Rabbitohs Grapple with Early Season Injury Woes Ahead of Tigers Clash
The South Sydney Rabbitohs, a club often plagued by untimely injury setbacks, are showing worrying early signs that their notorious “injury curse” might be making an unwelcome return. Just a few weeks into the new season, two pivotal players have been ruled out of Saturday evening’s crucial encounter against the Wests Tigers in Gosford, casting a shadow over the team’s aspirations.
Head coach Wayne Bennett confirmed the grim news following the club’s captain’s run on Friday afternoon. Campbell Graham and Euan Aitken will both be sidelined for the match after failing to participate in the final training session.
Key Absences: Graham and Aitken Out
Campbell Graham, who had been a consistent presence in the Rabbitohs’ lineup this season after a disrupted 2025 campaign that saw him play only 11 games, is now nursing a shoulder injury. Bennett indicated that Graham simply hasn’t recovered sufficiently to take the field.
“He has a shoulder problem, so he won’t play tomorrow,” Bennett stated regarding his winger. “He just hasn’t recovered well enough, so he isn’t fit enough. He should be right after the bye.”
The Rabbitohs are scheduled for a bye in Round 4, offering a much-needed respite before their traditional Good Friday clash against the formidable Canterbury Bulldogs in Round 5 at Homebush on April 3.
Euan Aitken is also set to miss the game, grappling with a “pretty severe cork,” as described by Bennett. The coach elaborated, “He has a pretty severe cork and just can’t run properly at the moment.” Aitken was initially named on the bench and his absence will likely see either Thomas Fletcher or Liam Le Blanc promoted from the reserves list.
NRL Debut on the Horizon
With these key players unavailable, a new talent is set to make their mark. Bennett confirmed that Moala Graham-Taufa, initially listed in jersey 19, will be handed his NRL debut.
“More than a potential,” the coach enthused when asked about the young winger’s impending debut. “We recruited him from the Warriors. We were short of outside backs and he has been great to work with. They [the Warriors] have done a great job with him. He is very skilled and I’m very confident in what he can bring. He was injured to start the season, played last week for the first time.”
This reshuffling is expected to bring Latrell Siegwalt onto the six-man bench for the clash against the Tigers. The Wests Tigers, who enjoyed a bye in the opening round, showed impressive form last Saturday, amassing 44 points against the North Queensland Cowboys at Leichhardt in their season opener.
Rabbitohs’ Mixed Start to the Season
The South Sydney Rabbitohs commenced their season with a high-scoring victory over the Dolphins in Brisbane. However, they were unable to replicate that success in their subsequent match against arch-rivals the Sydney Roosters last weekend. This loss was compounded by the fact that the game also marked Alex Johnston’s historic achievement of becoming the game’s greatest ever try-scorer, a milestone that was somewhat overshadowed by the team’s performance.
The upcoming fixture against the Wests Tigers in Gosford is scheduled to kick off at 7:35pm (AEDT) on Saturday evening. The Rabbitohs will be hoping to overcome their current injury concerns and secure a vital win to get their season back on track.
