Check out the match preview and prediction for the 2025 National Rugby League Magic Round clash between the South Sydney Rabbitohs and the Newcastle Knights.
MATCHDAY NEWS
MATCHDAY SCHEDULE
South Sydney Rabbitohs Vs Newcastle Knights
Venue: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Date: Saturday May 2, 3:00pm (AEST)
MATCHDAY TEAM NEWS
Rabbitohs: 1. Jye Gray 2. Bayleigh Bentley-Hape 3. Euan Aitken 4. Campbell Graham 5. Isaiah Tass 6. Jack Wighton 7. Jayden Sullivan 8. Sean Keppie 9. Peter Mamouzelos 10. Tevita Tatola 11. Keaon Koloamatangi 12. Tallis Duncan 13. Jai Arrow 14. Liam Le Blanc 15. Lachlan Hubner 16. Davvy Moale 17. Fletcher Myers 18. Thomas Fletcher 19. Lewis Dodd 20. Joshua Schuster 21. Salesi Ataata 22. Nazareth Taua
Knights: 1. Kalyn Ponga 2. James Schiller 3. Dane Gagai 4. Bradman Best 5. Greg Marzhew 6. Fletcher Sharpe 7. Jack Cogger 8. Jacob Saifiti 9. Phoenix Crossland 10. Leo Thompson 11. Dylan Lucas 12. Kai Pearce-Paul 13. Tyson Frizell 14. Jayden Brailey 15. Mathew Croker 16. Adam Elliott 17. Brodie Jones 18. Thomas Cant 19. Tyson Gamble 20. Kyle McCarthy 21. Matthew Arthur 22. Tyrone Thompson
Referee: Liam Kennedy
Bunker: Ashley Klein
MATCHDAY PREVIEW
The first Magic Round game on Saturday at Suncorp Stadium sees a declining South Sydney taking on an out-of-sorts Newcastle, in a game that will be one for the fans of the respective clubs. Both clubs sit outside the top eight with South Sydney (11th) having lost three games in a row and Newcastle (15th) haven’t won since starting the season with two straight wins.
A few changes for the South Sydney line-up, who have to continue without star half Cody Walker for a few more weeks yet, and the regular halfback Jamie Humphreys a week off returning from injury. With Jack Wighton out, it could be the perfect time to give UK Super League recruit Lewis Dodd a crack at the halves, but it appears Wayne Bennett thinks he is more Lewis Dud than Dodd. Or maybe naming Jack Wighton (before he was ruled out) is a canny Wayne Bennett smokescreen for bringing another off-season signing into the team – Josh Schuster. It did work for Souths and Humphreys.
Talking of off-season signings, Lachlan Hubner returns for the Rabbitohs this weekend via the bench, but he has been a revelation for the Rabbitohs in 2024. He’ll be backup for a decent back row three of Keaon Koloamatangi, Tallis Duncan, and Jai Arrow.
With Latrell Mitchell suspended for his high tackle from last weekend, Jye Gray moves back to fullback with a week to prove he should keep the position going forward. Hard to argue with his form so far in 2025.
Newcastle welcome back Jacob Saifiti and Adam Elliott for the Magic Round clash, and while their work ethic will be appreciated, it doesn’t solve one of Newcastle’s biggest issues – a lack of points. The Knights have scored just 72 points in 2025 at 10.3 per game; to put that in context Parramatta are the next worst team 45 points ahead. In fact, 10 teams in the NRL this season average more first half points than Newcastle’s entire match average.
But for all the key changes and players listed above, you’d think the key player is Kalyn Ponga. Newcastle are at their best when he is, and with Reece Walsh potentially out for Origin Game 1, Ponga has a chance to nail the number one jersey for the Maroons for 2025.
It’s not like the Knights are bad in all attacking stats. For line breaks they are 13th, for tackle breaks they are sixth, and post contact metres they are 11th. So there’s some attacking cut-through, just less end product right now. Errors don’t help either, the Knights have made the most this season with 15 per game on average. Ponga, Greg Marzhew, and Dane Gagai are in the top six for individual errors in 2025.
Newcastle have conceded the second lowest total points in 2025, but that hasn’t stopped them losing them losing five games in a row and sitting 15th on the NRL ladder.
One barely interesting stat that is related to Magic Round heading into this clash is that these two teams are top for winning games at Suncorp Stadium against non-Queensland sides with a 75% win rate. As for Magic Round itself, South Sydney have one of the better records with the only loss in five Magic Round games coming in 2024. Newcastle too have lost just one Magic Round game of their four games so far, having missed out from playing in 2023.
MATCHDAY PREDICTION
Rabbitohs by 6 points.
Check out our Magic Round predictions here.
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