South Sydney Rabbitohs vs Brisbane Broncos Prediction: Expect a close and competitive match

The matchup for round 21 of the National Rugby League will take place at Sunshine Coast Stadium between the South Sydney Rabbitohs and the Brisbane Broncos. 

Following a challenging beginning to the season, the South Sydney Rabbitohs find themselves on the verge of falling out of the top eight. However, they will be looking to improve on their triumph against the Brisbane Broncos, whom they defeated with relative ease in round 9. The South Sydney Rabbitohs have only won two of their last seven games after winning their previous six in a row, which coincides with the injury to their top leader in the back, Latrell Mitchell, as well as the disruption brought on by the State of Origin. This team's most recent encounter, which they played at home against the Canterbury Bulldogs, was a loss by a score of 32–36, as it was difficult for them to build on their victory over the New Zealand Warriors in their previous match. They will now have their stars back, and we should anticipate a completely new South Sydney Rabbitohs team that should deliver more performances like they did earlier in the season. Latrell Mitchell, who has been out with a calf injury, will be returning to the club in the role of fullback. Jai Arrow (ankle) and Campbell Graham (sternum) have also returned to the game after making a full recovery from the injuries they sustained, respectively. In addition, players Damien Cook, Cody Walker, Keaon Koloamatangi, and Cameron Murray are scheduled to return to the squad after serving their respective states in the State of Origin. Also, Jacob Host, who had been serving a suspension for his previous actions, will rejoin the team when it resumes play. We have Blake Taaffe, Siliva Havili, and Thomas Burgess on the bench, but regrettably, promising prospect Tyrone Munro is unable to play after shining in his first two games for the club.

To most people's surprise, the Brisbane Broncos have performed extremely well, if not the best, throughout the Origin era. Since round 13, the Broncos have won five of their six games. During that time period, they have allowed an opponent to score an average of just 18.6 points on them, which is only a little over one point higher than their season average. A valiant performance, taking into account that they have been without a significant number of their starters for the past two months. The Brisbane Broncos have now won two games in a row thanks to their victory over the Canterbury Bulldogs in their most recent match, which was played away from home and ended with a score of 24-44. Having said that, it is essential to remember that their first game was against the Dolphins, and it was a competitive match that ended with a score of 24-16. Even though he has been listed in the Broncos' lineup, there is still uncertainty over Adam Reynolds' ability to play owing to a wrist injury that he suffered. Jock Madden is the most likely choice to step up and replace the revered number 7 in the halves in the event that Ryan Reynolds is unable to participate in the game. Reece Walsh, who was serving a suspension, and Payne Haas, who is recovering from an ankle injury, will both be making their return this weekend, which is a wonderful development. In addition, Patrick Carrigan has rejoined the action after taking some time off following the conclusion of Origin III. The Brisbane Broncos have moved up to the second spot in the league standings and are currently tied with the Penrith Panthers for the most points (30).

In round 9 of the 2023 NRL season, the South Sydney Rabbitohs humiliated the Brisbane Broncos, winning 32-6 on the strength of a 6-3 Linebreak count and outrunning their opponents by almost 300 Total Run meters. The Rabbitohs also have a stronger recent head-to-head record, having won six of the previous ten matches against their rivals. The team that came out on top in each of the most recent 10 matchups between Souths and Brisbane covered the point spread, and there were double-digit winning margins in seven of those most recent 10 contests. The total points scored in the previous four meetings between the South Sydney Rabbitohs and the Brisbane Broncos went UNDER. Opposing fullbacks have scored six tries against Brisbane in their last six matches.

The oddsmakers are unable to differentiate between the two competitors with the same odds of winning. This indicates that the contest is expected to be a close one. However, the advantage of the multitude of returning stars is going to play a significant factor on Friday, with both teams relishing the return of some of their greatest names, such as Latrell Mitchell and Payne Haas. In spite of the uncertainty surrounding Adam Reynolds' health and the fact that the Rabbitohs will have back at least half of their first-string players, I believe South Sydney will prevail as the 3.5-point favorite. The South Sydney Rabbitohs have been putting up a good defensive fight, but the recent form of the team can be thrown out the window now that Origin has concluded and a new beginning can be made. This week, I anticipate that both teams will place a strong emphasis on their defensive play and that the final score will end up being lower than the 45.5 points that were predicted.