Match Preview: Round 11 – Dolphins v Rabbitohs
The Dolphins return to Suncorp Stadium on Friday night with the chance to make it three straight wins at the venue, taking on the Rabbitohs in a Magic Round showdown.
Sitting ninth on the ladder, the Dolphins will face a fourth-placed Rabbitohs side carrying momentum of their own after last week’s win over the Sharks.
Adding another layer to the contest, former Dolphins head coach Wayne Bennett will lead the Rabbitohs against his old club, with the two sides already having met once this season in Round 1.
That opening-round clash saw South Sydney claim a 40-30 victory at Suncorp Stadium, after the Dolphins mounted a second-half fightback but fell short.
This time, the Dolphins will be looking to build off back-to-back wins at Suncorp, with the home crowd set to play a key role despite the Rabbitohs being listed as the home side for the seventh year of Magic Round.
Selwyn Cobbo is the only player to have scored two hat-tricks at Magic Round, which was in 2022 and 2023.
Team News
Dolphins
Head Coach Kristian Woolf has made a last minute change to his side, with Frank Molo sidelined with a minor ankle injury and will miss this round as a precaution.
Kurt Donoghoe slides into the side, putting him in line to make his third appearance of the season.
Donoghoe missed last week’s win over the Bulldogs but featured the week prior in the Dolphins’ victory over the Storm, playing 26 minutes off the bench.
Jeremy Marshall-King has been named at 14, while Oryn Keeley is listed as 18th man and Brad Schneider as 19th man.
Rabbitohs
The Rabbitohs will be without winger Alex Johnston, who has been sidelined with a knee injury, opening the door for Bayleigh Bentley-Hape.
Latrell Mitchell returns after a week out, with Fletcher Myers shifting to the wing and Liam Le Blanc moving onto the interchange.
Match-Up
Nikorima v Walker
One of the key match-ups heading into Friday night’s clash will be between the two experienced five-eighths, with Kodi Nikorima coming up against his former club.
Nikorima spent time with the Rabbitohs before joining the Dolphins, making 15 appearances for South Sydney during his career. The veteran playmaker will enter the clash with 229 NRL appearances to his name.
Standing opposite him will be Rabbitohs star Cody Walker, who has built an outstanding career across 232 NRL appearances, all in Rabbitohs Colours.
Both players bring experience, composure and creativity to their sides, with the battle between the two number sixes likely to play a major role in deciding the Magic Round showdown.
Nikorima has featured in seven games this season, scoring a try last week while also recording four try assists, six line breaks and an impressive tackle efficiency of 89.5 per cent.
Walker has made nine appearances in 2026, crossing for four tries while registering eight try assists, alongside a tackle efficiency of 82 per cent.
