Greg Inglis has made a shock shift to five-eighth as South Sydney coach Michael Maguire attempts to spark the Rabbitohs’ spluttering NRL season.
Inglis moves into the halves alongside Adam Reynolds for Friday’s round 10 match against Parramatta at Pirtek Stadium.
That pushes Luke Keary onto the bench and casts further doubt over the premiership-winning playmaker’s future at Redfern.
Cody Walker starred for the Rabbitohs in the halves earlier this season but has also been overlooked as Inglis moves from the fullback spot he has made his own since early 2012.
Alex Johnston returns from a hamstring injury in place of Inglis at fullback.
Inglis has been well down on form this season for the 12th placed Rabbitohs who are 3-6 and on a four-game losing streak heading into the clash with the Eels.
It is their worst run of defeats under Maguire, who joined the club for the 2012 season.
Inglis has enjoyed previous success at five-eighth. He led Melbourne to their 2007 grand final win in the position, earning the Clive Churchill Medal.
In other round 10 news with teams named on Tuesday evening, Prop Ben Matulino and second rower Bodene Thompson, who were among six players dropped to reserve grade for breaching team protocol, have been recalled for the Warriors’ Saturday clash with Penrith in Christchurch.
Wests Tigers Skipper Aaron Woods, Tim Grant and Mitchell Moses will return from injury in Sunday’s match against Canterbury.
For the Dogs, Sam Perrett replaces Will Hopoate at fullback. Hopoate is sitting out the match due to religious beliefs for the first time.
“I will have to work some rust out but it is something that is familiar to me,” Perrett said at Bulldog training at Belmore Sports Ground on Tuesday.
“It is good to get in the mix a lot more and support my brother Hoppa in the decision that he has made in taking Sundays off.
“I think it is a really admirable thing. I am of the same faith and I can understand where he is coming from.”
A shoulder injury suffered in City/Country has ruled Jack de Belin out of St George Illawarra’s Thursday night fixture against Canberra at Kogarah Oval. Joel Thompson returns from suspension to take his spot.
Both Melbourne and North Queensland are unchanged from two weeks ago for Saturday evening’s clash at Suncorp Stadium, after they enjoyed wins prior to the representative round.
Brett Stewart returns at fullback for Manly against Brisbane in the second match of the Suncorp Stadium double-header.
Joseph Paulo and David Fifita move onto an extended Cronulla bench in place of the suspended Jayson Bukuya for Sunday’s trip to Newcastle.
Daniel Tupou replaces the injured Shaun Kenny-Dowall (foot) for the Sydney Roosters’ trip to the Gold Coast on Monday.
