The Sharks have surged into the top four on the back of four straight wins, but a desperate Rabbitohs side still clinging to finals hopes won’t roll over quietly at Ocean Protect Stadium.

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Matchday Details

Sunday, 2nd August – 2:00pm (AEST) – Ocean Protect Stadium
📺 Foxtel / Kayo
Referee: Todd Smith | Senior Review Official: Wyatt Raymond

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks: 1. William Kennedy, 2. Sione Katoa, 3. Jesse Ramien, 4. KL Iro, 5. Ronaldo Mulitalo, 6. Braydon Trindall, 7. Nicho Hynes, 8. Addin Fonua-Blake, 9. Blayke Brailey (c), 10. Thomas Hazelton, 11. Briton Nikora, 12. Teig Wilton, 13. Cameron McInnes, 14. Siosifa Talakai, 15. Billy Burns, 16. Oregon Kaufusi, 17. Jesse Colquhoun, 18. Mawene Hiroti, 19. Jayden Berrell, 20. Braden Uele, 21. Samuel Stonestreet, 22. Niwhai Puru

South Sydney Rabbitohs: 1. Matthew Dufty, 2. Alex Johnston, 3. Latrell Siegwalt, 4. Jack Wighton, 5. Campbell Graham, 6. Cody Walker (c), 7. Ashton Ward, 8. Tevita Tatola, 9. Brandon Smith, 10. John Radel, 11. Keaon Koloamatangi, 12. Euan Aitken, 13. Lachlan Hubner, 14. Jye Gray, 15. Jamie Humphreys, 16. Liam Le Blanc, 17. Sean Keppie, 18. Jayden Sullivan, 19. Edward Kosi, 20. Thomas Fletcher, 21. Tallis Duncan, 22. Adam Elliott

Match Preview

The Sharks are flying. Sitting fourth, they’ve gone about their work quietly and are now in a position to mount what may be their strongest premiership challenge during this current window. However, standing opposite them is an injury-ravaged Rabbitohs side that is desperate: for them, every win counts.

For the Sharks, the form line makes for pleasing reading. Not only have they won their past four matches, but they’ve done so emphatically, scoring 162 points while conceding just 46. Level on competition points with the Warriors (third), they’re in a prime position to finish the season strongly. Meanwhile, the Rabbitohs’ recent record literally reads: win, loss, win, loss, and so on. They have struggled to find consistency but have still done enough to remain firmly in the race for finals football. However, they need to start stringing wins together.

The home side welcomes back prop Thomas Hazelton from injury to start, while Addin Fonua-Blake has been promoted from the bench into the starting side. Furthermore, Braden Uele has been named among the reserves and may feature for the first time since the opening rounds. Meanwhile, the visitors have named Brandon Smith despite him picking up a calf injury last week and will be desperate to have him on the field. Prop Sean Keppie is also set to return from a thumb injury, allowing Keaon Koloamatangi to shift back to the second row.

Both sides will present two vastly different styles of play. The Sharks have made a habit of playing positive football, promoting the ball and backing their attack. With Braydon Trindall leading the competition in try assists this season, expect his teammates to be hovering around whenever he takes the ball to the line, as he has consistently shown an ability to create opportunities.

The Rabbitohs, meanwhile, will need to rely on grit and resilience, qualities Smith will undoubtedly bring if he is fit to take the field. Last week, if you simply looked at the statistics, you would have assumed their opponents (the Storm) had won comfortably. However, despite being up against it, the Rabbitohs came away with the two competition points. Master coach Wayne Bennett will no doubt have reinforced the importance of winning the small effort areas, and if South Sydney can continue to do those little things well, they’ll give themselves every chance of staying in the contest.

These two sides have met 99 times, with the Sharks leading the head-to-head count 52-44 (three draws). The record at Ocean Protect Stadium is even more damning, with the Rabbitohs having won just 13 of their 48 visits.

On the whole, the Sharks have a wet sail as they glide towards the finals and, in front of their home crowd, should prove too strong for a depleted Rabbitohs outfit. However, expect plenty of fight and desperation from the visitors, with the match potentially developing into a high-scoring affair. A final score somewhere around 30-20 in favour of Cronulla seems a likely outcome.

Prediction

RLZ Tip: Sharks by 10.
Full Round 22 tips → /nrl-round-22-predictions-2026/
Bold call: Nicho Hynes to score a try and have a perfect day with the boot.

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