The second game on Friday for NRL Round 24 is between South Sydney Rabbitohs and Canterbury Bulldogs. The opening bounce is set to commence at 7:35PM with the game to be played at ANZ Stadium. The favourite for the match is home team South Sydney Rabbitohs. View our preview and teams for the game between South Sydney Rabbitohs and Canterbury Bulldogs.

ANZ Stadium

Friday, 7.35pm

South Sydney Rabbitohs $1.45 vs Canterbury Bulldogs $2.75 at Sportsbet Australia get a $250 FREE BET on this match

South Sydney Rabbitohs $1.35 vs Canterbury Bulldogs $3.30 at Luxbet Australia get a $500 FREE BET on this match

Odds Comparison by NRL Odds:

South Sydney Rabbitohs	1.45	1.45	1.35	1.45	1.45	1.45
Canterbury Bulldogs	2.75	2.80	3.30	2.80	2.75	2.75

Preview:

A bumper crowd should gather at ANZ Stadium to see South Sydney, who were back to their past last week with a win over Manly, take on a Canterbury side pushing for a top four spot.

The return of John Sutton and Greg Inglis saw the Rabbitohs was enough to spark the Bunnies last week after a month of indifferent performance.

South trailed Manly with 20 minutes to go but in pleasing signs for their supporters, Souths displayed the composure and belief that has been a trait of their side this year and posted three late tries.

With that winning feeling back and a record of 8-1 at ANZ Stadium, a ground they return to for the first time in five weeks after a series of tough road trips, Souths should prove hard to beat.

Canterbury has been in the news this week with confirmation that fullback Ben Barba has requested an earlier release from his current contract.

Not the ideal scenario for the Bulldogs on the eve of the finals but one that, given the run of dramas at the club this year, they’ll be able to handle.

They travelled to Canberra last week and were able to register a win when most visiting teams have struggled, 28 – 16. It was the Dogs’ fourth win from the past five weeks.

James Graham was outstanding for the Dogs in that match but will need more support from fellow forwards this week as they shape up against a strong Rabbitohs back who, should be able to lay the foundation for the win.

Teams:

South Sydney Rabbitohs:
Greg Inglis, Nathan Merritt, Bryson Goodwin, Dylan Walker, Dylan Farrell, John Sutton, Adam Reynolds, Luke Burgess, Issac Luke, Roy Asotasi, Chris McQueen, Ben Te’o, Ben Lowe. Interchange: Luke Keary, Jason Clark, George Burgess, Thomas Burgess, Dave Tyrrell, Justin Hunt, Matt King

Canterbury Bulldogs:
Josh Morris, Mitch Brown, Krisnan Inu, Tim Lafai, Sam Perrett, Josh Reynolds, Trent Hodkinson, Aiden Tolman, Michael Ennis, James Graham, Frank Pritchard, Tony Williams, Dale Finucane. Interchange: Dene Halatau, Josh Jackson, Tim Browne, Martin Taupau, Lachlan Burr

Inglis no diver, says Souths teammates

South Sydney winger Nathan Merritt says NRL superstar Greg Inglis only dives to score tries.

Merritt and the Rabbitohs have leapt to Inglis’s defence after the champion fullback was dubbed Dally M diver of the year for earning Souths a timely penalty in Friday night’s vital win over Manly.

Coach Michael Maguire was furious at the suggestion Inglis would feign injury to milk a penalty, but the incident has nevertheless placed the spotlight on players staying down in a bid to pressure referees with matches on the line.

“He’s definitely not a diver. He can dive when he scores, that’s about it,” Merritt said on Tuesday.

“It’s definitely not in the Souths culture. I know that.”

To a man, Merritt’s teammates agree, with forward Ben Lowe saying Inglis didn’t need to use gamesmanship.

“It’s not the way we play our footy around here,” Lowe said.

“He’s had trouble with his knee and obviously he might have bumped it on the weekend, and he obviously copped a bit of a high shot there.

“He’s definitely not a diver. He plays football at the elite level. He plays his footy tough.”

Lowe, though, admitted that, come the crunch, “a penalty can change a game”.

“I’m not sure if boys are laying down on purpose or whatever but it definitely helps if you get a penalty,” he said.

“But I don’t think anyone in the NRL’s out there to lay down. It’s a tough sport, a tough game.

“Sometimes the knocks mightn’t look as big on the big screen but, when you’re out there, they definitely don’t miss you.”

Prop Roy Asotasi also insisted it wasn’t in the Rabbitohs’ culture to stay down.

“Part of our style is to play it fast and not to have any stoppages,” he said.

“I don’t think GI would have tried to dive or milk anything.”

Souths’ return to the winners’ circle, after two straight defeats threatened their position in the top two, coincided with Inglis’s comeback from a month out with a knee injury.

“He definitely adds a lot,” Asotasi said.

“You’ve just got to see what he’s done for Australia and for Queensland.

“He definitely adds that X-factor or spark to the team and he’s been doing that for Souths for the last few years, ever since Maguire took over and he made that switch to fullback.

“We took a lot of confidence knowing that GI’s out there.”

Inglis’s teammate Jeff Lima has also come under fire for his leg-twisting tackle on Manly back-rower Anthony Watmough.

Lima on Tuesday accepted a one-match ban, ruling him from Friday’s clash with Canterbury, but greats believe he should have copped a lengthier suspension.

Asotasi said although the league had dealt with the incident, he expected coach Maguire to also have a quiet word with Lima as the finals approach.

“Come the business end, you’ve got to be make sure you’re clean in all areas of the game,” he said.

“Because we need to have the best players out on the field.”