Roosters vs Rabbitohs NRL Rd 25 best bets – Friday, September 2

This Friday night, the reopening of the Sydney Football Stadium – a.k.a. Allianz Stadium – will reignite the feud between the Sydney Roosters and South Sydney Rabbitohs as both sides look to secure a home final. The feuding has very much begun already off the field regarding which club should be playing in the new stadium, while coaches have methodically granted select players time off during the week to stay out of the media circus before this massive clash.

No one has forgotten what happened in round 24 of the 2021 NRL season, where tempers flared following an incident between Latrell Mitchell and Joey Manu. Friday shapes to be a battle just as heated as that, but who will come away with the win?

The Roosters have been forced to make multiple changes. Daniel Tupou is out with a groin injury, Lindsay Collins is suspended, and Victor Radley is sidelined after one of the more sickening concussions in recent history. Paul Momirovski comes onto the wing in place of Tupou, Siosiua Taukeiaho moves into the starting lock role, while Fletcher Baker and former Rabbitoh Terrell May join the bench for Collins. The Rabbitohs will be resting Campbell Graham this week, selecting Jaxson Paulo to take his place in the centres.

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The Roosters come into this match having won their last seven games in a row, with losses prior to that streak coming at the hands of the Storm, Eels and Panthers. Alarmingly for the Roosters, the Rabbitohs have beaten them in each of their last four head-to-head matches by a combined margin of 168 points to 54. The Rabbitohs will have everything to play for this weekend as they look to earn a home final, as well as proving to the NRL and NSW Government they deserve to call Allianz Stadium their home ground. The Rabbitohs have fewer interruptions to their starting side than the Roosters, so the $2.02 at BetOnline looks a great value play for Souths to win on Friday night.

The left-edge attack of Souths is by far their stronger side, with Alex Johnston being the main benefactor of their attack plays. The pace at which they get the ball through pairs of hands to have Mitchell running onto it, drawing in defenders from the wing to create space for Johnston to score, is incredible. He is always a safe bet to score any time, and the online bookies are paying $1.64 for that to occur.

However, it’s the other Souths winger who creates value for the punters. Taane Milne is not a regular winger on the right-hand side but has shown an ability to play well in that position. Mitchell will float to the right at some point in the match to attack the Roosters edge of Drew Hutchison and Momirovski, which will all but certainly create the opportunity for Milne to score at any time in the match. If not in clear space on the wing, he can barge his way through defenders and score at $2.40.

Souths’ biggest strength is also one of their biggest weaknesses, with Johnston having to mark the incredibly talented Joseph Suaali’i. Suaali’i has the size and strength to go straight over the top of Johnston and Isaiah Tass in attack, but also the ability to leap high for a cross-field kick and score in the corner. Suaali’i will surely be the main target of the Roosters attack and should be a lock to score at any time in the match at $1.78.

Key matchup: Battle of the forwards

The clash between these two forward packs will surely decide the outcome of this match. Roosters enforcer Jared Waerea-Hargreaves went after the Melbourne forwards in the middle with teammate Victor Radley last week, making a point that they would not be beaten physically. This is something Souths will certainly be aware of, and players like Tevita Tatola and Keaon Koloamatangi have shown in the past they will step up in the face of anyone who challenges them. Whichever of these two sides can fly close enough to the sun without burning up – laying strong and hard through the middle without going too far – will put their side on the front foot and in a position to win this match.

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