The Brisbane Broncos and South Sydney Rabbitohs will be both out to rebound from disastrous Round 1 losses in Las Vegas when they play their first game on Australian soil this year.
Kicking off Round 2 in primetime at Suncorp Stadium on Thursday, March 14, both sides came up short on the other side of the planet, with the Rabbitohs struggling defensively against the Manly Sea Eagles and the Broncos not at all looking like last year's grand final outfit in a loss to the Sydney Roosters.
For South Sydney, leaking 36 points was a particular concern given it was defence which let them down during a dramatic 2023 fadeout which saw the Rabbitohs crumble from competition leaders after Round 11 to missing the finals by the time the regular season was all said and done.
The Rabbitohs have also been hit by the injury stick coming into this game, with Jai Arrow suffering a shoulder injury that will, in the best case scenario, leave him out for a number of weeks.
That presents an opportunity for youngster Tallis Duncan to come straight into the side at second-row with coach Jason Demetriou hoping he will be able to bring plenty at both ends of the park.
The Broncos, on the other hand, weren't at their best in Las Vegas, although some will ask if the performance is the new normal given how their forward stocks were depleted over the off-season with the departures of Thomas Flegler to the Dolphins, Kurt Capewell to the New Zealand Warriors and Keenan Palasia to the Gold Coast Titans.
They will have plenty of reliance on both Payne Haas and Patrick Carrigan in this one, while the ding-dong fullback battle between Latrell Mitchell and Reece Walsh shapes as one that should ultimately decide the game.
It's also a chance for Adam Reynolds at halfback for the Broncos to once again prove why the Rabbitohs should never have let him go, with his South Sydney replacement Lachlan Ilias still struggling to live up to the hype.
How to watch Brisbane Broncos vs South Sydney Rabbitohs
Being a prime time Thursday night clash, the NRL's TV deal has this game simulcast on both free to air and pay TV.
If you're looking to tune in for free, you can do so through Channel 9, who will commence their coverage at 7:30pm (AEDT).
If you'd prefer to tune in through Fox Sports on Foxtel, which is a pay TV service, you can do so on Channel 502 (Fox League) from 6:30pm (AEDT).
To stream the game online, you can do so for free through 9Now or you can watch Fox Sports' coverage on Kayo Sports.
In New Zealand, Sky Sports have the exclusive rights, while globally you can tune in through Watch NRL.
Teams
Brisbane Broncos
1. Reece Walsh 2. Jesse Arthars 3. Kotoni Staggs 4. Selwyn Cobbo 5. Deine Mariner 6. Ezra Mam 7. Adam Reynolds 8. Corey Jensen 9. Billy Walters 10. Payne Haas 11. Brendan Piakura 12. Jordan Riki 13. Patrick Carrigan
Interchange: 14. Tyson Smoothy 15. Fletcher Baker 16. Kobe Hetherington 17. Martin Taupau 19. Xavier Willison 20. Tristan Sailor
1. Latrell Mitchell 2. Alex Johnston 3. Isaiah Tass 4. Richard Kennar 5. Jacob Gagai 6. Cody Walker 7. Lachlan Ilias 8. Tevita Tatola 9. Damien Cook 10. Sean Keppie 11. Keaon Koloamatangi 12. Tallis Duncan 13. Cameron Murray
Interchange: 14. Siliva Havili 15. Davvy Moale 16. Shaquai Mitchell 17. Thomas Burgess 18. Michael Chee Kam 19. Taane Milne
Click through to Zero Tackle's match centre for updated teams, live scores and stats from the game.
Key information: Brisbane Broncos vs South Sydney Rabbitohs
Kick-off: Thursday, March 14, 8pm (AEDT) - 7pm (local)
Venue: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Overall head-to-head record: Played 48, Broncos 32, Rabbitohs 15, drawn 1
Record at venue: Played 22, Broncos 14, Rabbitohs 8
Last meeting: 2023, Round 21: South Sydney Rabbitohs 20 defeated by Brisbane Broncos 36 at Sunshine Coast Stadium, Sunshine Coast
Referee: Gerard Sutton
Betting odds
The Broncos come into this game as heavy favourites, paying just $1.37 to take out their first two competition points of the year. South Sydney are currently at $3.10.
The line is set at 8.5 points, and plenty of points are expected with the over or under set at 41.5.
Brisbane dominate betting to be the first try-scorer, with Jesse Arthars ($8), Deine Mariner ($8.50) and Reece Walsh ($10) all ahead of the top Rabbitoh in try-scoring freak Alex Johnston. Kotoni Staggs, who scored a double last time these sides met, is $2.75 to score anytime or $13 to cross first.
Odds taken from PointsBet, correct at 1pm, Thursday, March 14.
Think. Is this a bet you really want to place?
Prediction
A tough game to pick this. Both teams seemed to have gone backwards during Round 1, and it's exceptionally difficult to know which will be in better state after the long trip back from the United States.
Still, the Rabbitohs' defence is leaky. It's tough to see that fixing itself as quickly as this, and with Brisbane having attacking weapons all over the park, they should get the job done in front of a boisterous home crowd.
Broncos by 8.
