Parramatta will travel down the road to Accor Stadium on Saturday night looking to put a six-point buffer on opponents South Sydney on the Telstra Premiership ladder.
The Eels lead the Rabbitohs by four competition points in sixth spot and if results go their way they could be in the top four by the end of the round.
South Sydney are producing a very inconsistent season and must find some form if they're going to make a dent in this year's competition after going down to the Dragons by 20 points in round 15.
Latrell Mitchell's return will help but overall Jason Demetriou's side can't rely on the fullback's comeback from a long-term hamstring injury to spark a resurgence.
The Rabbitohs have had the wood over Parramatta in recent games for an aggregate scoreline of 78-32 in 2021.
Parramatta will be expected to win - something they've struggled with at times against teams below them on the ladder - while the Rabbitohs are on the verge of slipping outside the top eight.
Sportsbet Betting preview: Rabbitohs v Eels
The Rundown
Team news
Rabbitohs: Latrell Mitchell is back from injury for his first game since round five, leaving Kodi Nikorima to revert to the bench. Damien Cook, Cameron Murray and Jai Arrow will all start after playing in Origin II. Taane Milne makes way for rookie Isaiah Tass in the centres, while Hame Sele gets the start at prop ahead of Mark Nicholls who will come off the interchange.
Eels: Marata Niukore will start at lock after Ryan Matterson dropped out of the team on Friday night. Prop Junior Paulo is good to go after playing 43 minutes in Origin II. The Eels' other representative players Dylan Brown, Waqa Blake and Maika Sivo will all play, with Tom Opacic joining the interchange in place of Matterson.
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Key match-up
Cody Walker v Dylan Brown: Two playmakers at different stages of their career but vitally important to their respective sides. Walker has been on the end of some criticism for his yo-yo form to coincide with the Rabbitohs' inconsistency this year but there's no doubting when he's on the side responds. It's a similiar case for Brown, who has taken his game to another level this year and acts as the perfect foil for Mitchell Moses. Coming off an international debut for the Kiwis, Brown will be looking to take that experience into this weekend's fixture.
Stat Attack
Parramatta have the best completion rate in the NRL alongside the Panthers. It's no surprise below both western Sydney clubs are the Broncos, Storm and Cowboys, who are all in the top six as it stands. South Sydney are ranked last in this area with 72% on average. There was once a time in recent years gone by that completion rates weren't everything but this year's trends towards hold the ball and you'll win the game.
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