Bulldogs v Rabbitohs preview

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The Bulldogs look to regain form heading into the finals after two consecutive losses whilst the Rabbitohs aim to make it four straight in a frustrating reminder to their fans of what could have been.

The Bulldogs have flown under the radar for the whole season, yet are always a threat come finals time. However, going into the finals off a three game losing streak is not ideal, especially when you consider that their previous five victories have been less than convincing. The Bulldogs have also failed to score over twenty points in five of their past six clashes. Even more concerning, since Round 20 Canterbury rank a lowly 13th in attack and 10th in defence. Their chances of gaining momentum heading into the finals isn't made much easier as they face a rejuvenated Rabbitohs outfit. In order to overcome the Rabbits, however, the Dogs will need to improve their error rate, having made 28 errors in their losses to the Cowboys and Broncos. Errors haven't generally been much of an issue for the Dogs, seeing they rank 5th best in the league for making the least mistakes, yet it was their undoing against the Broncos and a factor in their disappointing loss to the Cowboys. As alluded to earlier, however, their attack has also been faltering, particularly in their opposition's 20 and that is where halves Josh Reynolds and Moses Mbye need to stand up.

The Rabbitohs have displayed significant improvement in the previous weeks, falling by a point to the Storm before thumping the Warriors, downing the Sharks and easily accounting for the lowly Knights. Damien Cook has revelled playing 80 minutes for the South Sydney side and Greg Inglis has similarly been impressive as of late. Although their season may be over, it is vital that the Rabbitohs head into the offseason with the confidence that they can contend next season and more importantly give their fans the hope that their 2014 Premiership wasn't simply a one-off. This week's contest, however, will prove another test for South Sydney, who have only managed one victory in their last eight against a Top 8 side.

Last meeting: Round 4 2016 - Rabbitohs 12 Bulldogs 42

Who to watch: Cody Walker has been an absolute sensation for South Sydney this season and will look to replicate his form on Friday night if the Rabbitohs are to claim yet another late season victory. Just to rattle off some numbers - 11 try assists, 8 tries and 77 tackle busts in just 18 games. What a stunning break out season.

This one is likely to be decided in the forward battle but Moses Mbye's ability to capitalise on this will be key. Mbye has had a reasonable year with 16 try assists, 8 tries and 41 tackle busts. Yet in his past seven games Mbye has only managed 2 try assists and his creative input and controlled kicking game will be critical on Friday night if his side is to regain form.

The favourite: Despite South Sydney's recent form the Dogs are expected to bounce back.

My tip: This one is tough to gauge. The Bulldogs don't typically blow teams away whilst Souths have shown themselves to be capable of winning lately despite the motivation of finals footy. Will they keep it going this week? I am going to say the Bulldogs will get back on track heading into the finals… but only just. It won't be pretty. Bulldogs by 4.

1. William Hopoate 2. Brett Morris 3. Josh Morris 4. Kerrod Holland 5. Curtis Rona 6. Josh Reynolds 7. Moses Mbye 8. Aiden Tolman 9. Michael Lichaa 10. James Graham 11. Josh Jackson 12. Greg Eastwood 13. David Klemmer
Interchange: 14. Danny Fualalo 15. Tim Browne 16. Tony Williams 17. Raymond Faitala-Mariner

1. Greg Inglis 2. Alex Johnston 3. Hymel Hunt 4. Aaron Gray 5. Joe Burgess 6. Cody Walker 7. Adam Reynolds 8. George Burgess 9. Damien Cook 10. Thomas Burgess 11. John Sutton 12. Kyle Turner 13. Sam Burgess
Interchange: 14. Jason Clark 15. Nathan Brown 16. Angus Crichton 17. Zane Musgrove

Referees: Ashley Klein, Gavin Badger; Sideline Officials: Nick Beashel, Dave Ryan; Video Referees: Bernard Sutton, Jared Maxwell, Ben Galea