![\"Christian](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/635402f1698dc5687fb8f98be5c093fe76cbc56f.png\")
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March 31, 2026 \u2014 4:30pm<\/p>\n
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Remove items from your saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n Save this article for later<\/p>\n Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime.<\/p>\n Got it<\/p>\n AAA<\/p>\n Nathan Merritt has been given about 12 months to live, and has one simple dying wish: \u201cTo see South Sydney win the premiership.\u201d<\/p>\n The Rabbitohs great has been undergoing chemotherapy for stage four cancer of the liver and oesophagus, but will muster the energy to attend his first NRL game in more than two years on Good Friday.<\/p>\n Souths have asked Merritt, 42, to ring the Legacy Bell before kick-off against the Bulldogs. The rare cameo will also give fans a chance to honour their popular former winger, who scored 154 career tries including 135 for the Rabbitohs.<\/p>\n \u201cTo see Souths win another comp, that would be a great way to go out,\u201d Merritt told this masthead. \u201cThe doctors have given me 12 months or so. The chemo is to prolong my life expectancy.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m in a bit of pain, but I\u2019m not as bad as what others have experienced. Souths have the team to do it. I\u2019d just love to see them in a grand final again. As a fan of the club, it would be a wonderful moment.<\/p>\n \u201cHopefully they can stay injury free and give themselves the best chance to be there.\u201d<\/p>\n Merritt was too fatigued to attend Allianz Stadium to see Alex Johnston break the game\u2019s try-scoring record<\/a> against the Roosters.<\/p>\n \u201cBut watching the scenes was awesome \u2013 I had the hairs on the back of my neck stand up,\u201d Merritt said. \u201cI was spewing I wasn\u2019t at the game because I would have tried to run on the field as well. The chemo has sapped most of my energy. I get tired really quickly. I\u2019ve lost about 20kg, and I\u2019m down from 105kg to 83kgs.<\/p>\n \u201cThe last game I went to was Indigenous Round at Homebush when Souths played against Parra. I\u2019m looking forward to Good Friday.<\/p>\n \u201cI had a lot of great memories playing against the Dogs. There was one year, I think it was 2013, we came up with a trick play, and Adam Reynolds kicked it across field for me, we caught them off guard on the opposite side of the field.\u201d<\/p>\n Merritt, a father of five, made the shock announcement about his cancer diagnosis earlier this month. He has already undergone two rounds of chemo, and will start a third at the end of next month.<\/p>\n Merritt revealed to this masthead in 2024 how he was lucky to be alive<\/a> after being placed into an induced coma at the end of 2023 when struck down by a dose of double pneumonia.<\/p>\n Souths started a pre-game tradition of asking people closely associated with the club to ring the Legacy Bell, a tradition that dates back to the club\u2019s first game at Birchgrove Oval in 1908, and were keen to invite Merritt if he was feeling well enough.<\/p>\n Skipper Cameron Murray and his father Corey, who also played for Souths, rang the first Legacy Bell last year, while Cathy Freeman OAM, along with club legends Ziggy Niszczot, John Sutton and Sean Garlick, has also had the honour.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is our first opportunity to show Nathan how much the Rabbitohs family loves him.\u201d<\/p>\n South Sydney CEO Blake Solly<\/p>\n Jack Wighton said of having Merritt at Accor Stadium: \u201cHe\u2019s one of the greats, and someone I looked up to when I was growing up, and when I was playing. The club loves him. I got to know him a bit outside of footy, and he\u2019s an absolute champion. It will be awesome to see him on Friday, and hopefully in good spirits.<\/p>\n \u201cNathan Merritt is Nathan Merritt \u2013 everyone loved him, and everyone wanted to be like him coming through. He\u2019s one of a kind.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Nathan](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/cc4054590f264f5d5b7a90e56ee44742236b1ff56ea28dfe6dadeeabb5e61a1e.jpeg\")
Nathan Merritt celebrates his father Tony\u2019s birthday with family last month.<\/p>\n![\"Nathan](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/211d23fd9860ee4e2e4839036909dac670ee5a01.jpeg\")
Nathan Merritt watches Souths training during Indigenous Round Week in 2024.Sunny Brar<\/p>\n![\"Great](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/4c14bd9f0d33ae8b5262034da57fab7ba53ca770.jpeg\")
Great mates: Merritt with Adam Reynolds at Redfern Oval in 2018.Janie Barrett<\/p>\n
![\"Kade](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/b6f5ac4abe5c8f3f0a8139769a5be1298b269dc658fad585729d0b69af2d43ad.jpeg\")
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