South Sydney Rabbitohs 2020 draw snapshot
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Here is all you need to know about the South Sydney Rabbitohs' 2020 Telstra Premiership draw.
The Lowdown
Teams they play twice
Broncos, Roosters, Storm, Bulldogs, Dragons, Raiders, Knights, Tigers, Eels.
Teams they play once
Sharks, Cowboys, Sea Eagles, Panthers, Titans, Warriors.
Day-by-day breakdown
Thursday - 6, Friday - 5, Saturday - 10, Sunday - 3.
Five-day turnarounds
3: (Round 9, Round 11, Round 18).
Kick-off
Four straight matches against 2019 finals teams, including the premiers and minor premiers should give Wayne Bennett's men a stern early test. If they can win at home against the Sharks and Roosters, and grab one of the away games in Brisbane or Melbourne they'll be sitting pretty at 3-1.
Five key match-ups
Broncos (Round 2, Suncorp Stadium; Round 9, ANZ Stadium): Will there be as much acrimony between these two clubs in 2020 as there was in 2019 when Bennett and Seibold faced their old clubs for the first time? Probably. The lasting memory from Souths' epic 22-20 win in a round 23 thriller was long-time Broncos coach Bennett strutting into the Bunnies sheds after the game and high-fiving every player. For Brisbane, it still burns; for Souths, they'll be up for this one once again. This one fires up early with a round two trip to Brisbane and the return leg in round nine.
Roosters (Round 3, ANZ Stadium; Round 24, SCG): You knew this one would be on the list. Souths were the only team to beat the Roosters twice in 2019 but will be stinging to have lost the most important one in the opening week of the finals, just a week after an impressive upset round 25 win. A look back at clashes between these two foundation clubs over the past decade tosses up some of the most remarkable club games and close finishes you could want to see. Ask any player from either club and this is the one they most want to win.
Bulldogs (Round 5, ANZ Stadium; Round 15, ANZ Stadium): The traditional Good Friday clash between these two old rivals is always one to circle in the calendar and there have been some brutal match-ups over the years. Easter lands in round five while the Bulldogs will host the second fixture, also at ANZ, in round 15.
Raiders (Round 7, GIO Stadium; Round 23, Central Coast Stadium): The battle of Britain produced two high-quality contests in 2019 with Souths winning 16-12 in round 10 in Canberra and the Raiders returning the favour 16-10 in the grand final qualifier. The Bunnies head to the nation's capital in round seven and host the Green Machine in round 23.
Manly (Round 13, ANZ Stadium): Three meetings in 2019, every one as physical and spiteful as the last. Manly were the only side to beat Souths in the opening 11 rounds (13-12 in round 4) but Souths got their revenge in round 17 in another one-point thriller. Souths looked shot in their semi-final meeting before a Jake Trbojevic sin-bin effectively ended Manly's season. Get set for another ding-dong battle in their only regular-season meeting in round 13.
Toughest stretch
It's definitely the opening month. The Bunnies don't have more than two games in a row against 2019 finalists after that opening four-game run. If they can get through that period in good shape it will set up their season nicely.
And another thing
The Bunnies' final game at ANZ falls in round 15, in which they will be the away team against the Bulldogs. Their remaining four home games will be taken to Bankwest Stadium (two games), Sunshine Coast Stadium and Central Coast Stadium.
