Sunday has three NRL matches with the third game for Round 17 is between South Sydney Rabbitohs and New Zealand Warriors with the opening kick to commence at 4.30pm local time. The game is to be played at nib Stadium with the favourite for the match being New Zealand Warriors. View our NRL live scores, odds and results for the game between South Sydney Rabbitohs and New Zealand Warriors.

WHERE AND WHEN: nib Stadium, Perth, Sunday 4.30pm (WA time)

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Opening odds comparison:

South Sydney Rabbitohs	1.30	1.30	1.30	1.30	1.30	1.31
New Zealand Warriors	3.50	3.50	3.60	3.50	3.50	3.55

Preview:

The South Sydney Rabbitohs play the New Zealand Warriors on Sunday, 4.30pm Perth time at NIB Stadium. The Rabbitohs have had a fantastic year so far, four points clear on top of the ladder and playing as well as ever as the season matures. If they can hold on over the next couple of months, Michael Maguire may just manage to give South Sydney their first premiership in 42 long years. They do face a number of challenges over this time, however, including the Warriors this weekend. The New Zealand outfit have not lost a game since round 10, although this will be their biggest test by far.

Teams:

South Sydney Rabbitohs:
Greg Inglis, Nathan Merritt, Bryson Goodwin, Dylan Walker, Andrew Everingham, John Sutton, Adam Reynolds, Dave Tyrrell, Issac Luke, Roy Asotasi, Chris McQueen, Ben Te’o, Sam Burgess. Interchange: Nathan Peats, Ben Lowe, Jeff Lima, George Burgess, Tom Burgess, Justin Hunt, Dylan Farrell (three to be omitted).

New Zealand Warriors:
Kevin Locke, Glen Fisiiahi, Dane Nielsen, Konrad Hurrell, Manu Vatuvei, Thomas Leuluai, Shaun Johnson, Sam Rapira, Nathan Friend, Ben Matulino, Feleti Mateo, Simon Mannering (capt), Elijah Taylor. Interchange: Russell Packer, Jacob Lillyman, Todd Lowrie, Dominique Peyroux, Ngani Laumape, Suaia Matagi, Charlie Gubb (three to be omitted).

Graham expects more Englishmen in NRL

England forward James Graham believes the number of Super League stars defecting to Australia’s NRL will continue to increase.

The former St Helens skipper, now in his second season with Canterbury Bulldogs, said Sam Tomkins’ impending move to the southern hemisphere – widely tipped to be with New Zealand Warriors – in 2014, along with move of England forwards Gareth Hock and Lee Mossop to Parramatta, will not end there.

“It is a trend that will probably continue for a couple of years,” Graham said on the Peter Sterling show ‘Sterlo’ on Fox Sports.

“I suppose it is having an effect on the competition back home. It is a sort of a Catch 22 from an international England point of view.

“You probably want players to come here and play against the best players in the world on a week-to-week basis, testing themselves in the best competition in the world.

“You also need a strong Super League as well. I don’t think they have to be mutually exclusive.

“I think you can have a strong Super League and a strong NRL but I think at the minute the biggest threat to Super League is still rugby union back home.”

Graham, who was given a 12-match ban after last season’s 14-4 grand final loss to Melbourne when he bit the ear of Australia fullback Billy Slater, said he was still trying to come to grips with the week-to-week intensity of the NRL compared to Super League.

“Back home, with all due respect to some of the teams, they are probably not at the standard of the top-end teams,” he said.

“Every week (in the NRL) you have to be on your game. There are star players in every team and that’s probably not the case back home.”

England coach Steve McNamara caught up with Graham and the rest of the Sydney-based England players this week for a talk about the game against Italy, scheduled as a warm-up friendly before the World Cup.