The first NRL Week 1 matches is between South Sydney Rabbitohs and Melbourne Storm. The opening kick is set to commence at 7.45pm local time with the game to be played at ANZ Stadium. The home team the South Sydney Rabbitohs are the current favourites in the market. View our preview and teams for the game between South Sydney Rabbitohs and Melbourne Storm.

ANZ Stadium

Friday 7.45pm

South Sydney Rabbitohs $1.80 vs Melbourne Storm $2.05 at Sportsbet Australia get a $250 FREE BET on this match

South Sydney Rabbitohs $1.90 vs Melbourne Storm $1.90 at Luxbet Australia get a $500 FREE BET on this match

Odds Comparison by NRL Odds:

South Sydney Rabbitohs	1.80	1.87	1.90	1.87	1.80	1.83
Melbourne Storm	2.05	1.97	1.90	1.97	2.05	1.97

Preview:

This year’s NRL finals series kicks off with South Sydney hosting Melbourne.

The two teams met recently, back in round 22 at Melbourne’s home-ground of AAMI Park and it was the home-side victorious 26 – 8.

Souths were without key player-maker John Sutton and attacking full-back Greg Inglis for that match and the score-line, courtesy of two second half tries by Melbourne, didn’t help reflect the closeness of the match.

The win, which added to their 17-10 win in round 6 this year, further enhanced Melbourne’s record of dominance of the Rabbitohs with the Storm now having won 14 of the past 15 clashes between the two sides, the last six in succession.

Last week Souths had the opportunity to secure the minor premiership when taking on the Roosters but found their opponent’s forward pack too hard to contain and lost 24 – 12.

They’ve been good all year have Souths but worryingly, last week they were flat.

If South’s are to break their Melbourne hoodoo, it rest with the South Sydney forward pack. Last week should serve as a good wake-up call for them.

After their second worse loss of the season to Manly in round 25, Melbourne hosted an under-manned Titans outfit last week who were playing to keep their season alive.

Again, the Strom were not at their clinical best and had to go to Golden Point time to secure the win, courtesy of a Cooper Cronk field goal.

The Storm haven’t been firing on all cylinders the past couple of week and you have to wonder whether a tough and long season for star players Billy Slater, Cam Smith and Cooper Cronk – who form the back-bone of the Storm side, is starting to catch up with them.

Add to that equation that Melbourne halves Finch and Widdop are under injury clouds and there’s enough doubt there to justify their quote as outsiders.

Melbourne will rise to the challenge of finals football as they always do and their big game experience, which is much stronger than that of Souths’ will be a huge advantage.

Not surprisingly, there is nothing between the two in terms of betting with Melbourne getting a 1.5 start.

The last seven games have resulted in a total match score of 36 points or less and would expect no different here and a tight contest with nothing much between them.

Teams:

South Sydney Rabbitohs:
Greg Inglis, Nathan Merritt, Bryson Goodwin, Dylan Walker, Dylan Farrell, John Sutton, Adam Reynolds, Thomas Burgess, Issac Luke, Roy Asotasi, Chris McQueen, Ben Te’o, Sam Burgess, Interchange: Luke Keary, Jeff Lima, Jason Clark, George Burgess.

Melbourne Storm:
Billy Slater, Sisa Waqa, Will Chambers, Maurice Blair, Justin O’Neill, Brett Finch, Cooper Cronk, Jesse Bromwich, Cameron Smith, Bryan Norrie, Kevin Proctor, Ryan Hoffman, Ryan Hinchcliffe. Interchange (from): Jason Ryles, Tohu Harris, Jordan McLean, Kenneath Bromwich, Gareth Widdop

History no bar to Rabbitohs: Maguire

South Sydney coach Michael Maguire reels off a list of positives to counter the knowledge that Friday’s qualifying final opponents Melbourne remain the only NRL side he’s never managed a win over.

His Rabbitohs are a team on the rise. Champion fullback Greg Inglis is closer to full fitness. South Sydney’s vast and excited fan base will again lift his men.

Maguire is adamant never having orchestrated a win over Melbourne – and his former boss Craig Bellamy – in four meetings during his two years at the helm, does not eat away at him.

“Not at all,” said Maguire on Wednesday.

The Storm, who beat Souths in a qualifying final last year, haven’t lost to the Rabbitohs in Sydney for nine years, but Maguire didn’t read anything into such statistics.

“As a group, they (Melbourne) have been together for a long, long time and, over this last two years, we’re an improving team every single time we step out on the field,” Maguire said.

Nor was he concerned by Souths’ relative lack of finals experience compared to defending premiers Melbourne, instead relishing the chance to play a final before home fans at ANZ Stadium on Friday.

“We had a fair taste last year and last weekend against the Roosters, the crowd was incredible,” Maguire said.

“To get those sorts of experiences, that’s what it’s like in finals footy.

“We’ve had a taste of it, we want more of it.”

Maguire expected further improvement from Inglis, arguably the most dangerous attacker in the game, as he continues his comeback from a knee injury.

“This is his first full week where he actually trained every training session, so it’s a real positive for us,” Maguire said.

The Souths coach also revealed he’d spoken to forward leader Sam Burgess about several unsavoury on-field acts in recent weeks and had warned his men such ill-discipline could tempt other teams to niggle them.

Recently suspended for two matches for grabbing the testicles of Storm centre Will Chambers when the two teams last met, Burgess blotted his copybook further in last week’s minor premiership decider.

He escaped judiciary action, but got plenty of publicity for running his fingers over the face of Roosters five-eighth James Maloney and jamming down his hand on the head of prop Jared Waerea-Hargreaves as he lay on the ground.

“He’s obviously disappointed, but the easiest way to fix that is make sure he goes out and plays the way he can and I’m sure he will this Friday,” Maguire said.

“He’s had a couple of incidences and it’s one thing that he knows hurts the team at times.

“If he gets ahead of his game, he’s going to become a better player and he wants to become a better player.”