South Sydney prop Dave Tyrrell says the Rabbitohs are on guard for a St George Illawarra ambush as the Dragons attempt to bounce back from a tumultuous week off the field.
With coach Steve Price sacked last Monday and star winger Brett Morris unavailable with injury, the Dragons will start rank outsiders against the Rabbitohs at ANZ Stadium tonight. Tyrrell, however, warned it would be dangerous for South Sydney to underestimate their struggling opponents.
“We’ve got to be on our game,” Tyrrell said.”They’ll be out to prove themselves, and we’ve got to play our game to our strengths. If we don’t, we’ll get our pants pulled down. They’re a side that can turn around their performances and give us a lot of trouble, but we’re entirely focused on ourselves and getting our game right. We’ve got a lot to improve and are working hard on that.”
The Rabbitohs are 11th on the ladder but can jump into the top eight with a win tonight. Helping their cause is the expected inclusion of State of Origin representatives Greg Inglis, Ben Te’o and Chris McQueen for the Dragons showdown.
St George Illawarra winger Jason Nightingale is also expected to feature after overcoming a knee injury. The return of the New Zealand international is a major boost for the Dragons, who are desperate to re-ignite their season.
Red V utility Peter Mata’Utia said the Dragons’ forwards had to hold their own against South Sydney’s massive pack for their side to be any chance. “Souths have a decent-sized forward group, but we’re very agile and have been training well during the week,” he said. “I’m just looking forward to getting out there with the boys and hopefully we can get the result.”
