The South Sydney Rabbitohs will be back at home this weekend after two weeks on the road and will take on the Parramatta Eels this Saturday night at 7:35pm.
The Rabbitohs snapped a losing streak on the weekend with a gritty and determined 20-18 victory over the Titans. The Red and Green will be relieved to be back in the winners’ circle and will look to carry that momentum into their round 24 clash with Parramatta.
This weekend’s match against the Eels will be part of Gadhu Gathering, which occurs during the second week of the NRL Indigenous Round and will see six Sydney-based teams come together in three games at Allianz Stadium over the course of round 24.
The Rabbitohs have acquired quite the record over the Eels in both Indigenous Round and regular round games in recent times, having come away victorious in eight of their last ten encounters with the blue and gold going back to 2019.
Most recently, the two sides met in round 18 last year, with the Rabbitohs posting 32 points to the Eels’ 16. Latrell Mitchell had a blinder, setting up two tries, assisting three line breaks and making one himself, as well as scoring a try of his own in the 56th minute.
Mitchell is coming off a brilliant performance at left centre against the Titans in which he set up two tries and saved one with a great last-ditch effort on Jayden Campbell. He will be hoping for a repeat performance this week as he aims to guide his side to two straight wins.
The Parramatta Eels have had a difficult season in 2025, particularly after being without key personnel for extended periods throughout the year, and find themselves sitting on 20 points in 13th position.
They have, however, shown some form in recent weeks with the return of their halfback Mitchell Moses from a long injury layoff, and have posted tight victories over both the Broncos and the Cowboys, as well as a six-point loss to the Storm.
They will certainly not be easy beats, despite their lowly position on the ladder. However, South Sydney’s impressive record against Parramatta, as well as the guts they showed against the Gold Coast, will give the Cardinal and Myrtle plenty of confidence ahead of this game.
Tallis Duncan: “It was just a collective feeling of ‘we have to do this’.”
Tallis Duncan knows that to finally get a win on the weekend against the Titans took a monumental effort from the entire team after losing so many games in a row. Duncan is particularly proud of how the boys rallied in the last few minutes to defend their line, and after tasting victory for the first time in a long time, he is very keen to do it again this weekend against the Eels.
“Yeah it was close. The feeling was out there, for me at least, was that we knew we could do it and we knew that we could hang on. It was just a collective feeling of ‘we have to do this’. We really had an opportunity in the last few minutes just to tighten it up and defend our try line. We were able to do it and it was a good feeling.”
Jack Wighton: “I’m very, very sad I’m not playing. But I’m here in support of it. It’s going to be a great weekend.”
Jack Wighton would love to be taking the field alongside his teammates this Saturday night as they do battle with the Eels in Indigenous Round. While he is obviously upset to be missing the game through suspension, Wighton is an incredibly proud Wiradjuri man, and will be cheering on the likes of Alex Johnston, Latrell Mitchell, Isaiah Tass, Shaquai Mitchell and Tallis Duncan as they represent their Indigenous heritage in this game while donning South Sydney’s magnificent 2025 Indigenous jersey.
“Yeah it’s awesome. I’m very, very sad I’m not playing. But I’m here in support of it. It’s going to be a great weekend. We put together this beautiful jersey. There’s 11 of our teammates’ totems on here. It represents smoke and fire. Smoke is for healing and cleansing, and the fire’s to show strength in our people and in our club. It’s very exciting. I’m sure the boys will represent it very proudly.”
Tyrone Munro: “Especially for people like you, you get to come in and learn about our culture and we get to celebrate it as well.”
While Indigenous Round is obviously a fantastic opportunity for the NRL’s Indigenous players to celebrate and represent their culture, Tyrone Munro makes the great point that it is also a unique chance for non-Indigenous Australians to get involved and learn about Indigenous culture. This opportunity to bring all people together is a large part of why Indigenous Round is rightly considered one of the most important rounds in the NRL calendar.
“I think we all just come together. Especially for people like you (non-Indigenous), you get to come in and learn about our culture and we get to celebrate it as well. It’s always special.”
Team Changes
South Sydney Head Coach Wayne Bennett has made just one change to the 17 that defeated the Titans last Sunday afternoon.
Shaquai Mitchell will come onto the bench in jersey 14 as a replacement for Lachlan Hubner, who is out due to a concussion sustained in the Gold Coast game.
Meanwhile the Eels have stuck solid with the same 17 that snuck home against the Cowboys in the final game of round 23, while fullback Isaiah Iongi has been named in jersey 21 as he looks to return from a hand injury sustained in round 20.
Match Details and Where To Watch
Fixture: South Sydney Rabbitohs vs Parramatta Eels
Date: Saturday 16 August
Kick-off: 7:35pm (AEST)
Venue: Allianz Stadium, Sydney
Where to Watch: Purchase Tickets Here