Rabbitohs Sunday Showdown
Rugby league heads west to Campbelltown Sports Stadium for a double-header Rabbitohs Sunday Showdown in Round 11. The NRL squad takes on the Wests Tigers in a twilight clash, while the NSW Cup team faces off against the Western Suburbs Magpies earlier that afternoon.
Round 11: Wests Tigers & Magpies vs the Rabbitohs at Campbelltown Sports Ground.
Both Rabbitohs squads need to climb the ladder, and Sunday presents the perfect opportunity.
NRL – Rabbitohs v Wests Tigers
Wayne Bennett has named Alex Johnston to return on the wing. He replaces Fletcher Myers who drops back to the extended bench.
Time: 6:15pm
Date: Sunday, May 18
Venue: Campbelltown Sports Stadium
Ladder: Rabbitohs (11th) vs Tigers (10th)
Broadcast: Kayo | Foxtel | Sportsbet odds: $1.92 each
NSW Cup – Rabbitohs v Western Suburbs Magpies
Jacob Host returns in the second row. Shaquai Mitchell moves up to start in the front row.
After a good performance last week, Talonoa Penitani gets a promotion from Jersey Flegg replacing Lenny Skelton at centre. Lewis Dodd replaces Ashton Ward at halfback. Fletcher Myers drops back from first grade to take Max Lehmanns wing spot.
Dan O’Donnell is 18th man.
The Rabbitohs and Magpies will play in the first leg of the Sattler-Kelly Cup for 2025. The Sattler-Kelly Cup is named after two legends of the South Sydney and Western Suburbs clubs, John Sattler and Noel Kelly. The winner is determined by the aggregate scores of the two regular season games played each year between the Clubs. The Rabbitohs have won the Sattler-Kelly Cup four times and the Magpies have won it once since its inception in 2019.
The Jersey Flegg Cup under 21s men’s team has a bye this week as the competition goes into hiatus for representative matches.
Time: 3:55pm
Date: Sunday, May 18
Venue: Campbelltown Sports Stadium
Ladder: Rabbitohs (13th) vs Magpies (12th)
Broadcast: BarTV Sports
The Rivalry – Memorable Clashes
The storied rivalry between the South Sydney Rabbitohs and the Balmain Tigers, later the Wests Tigers, is steeped in tradition, passion, and unforgettable moments. Dating back over a century, these clashes have delivered undeniably classic encounters, fierce battles, and heart-stopping finishes that have become etched in rugby league folklore. I actually played in a couple of these games.
South Sydney Rabbitohs vs Balmain Tigers Memorable Matches
South Sydney and Balmain were foundation clubs of the NSWRL in 1908, and their meetings in the early 20th century often had premiership implications. Both clubs were working-class powerhouses who brought enormous crowds to inner-city venues like the Sydney Sports Ground and Leichhardt Oval.
Memorable Match: 1924 Grand Final
In one of the earliest notable finals match-ups, Balmain defeated Souths 3–0 in a grinding Grand Final at the Sydney Showground, still one of the lowest-scoring Grand Finals in history.
Memorable Match: 1969 Grand Final
Arguably the most infamous clash came in the 1969 Grand Final, when Balmain upset the heavily favoured Rabbitohs 11–2. Balmain employed delaying tactics and feigned injuries to disrupt Souths’ rhythm, certainly frustrating Rabbitohs legends like Ron Coote and Bob McCarthy. The match still stirs debate among older fans to this day.
Memorable Match: 1987 Minor Preliminary Semi-Final
This was my 2nd career game on the wing, I had started at centre every round before that. It was also a sudden death semi final at the S.C.G. The Tigers then were stacked with stars players like Garry Jack, Wayne Pearce, Paul Sironen, Steve Roach and Ben Elias. We won a hard-fought 15–12 victory.
That 1987 win was Souths last semi final success for 25 years. The next finals triumph was in 2012 against the Raiders.
Unfortunately our 1987 finals run came to an abrupt end a week later against the Green Machine. That was a day I’ll definitely never forget!
Wests Tigers Era (Post-2000)
When the Balmain Tigers merged with the Western Suburbs Magpies to form the Wests Tigers in 2000, the rivalry evolved but the fire remained.
