Roosters v Rabbitohs preview

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Sydney Roosters v South Sydney Rabbitohs Friday 7:55pm at CommBank Stadium, Parramatta / Burramattagal

Historic rivals clash under historic circumstances

Having been scheduled to face off in Round 3 prior to the outbreak of COVID-19, the Sydney Roosters will resume their long-standing feud with the South Sydney Rabbitohs on Friday evening.

Chasing their first points of the season following narrow losses to Penrith (14-20) and Manly (8-9) back in March, the Sydney Roosters will be determined to continue a positive record over their foundation foes having won 9 of 17 clashes during Trent Robinson's tenure.

Set to make their first appearance at Bankwest Stadium after being designated the Western Sydney venue for the foreseeable future, a loss will see the reigning premiers start the season with three straight losses for only the third time in the NRL era.

Welcoming skipper Boyd Cordner back into the fold after being rested from the World Club Challenge and opening two rounds, new signing Josh Morris will make his club debut in the centres after gaining a release from the final year of his contract at Cronulla.

Returning to the field following an interrupted stand-down period marred by incidents featuring some of the club's highest profile stars, the South Sydney Rabbitohs will be out to let their actions do the talking on Friday night.

Starting 2020 with a win over Cronulla (22-18) followed by a narrow loss to Brisbane (18-22), coach Wayne Bennett will be without one of his best attacking players after Cody Walker was a handed a two-match ban for failing to inform the NRL of an off-field incident last December.

As a result Troy Dargan will make his NRL debut alongside captain Adam Reynolds in the halves, while former Brisbane and North Queensland forward Patrick Mago will come onto the bench for his first appearance in red and green colours.

Debuting with the Roosters as a teenager before going on to win back-to-back premierships in 2018-19, superstar outside back Latrell Mitchell will face off against his former club for the first time in the highly anticipated clash.

Last meeting: Finals Week 1 2019 - Roosters 30 Rabbitohs 6

Who to watch: Having spent time in the lower grades at Parramatta and Brisbane before heading to South Sydney over the off-season, 22-year-old playmaker Troy Dargan will face a tough initiation to first grade against the defending premiers. Thrown into the number six jersey in the wake of Cody Walker's two-match suspension, the former Australian Schoolboys and Cook Islands representative will be determined to make the most of his opportunity and stake a case for regular game time going forward. Contracted to the Rabbitohs until the end of next season, look for Dargan to create plenty of chances with the ball and hold his own in defence.

Nine weeks after linking with the reigning premiers from Cronulla, veteran centre Josh Morris will make his long-awaited debut for the Tricolours. Joining the Eastern Suburbs outfit as a replacement for prodigious talent Latrell Mitchell, look for Morris to bring substance over individual brilliance to a backline brimming with talent. Reuniting with his twin brother, Brett, following previous stints at St George Illawarra and Canterbury-Bankstown, the 33-year-old two-time Dally M Centre of the Year recipient will be determined to finish his career on a high by leading the Roosters to their third straight title.

The favourite: While both teams have plenty to improve upon based on their performances in the opening two rounds, the absence of Cody Walker has the Roosters favoured to come away with two premiership points.

My tip: Boosted by the return of captain Boyd Cordner and club debutant Josh Morris in the backline, the Roosters are expected to capitalise upon their depleted rivals. Roosters by 12.

1. James Tedesco 2. Daniel Tupou 3. Josh Morris 4. Joseph Manu 5. Brett Morris 6. Luke Keary 7. Kyle Flanagan 8. Jared Waerea-Hargreaves 9. Jake Friend 17. Lindsay Collins 11. Boyd Cordner 12. Angus Crichton 13. Victor Radley 10. Isaac Liu 14. Sam Verrills 15. Sitili Tupouniua 16. Nat Butcher

1. Latrell Mitchell 2. Dane Gagai 3. Campbell Graham 4. Braidon Burns 5. Alex Johnston 6. Troy Dargan 7. Adam Reynolds 8. Tevita Tatola 9. Damien Cook 10. Thomas Burgess 11. Jaydn Su'A 12. Cameron Murray 13. Liam Knight 14. Mark Nicholls 15. Ethan Lowe 16. Bayley Sironen 19. Tom Amone

Referees: Ashley Klein; Sideline Officials: Chris Butler, Peter Gough; Video Referees: Jared Maxwell, Bryan Norrie;