Check out the match preview and prediction for the 2025 National Rugby League round 11 clash between the Wests Tigers and the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
MATCHDAY NEWS
MATCHDAY SCHEDULE
Wests Tigers Vs South Sydney Rabbitohs
Venue: Campbelltown Stadium, Sydney
Date: Sunday May 18, 6:15pm
MATCHDAY TEAM NEWS
Tigers: 1. Jahream Bula 2. Sunia Turuva 3. Adam Doueihi 4. Starford To’a 5. Charlie Staines 6. Lachlan Galvin 7. Jarome Luai 8. Terrell May 9. Apisai Koroisau 10. Royce Hunt 11. Samuela Fainu 12. Alex Seyfarth 13. Alex Twal 14. Brent Naden 15. Tony Sukkar 16. Jack Bird 17. Sione Fainu 18. Heath Mason 19. Tallyn Da Silva 20. Solomona Faataape 21. Reuben Porter 22. Tristan Hope
Rabbitohs: 1. Latrell Mitchell 2. Alex Johnston 3. Isaiah Tass 4. Campbell Graham 5. Bayleigh Bentley-Hape 6. Jayden Sullivan 7. Jamie Humphreys 8. Jai Arrow 9. Siliva Havili 10. Keaon Koloamatangi 11. Euan Aitken 12. Tallis Duncan 13. Lachlan Hubner 14. Jye Gray 15. Sean Keppie 16. Davvy Moale 17. Liam Le Blanc 18. Tevita Tatola 19. Lewis Dodd 20. Joshua Schuster 21. Fletcher Myers 22. Jacob Host
Referee: Wyatt Raymond
Bunker: Chris Butler
MATCHDAY PREVIEW
The NRL could have saved the best for last as the Wests Tigers look to rebound after their 64-0 thrashing by Melbourne last weekend, and they take on the Rabbitohs who broke a four-game losing run on the back of some Latrell magic.
It’s hard not to go past Latrell Mitchell as a player to watch, as he demands attention in general and certainly if he plays like he did last week. With State of Origin squads not far away from being picked, you can see Latrell backing up last weekend’s performance with another to ensure his name is at the front of selectors’ minds. Being the last game of the weekend and all.
Latrell aside there’s a welcome return to the Rabbitohs side for Alex Johnston, who needs game time and a firing Mitchell (and others) to get him closer to that try scoring record. He comes in at the expense of Fletcher Myers. No other changes look likely with an extended bench hosting a bunch of players in an extended period of purgatory. Although one does wonder if this is the week Wayne Bennett unleashes Josh Schuster.
There’s been fewer changes at the Tigers than some might expect given the degree of their loss last weekend, but that was a Storm side in red hot form, and the Tigers blew a few chances early in the game before the brewing Storm blew them away, and likely no team would have beaten Melbourne on Sunday. Some may not have lost by that many. Bench hooker Tallyn Da Silva is one player who has paid the price, dropping to an extended bench and replaced by Jack Bird – who was 18th Man on Sunday. Elsewhere Starford To’a comes into the starting line-up and Brent Naden drops to the bench.
Both sides are evenly matched across the field, but comparing like-for-like you could argue the Wests Tigers look slightly stronger on paper. They have a great halves combination in Lachlan Galvin and Jarome Luai, while the Rabbitohs are still missing their big star Cody Walker. Another game breaker for Souths, Jack Wighton, is also unavailable. Plus the Tigers have one of the most in-form props in the game in Terrell May, who should be eyeing off Origin selection.
The teams are also evenly matched on the ladder, sitting 10th (Wests Tigers) and 11th (South Sydney) with five wins and five losses. They are two of five teams on 10 competition points with another four below them on eight points. Both teams have byes for round 12, so a win here would be convenient for a few reasons.
Souths have the upper hand in recent H2H vs Wests Tigers: having won eight of the last 10 games. However one of those losses was the most recent game between the two sides – played at Campbelltown – and amazingly the only time these teams have played at Campbelltown. But that most recent game was on a Saturday, this game is on a Sunday and Souths have won six in a row vs Wests Tigers on a Sunday. Campbelltown on a Sunday is not a happy hunting ground for the Wests Tigers as they have won only two of their last 12 games at Campbelltown on a Sunday. Wests Tigers have lost seven in a row at Campbelltown on a Sunday vs Sydney teams, with a last win back in 2013. Plus, going back to 2021, Wests Tigers have won only two of 15 games at Campbelltown on any day.
MATCHDAY PREDICTION
Wests Tigers by 4 points.
Check out our round 11 predictions here.
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