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Premiers Melbourne Storm take on title challengers South Sydney in the marquee clash of the 2021 season's opening round at AAMI Park.

Both sides have picked up where they left off, cruising to big wins in the abbreviated trial season with the Storm dismissing the Knights 30-10 and last season's preliminary finalists Souths routing the Dragons 48-16.

Melbourne will start the season without both Cameron Smith and Harry Grant but have an able substitute on Brandon Smith while the Rabbitohs look well-placed to send legendary coach Wayne Bennett out on a high.

The Storm will be keen to get off to a winning start as their opening three-match gauntlet of Souths, Parramatta and Penrith is a challenging one.

Storm v Rabbitohs

The Rundown

Team news

Storm: Bench hooker Tyson Smoothy is a late inclusion, replacing Nicho Hynes on the interchange, and is set to give Brandon Smith a breather at dummy-half. Darryn Schonig also dropped out of the squad an hour before kick-off, after Cooper Johns and Trent Loiero were the first two players omitted from the squad on Wednesday.

Smoothy played at last year's NRL Nines with Penrith before linking with first the Sunshine Coast and then the Storm this summer on a train-and-trial deal.

Nelson Asofa-Solomona has been named at lock to cover for Dale Finucane, who faces six weeks out with a calf injury. Brenko Lee (hamstring) is out after only getting through limited training on Monday and his place in the centres is filled by former Bulldog Reimis Smith.

Nicho Hynes is the current utility named in Melbourne's 17 but may yet make way for Smoothy to offer cover for Smith.

George Jennings will take the wing spot vacated by Suliasi Vunivalu's move to rugby. The Storm have won nine of their past 10 games against the Rabbitohs.

Rabbitohs: The Rabbitohs are 1-17. Winger Alex Johnston came through the Bunnies' captain's run unscathed after failing to finish training on Monday and is good to go.

Apart from Liam Knight, who suffered a concussion during a training scrimmage leading into the Charity Shield, coach Wayne Bennett had pretty much a full roster to choose from. 

Recruits Josh Mansour and Jacob Host have been named to start in their club debuts while Jai Arrow and Benji Marshall will come off the bench.

Bench forward Hame Sele is out for a fortnight with a rib injury, centre Braidon Burns (knee) and Brock Gardner (Achilles) are sidelined indefinitely. The Rabbitohs face Melbourne without Cameron Smith for the first time in 17 years.

Patrick Mago and Jaxson Paulo were the final players trimmed from the reserves on game day after Tautau Moga and Troy Dargan were cut from the extended squad 24 hours before kick-off.

Team Lists

Backs

  • Fullback for Storm is number 1 Ryan Papenhuyzen
    Fullback for Rabbitohs is number 1 Latrell Mitchell
  • Winger for Storm is number 2 George Jennings
    Winger for Rabbitohs is number 2 Alex Johnston
  • Centre for Storm is number 3 Reimis Smith
    Centre for Rabbitohs is number 3 Dane Gagai
  • Centre for Storm is number 4 Justin Olam
    Centre for Rabbitohs is number 4 Campbell Graham
  • Winger for Storm is number 5 Josh Addo-Carr
    Winger for Rabbitohs is number 5 Josh Mansour
  • Five-Eighth for Storm is number 6 Cameron Munster
    Five-Eighth for Rabbitohs is number 6 Cody Walker
  • Halfback for Storm is number 7 Jahrome Hughes
    Halfback for Rabbitohs is number 7 Adam Reynolds

Forwards

  • Prop for Storm is number 8 Jesse Bromwich
    Prop for Rabbitohs is number 8 Thomas Burgess
  • Hooker for Storm is number 9 Brandon Smith
    Hooker for Rabbitohs is number 9 Damien Cook
  • Prop for Storm is number 10 Christian Welch
    Prop for Rabbitohs is number 10 Tevita Tatola
  • 2nd Row for Storm is number 11 Felise Kaufusi
    2nd Row for Rabbitohs is number 11 Jacob Host
  • 2nd Row for Storm is number 12 Kenneath Bromwich
    2nd Row for Rabbitohs is number 12 Jaydn Su'a
  • Lock for Storm is number 13 Nelson Asofa-Solomona
    Lock for Rabbitohs is number 13 Cameron Murray

Interchange

  • Interchange for Storm is number 14 Chris Lewis
    Interchange for Rabbitohs is number 14 Benji Marshall
  • Interchange for Storm is number 15 Tui Kamikamica
    Interchange for Rabbitohs is number 15 Mark Nicholls
  • Interchange for Storm is number 16 Tom Eisenhuth
    Interchange for Rabbitohs is number 16 Keaon Koloamatangi
  • Interchange for Storm is number 21 Tyson Smoothy
    Interchange for Rabbitohs is number 17 Jai Arrow

Match Officials

  • Referee: Grant Atkins
  • Touch Judge: Chris Butler
  • Touch Judge: Todd Smith
  • Senior Review Official: Steve Chiddy

Last updated:

Key match-up

Ryan Papenhuyzen v Latrell Mitchell: The Storm No.1 is poised to take his game to another level after a breakout 2020 season. Papenhuyzen has added goal-kicking to his repertoire and will be looking to take on more responsibility with the departure of Cameron Smith.

Meanwhile, Mitchell showed with a standout Charity Shield performance that he is well and truly settled at fullback after a 2020 plagued by adjustment issues and injury. Both benefit from plying their trade in stacked attacks.

Round 1 hype - Storm v Rabbitohs

Stat attack

South Sydney were the No.2 scoring team in 2020, just five points behind the Storm. Wayne Bennett's men bring back last season's top point-scorer, Adam Reynolds (221), and try-scorer, Alex Johnston (23).

When combined with red-hot five-eighth Cody Walker (Charity Shield hat-trick) and Latrell Mitchell, who is looking increasingly comfortable in the No.1 jersey, the Rabbitohs could be point-scoring monsters in 2021.  

What will be the result in this Telstra Premiership clash?

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Acknowledgement of Country

Melbourne Storm respect and honour the Traditional Custodians of the land and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and future. We acknowledge the stories, traditions and living cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on the lands we meet, gather and play on.