Latrell Mitchell’s return adds another layer of intrigue to a crucial clash between two genuine finals contenders. With South Sydney looking to secure its place in September and the Warriors still chasing a top-two finish, plenty is on the line at Accor Stadium.

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Matchday Details

Saturday, 22 August 2026 – 5:30pm AEST – Accor Stadium, Sydney
📺 Foxtel / Kayo
Referee: Wyatt Raymond | Senior Review Official: Adam Gee

South Sydney Rabbitohs: 1. Matthew Dufty, 2. Alex Johnston, 3. Tallis Duncan, 4. Jack Wighton, 5. Campbell Graham, 6. Cody Walker, 7. Jayden Sullivan, 8. Tevita Tatola, 9. Brandon Smith, 10. Keaon Koloamatangi, 11. David Fifita, 12. Euan Aitken, 13. Cameron Murray (c), 14. Jye Gray, 15. Lachlan Hubner, 16. Sean Keppie, 17. Liam Le Blanc, 18. Peter Mamouzelos, 19. Edward Kosi, 20. Jonah Glover, 21. Thomas Fletcher, 22. Latrell Mitchell

New Zealand Warriors: 1. Taine Tuaupiki, 2. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, 3. Ali Leiataua, 4. Leka Halasima, 5. Alofiana Khan-Pereira, 6. Luke Hanson, 7. Chanel Harris-Tavita, 8. James Fisher-Harris (c), 9. Wayde Egan, 10. Mitchell Barnett, 11. Kurt Capewell, 12. Jacob Laban, 13. Erin Clark, 14. Sam Healey, 15. Tanner Stowers-Smith, 16. Demitric Vaimauga, 17. Eddie Ieremia-Toeava, 18. Adam Pompey, 19. Morgan Gannon, 20. Jett Cleary, 21. Luke Laulilii, 22. Makaia Tafua

Match Preview

There’s quite a bit to play for on Saturday night for both the Rabbitohs and Warriors, with the Rabbitohs effectively confirming finals football with a win, and the Warriors continuing their run at an outside chance of a minor premiership.

South Sydney come into the game after one of their better results of recent months, overturning some ordinary away and Friday form to beat the Bulldogs comfortably 22-6, albeit that away game was at the same ground they are the home side of this week. Last Friday’s result was just the second time in 2026 that the Rabbitohs have won consecutive games, so they have been consistently inconsistent.

The form at the Olympic Stadium is important, as it is probably the main reason South Sydney are a win away from confirming finals football and not part of the chasing pack. The Rabbitohs have won eight games straight at Accor Stadium, a run that includes all seven games there in 2026. So they have quietly gone about making the home of rugby league finals a fortress, not a bad effort in such a big place. Souths’ only losses at home in 2026 were in Magic Round and against Canberra in Perth.

The Warriors are no easy beats away either, with a 7-4 win-loss record that is the equal of Penrith, plus they have won their last two away games 42-6 and 40-6. They have a 50% win rate away to Sydney teams this season, but have lost their only clash in 2026 at the Olympic Stadium against the Bulldogs – by 18-6 – in Round 21 in arguably their most disappointing game of the season. They’ve shaken that result off now with a three-game winning run, which includes a home win over the Panthers, and sit just two points behind the table-topping Roosters but with a far superior points difference if they ended up on the same competition points. The Roosters’ last two games of the season aren’t easy, so the opportunity is there for the Warriors to end the regular season on top.

Latrell Mitchell is always a talking point before any game, so his return from a long injury absence is big news for the Rabbitohs, albeit he is currently named in the number 22 jersey. Surely this isn’t a little bit of Wayne Bennett mind game theatre to throw the attention away from the rest of the squad heading into a big game, so we should probably expect the excellent Tallis Duncan to move from the centres to the second row, likely pushing Euan Aitken to the bench. There’s no way you could push the other second rower David Fifita to the bench, not only because of his size, but his performance against the Bulldogs last weekend gave Bennett a rare smile in the post-match press conference. Fifita’s battle against his fellow Queenslander Kurt Capewell should be quite entertaining.

Both sides have needed to deal with a rotating cast of halves throughout 2026, the Warriors more so, and they have another combination on Saturday night as Luke Hanson is named to partner Chanel Harris-Tavita at five-eighth. This is after Luke Metcalf’s return to the Warriors was cut short through injuring himself while kicking a conversion: coincidentally the same affliction that caused the Rabbitohs to lose their halfback Ashton Ward the weekend before. The other team change for the Warriors sees Taine Tuaupiki replace Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad at fullback due to suspension for his tackle on Reece Walsh last weekend.

It is likely to be a clash decided in the forwards, with a moment of brilliance from a star player making the difference, which is why the return of Mitchell and the form of Fifita is timely. It also helps to have rugby league’s greatest try scorer Alex Johnston at the end of plays to seal the deal. Although the Warriors have their own try-scoring and entertainment machines on the wing in Alofiana Khan-Pereira and Dallin Watene-Zelezniak.

For the forward pack comparison, the sides have two of the best number 13’s in the competition in Cameron Murray and Erin Clark, both of whom will no doubt be working tirelessly at gaining the advantage for their side. Out wider the older Fifita-Capewell clash has already been highlighted, while a potential battle between Duncan and Jacob Laban will showcase two of the brightest young forwards in the competition. Duncan has grown into an important and versatile cog for the Rabbitohs over the past two seasons, and the more you see of Laban the more impressed you get. Plus it’s a quality starting four of props for this game, with Keaon Koloamatangi a game-breaker at his best, and James Fisher-Harris leading the way all season for the Warriors.

It should be a tight, yet still potentially entertaining clash, possibly the game of the weekend at each team’s best; and with a finals berth to be confirmed or minor premierships to be chased, there’s plenty at stake for both.

Prediction

RLZ Tip: Rabbitohs by 6.
Full Round 25 tips → /nrl-round-25-predictions-2026/
Bold call: First try to Alex Johnston, a double for David Fifita.

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Shannon Meyer
http://www.thegurgler.com/
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