NRL 2023: South Sydney Rabbitohs season preview
It was another case of so near and yet so far for South Sydney last year. They reached their fifth consecutive group stage final but have yet to translate that impressive consistency into their first Premiership since 2014.
The Rabbitohs were believed to be in a transitional phase in the final campaign after Wayne Bennett and Adam Reynolds, among many others, left the stage at Redfern.
But after navigating a bumpy transition that saw them win just two of their first five games and languish outside the top-8 in mid-June, Jason Demetriou brought his side some exciting footballers thanks to the telepathic agreement between Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker to produce.
With the key members of their backbone clinching long-term deals during the offseason, the Bunnies will head into 2023 with more stability than this time last year, but are they any real contenders?
The Southern States have lost four preliminary rounds in the last five seasons, which is certainly an unwelcome curse for the club that they will be trying to shake this time around.
The sports news previews the Rabbitohs’ season below – including their best 17, the key to their success and the predicted ending.
BEST 17th
| position | player |
|---|---|
| 1. | Latrell Mitchell |
| 2. | Alex Johnston |
| 3. | Campbell Graham |
| 4. | Isaiah Tass |
| 5. | Izaac Thompson |
| 6. | CodyWalker |
| 7. | Lachlan Iliad |
| 8th. | Tevita Tatola |
| 9. | Damien Cook |
| 10 | Thomas Burgess |
| 11. | Keaon Koloamatangi |
| 12. | Yes arrow |
| 13. | Cameron Murray |
| 14 | Blake Taaffe |
| 15 | Ham Sele |
| 16 | Siliva Havili |
| 17 | Davvy Mole |
SQUAD CHANGES
Winnings:
N / A
Losses:
Mark Nicholls (Dolphins), Kodi Nikorima (Dolphins), Jaxson Paulo (Roosters)
DEPTH RATING
Continuity is the path to victory. At least that’s how South Sydney chose to be the only club not making any signings in the off-season.
The club have supported their squad to improve after another year together and finally get the job done.
Damien Cook, Mitchell and Walker have all received long-term suspensions, while young halfback Lachlan Ilias navigated the ups and downs of the NRL in his rookie season and will be better off completing a strong backbone in 2023.
The Bunnies’ back line is also one of the best in the competition, with captain Cameron Murray supported on the fringes by Jai Arrow and Keaon Koloamatangi.
After the departure of the veteran Mark Nicholls, however, the team is at the front. Injuries to bench players Siliva Havili, Hame Sele and Liam Knight have already weighed on their forward rotation early in the season.
Strengthen: spine
Weaknesses: support
Evaluation: 8/10
THE KEY
Wherever Star full-back Latrell Mitchell is, you can be sure that the headlines will follow.
Upon returning from his trip to America during which he worked with reconditioning specialist Bill Knowles, the full-back broke down in tears to pull the Bunnies up the ladder in the second half of the season.
In his 17 appearances last year, he contributed a career-high 17 try assists and seven four-pointers.
Despite his undoubted brilliance, the No. 1 hasn’t been able to get on the field enough in the three years he spent with the Bunnies due to a mix of injuries and disciplinary issues.
In each of his first four seasons with the Roosters, Mitchell made more than 20 appearances. But he has yet to achieve that at Redfern.
If he can do that in 2023, there’s no cap on how high he can help push Souths.
BEGINNERS WATCH
If you’re new to Josiah Karapani, something tells us you will be when the 2023 season is wrapped and dusted.
A quick and powerful full-back, capable of covering anywhere in the back five, Karapani has plenty of wraps under his belt after arriving from the Warriors as a teenager in south Sydney.
The 20-year-old has drawn comparisons to Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and has already been included in the Rabbitohs’ top 30 list for the next two seasons.
Karapani was a staple of the NSW Cup for the Bunnies in 2022 and with the club’s backline lacking depth, the young gun looks poised to make the leap to the NRL this year.
DANGER TIME
Rounds 1-5: Sharks[A]Panthers[A]roosters[A]sea eagle[H]Storm[H]
The Bunnies are having one of the toughest opening periods of the season, starting their campaign with three straight away games against top four hopefuls Cronulla, Penrith and the Roosters.
They got off to a slow start last season that left them behind the eight, and when they were crushed by the Dragons in Round 15 at Wollongong, many wondered if they were on the verge of surrender.
To their credit, they rallied and, in response, stringed together four straight wins before ending the regular season with three wins and two losses.
The southern states will want to avoid putting the same pressure on themselves this time.
PREDICTED END – 4TH
The Rabbitohs had the sixth-best offense and second-worst defense in the top eight last season on their way to seventh place.
But despite their poor first half of the season and overall inconsistency, they only managed two wins outside of the coveted top four spot they aim to claim in 2023.