Memorable Match: 2009 – The Merro Field Goal
In a Heritage Round thriller, South Sydney defeated the Wests Tigers 23–22 at the SCG, thanks to an unbelievable and unlikely hero.
The Wests Tigers led 22–10 in the second half but Souths rallied to level the scores at 22-all. Then came the moment that etched itself into rugby league folklore.
With the clock winding down and the scores locked at 22 all, Nathan Merritt, the South Sydney junior, better known for his electrifying speed and try-scoring brilliance, calmly stepped up and slotted a field goal from wide out, sending the Souths faithful into raptures.
It was the only field goal of Merritt’s NRL career, and it couldn’t have come at a better time, sealing an unforgettable comeback victory and etching his name into Rabbitohs legend in a whole new way.
This match is still fondly remembered as one of the most exciting finishes in South Sydney’s modern era and proof that in rugby league, heroes can emerge from anywhere.
Memorable Match: 2013 – Magic at Allianz
Souths, led by Greg Inglis and Adam Reynolds, dismantled the Tigers 54–10 in a dominant display that stamped their premiership credentials. Inglis scored 4 tries in one of his finest games in the red and green. Reyno scored a try and kicked 7 goals.
South Sydney Rabbitohs vs Western Suburbs Magpies Memorable Matches
Memorable Match: The Mud Bath
I played in this one too and there was mud everywhere, both teams were covered in so much mud that you couldn’t tell who was playing for who.
On Monday, July 6, 1987, the Bunnies faced the Magpies at the Sydney Cricket Ground. The match concluded in a 4–4 draw, highlighting the defensive strengths of both teams. Played under wet and muddy conditions, the game was a gritty contest, with neither side able to break the deadlock in the second half. The low-scoring affair underscored the intense rivalry and determination of both clubs during that era.
Memorable Match: 1989 The Black Pearl
The 1989 clash between the Magpies and Rabbits was a match loaded with anticipation and fresh talent. All eyes were certainly on the brilliant English international Ellery Hanley, who made his much-hyped debut for the Magpies. Hanley didn’t disappoint, bringing flair, power and leadership that lifted the Wests side and electrified the crowd.
Across the field, it was also a special day for young Mark ‘Block’ Lyons, who pulled on the famous red and green jersey for the first time in his first-grade debut for South Sydney. The Rabbitohs had high hopes for the talented prop, and he made an immediate impact with a couple of line breaks. A week later he scored his first try against Manly at the Sydney Football Stadium.
I’ll never forget the build up to this game, all the talk was about the Wests debut of superstar Hanley ‘The Black Pearl’. The centre pairing that day was me and Graham ‘Chunky’ Lyons opposite Hanley and Allen Geelan.
It’s with great pride that I can report that ‘Chunky’ from Lapa and Mavo from Botany were on the winning side. Souths won 15-6.
Memorable Match: The Piggins Try
In a tough and gritty Round 13 encounter of the 1976 NSWRFL season, Souths clashed with Wests at Lidcombe Oval. The Rabbits lost this one but it will forever be remembered because a great man scored an incredible try.
Veteran hooker George Piggins – the heart and soul of Souths scored an unforgettable try that was called by Rex Mossop. “Away to Piggins, George only knows one way and that’s hard, and he’s there! My heavens the little fellas battled his way 10 metres through the meat of the Western Suburbs pack.”
The Rivalry Today
Whether it’s old Balmain or the modern Wests Tigers, South Sydney always brings fire to these match-ups. The Tigers represent both a historic rival and a new generation of competition. From the legends of Sattler and Coote to the brilliance of Inglis and Reynolds, every clash therefore tells a new chapter in a century-old rugby league saga.
This Sunday at Campbelltown Sports Stadium, the Rabbitohs return to face the Tigers and Magpies once again, and if history is any guide, you can undoubtedly expect fireworks.
Stay tuned to Bunnies TV for team lists, updates, interviews and match day coverage, bringing the red and green to your screen.
Rabbitohs Sunday Showdown by Steve Mavin for Bunnies TV.
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