For the third year in a row, the South Sydney Rabbitohs have reached the preliminary final and for the second consecutive year, will have had the benefit of a week off after winning the opening round of the finals’ series. The Rabbitohs had struggled late in the regular season, losing two of their last three games before the finals – including a 22 – 18 defeat in the final round to the Rooster, but once the finals started, the Rabbitohs clicked up a gear and trounced Manly 40 – 26. For the first sixty minutes the Rabbitohs were at their absolute best. A big forward pack led by Sam Burgess gave their talented back-line plenty of opportunities and they capitalized on most, running in seven unanswered tries.

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The final fifteen minutes of the game however, highlighted an aspect of the Rabbitohs game that has cost them dearly in the past. They simply clocked off after establishing a big lead. Given the forty point margin they had established and the thought of again being one game away from the Grand Final, it’s hard not to blame them however Manly posted four easy tries in the final fifteen minutes of the match, much to the displeasure of Rabbitohs Coach Michael Maguire who despite his side ultimately winning well, lambasted his players for their final quarter effort post game.

It was similar scenario that saw the Rabbitohs exit at this stage last year when a brilliant start against Manly was fritted away and Maguire and his players should be fully aware now that nothing but a full 80 minute effort will be required against a battle-ready outfit like the Roosters.

Two surprising stats the Rabbitohs have produced this year are that when playing at ANZ Stadium this year, the Rabbitohs have a losing 5 – 6 record. When playing against teams that finished in the top eight this season, the Rabbitohs are 6 – 6.Fully rested and with plenty of finals experience in their side, the Rabbitohs though will have no excuses left to offer if this year, they fail to reach their first grand final since 1970.

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The defending and this year’s minor premiers, were disappointing in their 19 – 18 loss to Penrith in the opening round of the finals a fortnight ago but made the most of their second chance early in last week’s clash against the Cowboys. The Roosters posted five tries inside of the first 33 minutes of the match and before the visitors could register a point with their backline, particularly their left-hand side with Tupou and Jennings who combined have scored ten tries in the past seven games, at their best. However from this point on the tide turned – and in a big way.

In a remarkable come-back, the Cowboys tied the game up scoring five tries themselves in the ten minute periods either side of have time.

The Roosters prevailed to thanks to some staunch defence in the final twenty minutes of the game, a James Maloney field goal in the 76^th minute and a contentious call against the Cowboys in the final minute of that led to a Johnathan Thurston try being disallowed.

The Roosters haven’t made things easy for themselves in the past fortnight but are still alive and are a genuine threat, especially if they can recapture the form that they were showing in the final weeks of the regular season.

Their kicking game here is imperative as they’ll need to keep the big South Sydney forward pack on the back foot and working out of their own end. Mitchell Pearce holds the key in this regard and their final tackle when in possession of the ball, needs to be a lot more effective than it has been recently.

This will be the first time in a month and only the third since round 20 that the Roosters will have to venture away from their home ground of Allianz. When playing away from home, the Roosters have a record of 7 – 5 for the season. A stat that narrows to 3 – 3 when playing sides that finished in the top eight away

HEAD TO HEAD

The ledger is split at three wins apiece in the six games played since 2012 and as the market suggests, it is hard to find a distinct advantage for either team that makes it possible to back one with great confidence.

The Roosters won 22 – 18 when the sides last met in the final round of the regular season this year, a match where the Roosters were able to keep the Rabbitohs scoreless early, a common occurrence in each of their recent wins over the Rabbitohs.

The Rabbitohs will be under pressure here. It’s their third time to the prelim final, they’re starting favourites and everyone, bar the Roosters’ supporters of course, would like to see them make the Grand Final. The longer the Roosters can keep the Rabbitohs attack under wraps, the greater this pressure will build.

Only once in the past four games has a total match score exceeded 38 points.

This was the clash many predicted to be the Grand Final so expect a match of similar quality, where points are at a premium and defence the key with the week off playing significant role in the outcome of the game during the last 20 minutes.

TOTAL MATCH POINTS UNDER 38 – $1.90

SOUTH SYDNEY 1 – 12 – $3.10

FIRST TRY SCORER

Rabbitohs – Greg Inglis $11.00 (Scored four in the last three matches against the Roosters)

Roosters – Daniel Tupou $11.00, Michael Jennings $12.00

Teams:

South Sydney Rabbitohs

1 Greg Inglis
2 Alex Johnston
3 Dylan Walker
4 Kirisome Auva’a
5 Lote Tuqiri
6 Luke Keary
7 Adam Reynolds
8 George Burgess
9 Issac Luke
10 Dave Tyrrell
11 Kyle Turner
12 John Sutton (c)
13 Sam Burgess

Interchange
14 Jason Clark
15 Ben Te’o
16 Chris McQueen
17 Thomas Burgess
18 Ben Lowe
19 Luke Burgess
20 Bryson Goodwin

Coach: Michael Maguire

News:

The end is nigh for at least one of the NRL’s biggest names when South Sydney take on the Sydney Roosters in Friday’s preliminary final.

The do-or-die encounter has more plotlines than a Hollywood thriller but most emotional could be at the final siren when Roosters pair Anthony Minichiello and Sonny Bill Williams or Souths superstar Sam Burgess potentially walk off ANZ Stadium for the last time.

Minichiello, who will make a record 302nd appearance for the tri-colours, hangs up his boots at the end of this season, capping off a remarkable career that started in 2000.

Williams and Burgess will return to New Zealand and England respectively to play rugby with the possibility of facing off in next year’s World Cup.

Both Williams and Burgess have laid low this week in the build-up to a game many believed would be the grand final less than a month ago.

The usually-relaxed Minichiello did face the media on Thursday morning but appeared more on edge and did his best to claim this was just another game as he stands on the cusp of a seventh grand final appearance.

“It’s in the back of your mind that this could be the last game I ever play for the Roosters,” Minichiello said.

“But I keep bringing it back to what I need to do and what my focus is and my job within the group.

“Souths are a great team and we have a big job ahead of us.”

It’s been 76 years since the two sides last met in a preliminary final and it was the Roosters who won through 19-10.

While the Roosters players know exactly what it takes to win a premiership, the Souths squad must work out how to make it past the final hurdle and get to a grand final.

It’s where they have stumbled the last two years and in gut-wrenching fashion 12 months ago when they squandered a 14-0 lead against Manly to capitulate in the second half.

The team is also weighed down the milestone of not winning a premiership since 1971 and a long-suffering and expectant fan base.

Coach Michael Maguire said he gave his players last weekend off to prepare for a tough four days leading into the game and denied there was any extra pressure on his team than usual.

“I wasn’t even born 43 years ago,” Maguire said earlier this week.

“It’s something we don’t worry about, but we can’t stop people talking about it.

“They’re just kids who love playing footy. I think they really enjoy the pressure. The bigger the game, they rise to the occasion.”

Souths fans are expected to outnumber the Roosters supporters for the game with a crowd of around 55,000 predicted.

In another delicious twist, in the Roosters coaching box will sit former Souths mentor Jason Taylor who’s credited with having a major effect on Mitchell Pearce’s recent good form.

Taylor and Alan Hill, Andrew Johns’ former mentor, have both spent time working with the dumped NSW halfback and Maguire has been impressed with his recent performances.

“We’re playing against a team that’s been there and done that,” Maguire told Sky Sports Big Sports Breakfast.

“They’re minor premiers and they’ve got quality across the park.

“Mitchell Pearce is coming off his right foot and left foot, and just acting very quickly.”