Keary and Adam Reynolds have built in his absence.

Say What:
"They've been outstanding," – coach Hasler on the Bunnies' recent form before they got pumped by the Cowboys.

Final Word:
The previous clash between these two saw the Bulldogs sneak home 15-14 back in Round 7 thanks to a late Trent Hodkinson field goal. But although the Bunnies lost last week, their recent form has been far superior to the Dogs and on that basis we expect the Bunnies to win and win well. The absence of suspended Canterbury pivot Josh Reynolds and the likely inclusion of his namesake and Rabbitohs number seven Adam tips the scales further in Souths' favour. Look for the Dogs to keep pace early before the Rabbitohs flex their muscles in the second half and atone for last week's slip up.