Robbie Farah has made a compelling case to retain his NSW State of Origin jumper with a starring role in South Sydney’s 28-8 NRL win over the Wests Tigers.

Ten days before the Blues’ game-one team gets named, a vintage Farah on Friday night set up two tries, made two line breaks and tallied a team-high 40 tackles to help the Rabbitohs arrest a three-game slide.

Playing in his second match against his former club – and first run-on start in six weeks – Farah also wore a glancing punch from ex-teammate Ava Seumanufagai that ended in a sin bin.

Farah’s move into the starting line-up was one of seven changes Rabbitohs coach Michael Maguire made to his team named on Tuesday, including shifting Cody Walker to fullback.

Walker was dangerous with every touch, while skipper Sam Burgess laid the platform with two tries, 183 metres and six tackles busts.

The shake-up proved just the tonic against a disappointing Tigers outfit who enjoyed just 11 plays inside the opposition 20m zone and missed 46 tackles.

Five-eighth Mitchell Moses was the biggest culprit with seven in a porous effort that included a first-half kickoff sent out on the full.

Farah’s only blemish came when his side led 16-2 early in the second half, and he grassed a regulation Luke Brooks grubber that ended in Elijah Taylor reducing the deficit to eight.

But a Walker cutout pass for Alex Johnston’s second try restored the two-try advantage, before Farah sealed the win four minutes later with another well-timed pass for Sam Burgess.

The greasy conditions made for difficult viewing early on for the 12,213 crowd at ANZ Stadium, with both sides completing just five of the opening 13 sets of the match.

However, the Rabbitohs’ performance improved with their ball handling, paving the way for Walker to slice through the line and send Johnston for first points.

Seumanufagai’s shock punch on Farah only compounded the Tigers’ inability to build pressure, and their former captain responded by putting Sam Burgess over.

But the real pain came on the stroke of halftime, when Angus Crichton strolled through a wide hole to give his side a decisive 14-point lead at the break.