Matchday Details
Thursday 21 August – 7:50pm (AEST) – Accor Stadium, Sydney
📺 Broadcast: Nine / Fox League / Kayo
Referee: Gerard Sutton | Bunker: Chris Butler
Rabbitohs
1. Jye Gray 2. Alex Johnston 3. Latrell Mitchell 4. Tallis Duncan 5. Tyrone Munro 6. Ashton Ward 7. Jamie Humphreys 8. Sean Keppie 9. Saliva Havili 10. Keaon Koloamatangi 11. Jacob Host 12. Jai Arrow 13. Lachlan Hubner 14. Peter Mamouzelos 15. Brandon Smith 16. Cody Walker 17. Thomas Fletcher 18. Shaquai Mitchell 19. Fletcher Myers 20. Salesi Ataata 21. Haizyn Mellars 22. Lewis Dodd
Dragons
1. Clinton Gutherson 2. Christian Tuipulotu 3. Hayden Buchanan 4. Mathew Feagai 5. Corey Allan 6. Lyhkan King-Togia 7. Kyle Flanagan 8. Emre Guler 9. Damien Cook 10. David Klemmer 11. Luciano Leilua 12. Jacob Halangahu 13. Ben Murdoch-Masila 14. Jacob Liddle 15. Blake Lawrie 16. Loko Pasifiki Tonga 17. Tyrell Sloan 18. Raymond Faitala-Mariner 19. Viliami Fifita 20. Nathan Lawson 21. Lachlan Ilias
Match Preview
Round 25 of the season kicks off at Accor Stadium on Thursday night, with the Rabbitohs hosting the Dragons. The Rabbitohs sit in 15th and are coming off a 20-16 win over the Eels, while the Dragons are in 12th after going down to the Warriors 14-10 in Auckland. The two sides met in round 2 this year, where the Rabbitohs snuck home 25-24. The recent head-to-head record favours the Rabbitohs – they’ve won seven of the past 10 match-ups.
For the Rabbitohs, Keaon Koloamatangi returns from an ankle injury in the front row. Lachlan Hubner returns at lock after missing last week due to concussion. His return moves Jai Arrow into the second row and Tallis Duncan to centre, with Bayleigh Bentley-Hape out with concussion.
In a lost season for the Rabbitohs, last week was more about restoring some pride in the jersey. Down on troops, they turned out a gutsy performance to keep themselves off the bottom of the ladder. Jye Gray was instrumental to the win. His performances at fullback since returning from injury have been nothing short of impressive. With Latrell Mitchell missing again this week, the Rabbitohs’ tactic of bringing Cody Walker off the bench may pay dividends. Look for Cody to slot in on the left edge and get plenty of ball to Alex Johnston, who only needs four tries to surpass Ken Irvine as the game’s greatest try scorer. This game also marks a club milestone for Wayne Bennett – he’ll coach his 100th NRL game for the Rabbitohs.
For the Dragons, there’s carnage in the forward pack with Hamish Stewart, Jack De Belin, and Hame Sele all ruled out with concussion. Jacob Halangahu and Ben Murdoch-Masila move into the starting second row and lock roles respectively. Blake Lawrie and Tyrell Sloan join the bench.
The injury bug continues to bite the Dragons’ forward pack hard. Despite losing three players to concussion, they can take solace from their ability to hang in the fight against the Warriors at home. With their finals hopes now in tatters, their focus must turn to next year and putting some pride back in their jersey. After signing with the Dragons earlier this year, David Klemmer re-discovered his past form, amassing 20 runs, 180 metres (85 post-contact) and 38 tackles in 64 minutes. If he can lay a solid platform again, Damien Cook and Jacob Liddle could wreak havoc around the ruck with their speed from dummy half. They’ll also be out to snap a losing streak against the Rabbitohs at Accor Stadium – they’ve not beaten them there since 2013.
Prediction
RLZ Tip: Rabbitohs by 4.
See our full Round 25 Predictions (live Wednesday 12pm) here: 2025 NRL Tipping: Round 25 Writer Predictions
Have your say: Who wins? Drop your tip in the comments or vote in our poll.
Related Links
- Round 25 Late Mail
- 2025 NRL Round 24 Injury List
